Obagi
True skin care is about unleashing your skin’s full potential. Whatever skin type or skin tone you may have, Obagi has a product line that will enable you to look and feel your absolute best, at all times.
Founded in 1988, this female-run company creates true clinical-quality products, as evidenced by the fact that Obagi skincare is primarily available through dermatologists, physicians, plastic surgeons, and other skincare professionals. Luckily for the rest of us, you can also buy Obagi online right here at Editor’s Pick, as an at-home solution!
Obagi Skincare: Where Research Meets Innovation
For over 30 years, Obagi has been at the forefront of skincare science, leading transformative research and building highly-effective product formulations that are based on a deep understanding of how our skin functions at a cellular level. Whether it’s for their Obagi Medical or their Obagi Clinical range, every product begins with extensive research: Thousands of ingredients are scientifically investigated to identify the most potent components, from which each element gets individually analyzed to pinpoint the highest-quality version and the one that’s best able to penetrate your skin. And things don’t end there! The team then optimizes everything from ingredient concentrations to pH levels, to create products that undeniably deliver on their promises of quality and perfection.
What’s more, all Obagi skin care products undergo rigorous testing before being released, to ensure that they are not only effective but also safe, and that every drop contains the same quantity of active ingredients. This way, when you’re applying your nightly under eye cream or your daily skin toner, you can know you’ll be getting the same incredible results every single time you use it.
Advanced Skin Care For Everyone
Every person’s skin is unique, and designing products that will work across the full spectrum of skin tones and skin types is no easy feat. Most brands aren’t up to the challenge. But Obagi is different.
Through their SKINCLUSION initiative, Obagi put a strong emphasis on recognizing diversity, ensuring that all Obagi products accommodate skin of every pigmentation level. Particularly when it comes to skin lightening or brightening products, such as a vitamin C facial serum or an eye cream for dark circles, it’s important to ensure that the results are equally beautiful on dark skin as on light. Obagi takes the time to test that, having developed clinical research protocols to include all six Fitzpatrick skin categories - a scale linked to melanin concentration in the skin, which was originally developed to classify how at-risk it is from sun damage.
Additionally, generous sample group sizes ensure that Obagi skincare gets dermatologically tested on a wide variety of skin types, such as aging, oily, dry, and sensitive, as well as skin tones. Obagi products truly are designed for everyone – including you!
Which Obagi Skin Care Products Are Best for You?
While Obagi products may be more universally-effective than most, naturally the brand has developed different formulations and ranges to target specific skin concerns. From reducing fine lines and wrinkles to fading dark spots or treating acne, here’s a guide to the best Obagi skincare routine for your goals and needs:
Obagi Products For Dry Skin
Suffering from tight, flaky, or thirsty-feeling skin? Quench it with an Obagi moisturizer formulated with a slow-release system to deliver moisture continually throughout the day: Obagi Hydrate. For night time, you’ll love the rich and creamy feeling of Hydrate Luxe, an Obagi night cream with shea butter, mango butter, and avocado extracts that guarantees you’ll wake up with softer and more supple skin. And for a truly powerful boost of moisture, we can’t forget to mention their Hydro-Drops which contain two skin-smoothing oils suspended in an ultra-lightweight and easily-spreadable serum formula.
Obagi Products For Dull Skin
Is your skin lacking a healthy ‘glow’, and in need of a little visual pick-me-up? L-ascorbic acid – more commonly known as vitamin C – is your skincare best friend! This proven brightening ingredient, which also functions as an antioxidant, is one of the three pillars of Obagi skincare (alongside vitamin A and great sun protection). That means you’ll find it in plenty of their products. Why not treat yourself to an Obagi-C skin care kit, a complete facial skin care system that contains the most potent form of vitamin C in every product?
Obagi Products For Hyperpigmentation
Do you have an uneven skin tone, such as melasma (dark spots) or old acne marks? One of the key benefits of the Obagi Nu Derm system is evening out your skin tone, which it does through a combination of skin-brightening vitamin C and exfoliating glycolic acid. There are two 7-step Obagi Nu Derm starter kits available, one for dry skin and one for oily skin. If you prefer to buy products separately, we particularly recommend the Obagi Exfoderm cleanser, which buffs away dead skin cells to reveal the fresh and flawless complexion you have waiting below the surface.
Obagi Products For Acne
If you’re looking for a solution to blemishes, you’ll want to try the CLENZIderm range which includes products such as an Obagi moisturizer formulated especially for oily skin, a lotion with acne-fighting benzoyl peroxide, a skin care treatment with salicylic acid to keep your pores clear and clean, and a foaming cleanser that also contains salicylic acid. A three-piece CLENZIderm skin care kit is also a great solution to treat acne. All Obagi products have been developed to improve skin from the inside out, meaning that rather than simply treating the symptoms as they appear, their CLENZIderm range targets the root cause of acne to prevent blemishes from forming in the first place.
Obagi Products For Mature Skin
When it comes to reversing the visible signs of aging, there are a wide range of Obagi skin care products designed to address everything from fine lines to sagging skin. In your 20s and 30s? The retinol-based Obagi360 skin care kits will smooth away fine lines, smaller wrinkles, and visible pores. People of any age will love the Obagi Professional-C Peptide Complex as well as the wrinkle-erasing Obagi Nu Derm line, from which you can pick and choose products to build your own skincare routine or simply purchase a 7-piece Obagi NuDerm starter kit. Those with more significant loss of skin firmness will absolutely fall in love with the powerfully anti-aging ELASTIderm range, which includes an eye cream, eye serum and facial serum all designed to boost natural elastin production, to restore that youthful firmness and fullness.
