What do you think of Obagi cosmetics?

What do you think of Obagi cosmetics?

I think I’ll just tell you the pros and cons in my mind because it’s a little complicated.  Obagi was one of the first doctors who tried to base skin care more on science, and for that I admire him.  Prior to that it was pretty much just marketing and not the mix of marketing and science based skin care that we have now.  He also tried to do lines more specific for skin types and problems as opposed to the just the “dry, combination, normal, oily” classifcations. I think he was fairly succesful in doing that.

The con is that he has really relied on chronic hydroquinone use in many of his products as a “brightening” agent and to combat pigment problems.  Many of the people using his line didn’t realize that they had been using hydroquinones year around for years and years.  There are questions now about the safety of chronic use. I personally think short courses are fine but even this can be controversial now.

Also, he used retinoids often in his regimens.  A good think right?  Well, except the way he used them tended to be very, very irritating and caused a lot of redness and peeling.  He believed, it seemed, that this was necessary for good results.  We know now that that’s not true and, unfortunately, many people were so turned off by the experience they never wanted to use a Vitamin A cousin again on their skin.  Hope this helps.  Dr. I

 

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!