Obagi Products For Sensitive Skin
The hypoallergenic SuzanObagiMD line, which is free from synthetic fragrances, has been formulated especially to be as gentle as possible on the skin. That means anyone can use it – even those with skin that’s quick to irritate. As a basic skincare routine, we recommend picking up the foaming cleanser, balancing toner (it really is the best toner for sensitive skin out there!), and the Intensive Daily Repair lotion which also functions as a mild exfoliator. Though not part of the same range, the Obagi Nu Derm Gentle Cleanser with soothing oat is also a great way to clean and refresh your skin without stripping away moisture, and doesn’t use any harsh ingredients.
Obagi Products For Everyone – Yes, We’re Talking Sun Protection!
As any dermatologist will tell you, whatever your skin type and even whatever your skin color, a good sunscreen is an absolute must-have. It’s not just about preventing sunburn – it’s also your first line of daily defense against the aging effects of UV rays. Which Obagi sunscreen you choose however will come down to factors such as whether you want it clear or tinted and whether you want any added benefits – such as the Professional-C Obagi sunscreen which protects your skin while treating existing sun damage through vitamin C, or the Obagi360 HydraFactor cream which blends together broad-spectrum SPF with intense hydration.
FAQs on How To Build Your Obagi Skincare Routine
Still Have Questions About Choosing or Using Obagi Products?
Here’s everything you need to know about create a personalized skincare regimen that will leave you glowing:
Which Is The Best Obagi Moisturizer?
With a number of excellent hydrators to choose from, it can be tricky to decide which one’s the perfect match for you! If you’re looking for a great ‘all rounder’ that suits multiple skin types, you can’t go wrong with Obagi Hydrate. It won’t clog pores, though those with acne-prone skin may still prefer to use the CLENZIderm Therapeutic Moisturizer which also contains glycerin to calm inflamed skin.
If you want your moisturizer to come with built-in sunscreen, choose the Obagi360 HydraFactor which provides SPF 30 protection. Or, if you want one that also works to brighten and resurface lackluster skin, try the SuzanObagiMD Exfoliating and Hydrating Lotion.
Should I Use Different Moisturizers For Day And Night?
It’s not strictly necessary, but you’ll probably get more benefit from your skincare regimen if you do. That’s because while you’ll want something light for daytime which works well under makeup (and which includes UV protection if you’re not wearing a separate sunscreen), sleep is when your skin goes into renew mode and hence is an ideal time to use a richer cream and/or more intensely-nourishing serums. So at night, switch out your daytime Obagi moisturizer for their Hydrate Luxe cream, or their antioxidant C-Therapy Night Cream to reverse any environmental damage that occurred during the previous day.
Nighttime is also the ideal time to use retinols (such as the Obagi Retinol 0.5 skin care treatment or the stronger Retinol 1 version) since these can make your skin more prone to sun damage.
What Is The Best Under Eye Cream?
The skin around your eyes is extra-delicate so, ideally, you want to use a separate hydrator here. Obagi offers both an eye cream and an eye serum, both part of their anti-aging ELASTIderm range and both based on the same mineral complex, but which have slightly different benefits. The former is targeted at firming and plumping the skin to reduce wrinkles, including softening crow’s feet, but it’s not so much an eye cream for dark circles. For that, you’ll want the caffeine-infused serum which brightens the skin around the eyes and also helps to eliminate puffy under-eye bags.
Does Obagi Offer A Neck Cream?
While Obagi doesn’t specifically offer a neck firming cream, the best ‘neck’ cream to use is their ELASTIderm Facial Serum. With a special mineral complex that includes zinc and copper, there’s nothing to stop you applying this all the way down to your décolletage – and with its elastin-promoting, skin-firming properties, it’ll function perfectly as a neck tightening cream to help your skin here bounce back from the signs of aging.
How About A Body Skin Care Treatment Range?
The Obagi skincare range is focused primarily on the face, but they do have a body cream too! KèraPhine Body Smoothing Lotion is a silky hydrator with exfoliating glycolic acid, to smooth rough patches, treat keratosis pilaris, and generally resurface your skin for a softer new you.
What Does Toner Do For Your Skin?
Skin toner is an important step in your skincare routine, both morning and night. This watery product actually serves a number of purposes: it removes any stubborn dirt, oil or makeup that your cleanser missed, balances the pH level of the skin, and allows the moisturizers and serums that you apply afterwards to penetrate more deeply.
The best skin toner however is one that does all of the above plus helps to treat your particular skin care concerns, whether that’s excess oil, dryness, or something else. From the Obagi toner range:
The best skin toner for acne-prone complexions is the CLENZIderm Pore Therapy salicylic acid treatment.
The best toner for oily skin is the C-Balancing Toner (available as part of the Obagi-C skin care kit).
The best toner for dry skin or combination skin is the Obagi Nu Derm Toner.
The best toner for sensitive skin is the SuzanObagiMD Balancing Toner.
What is the difference between Obagi Clinical and Obagi Medical?
Obagi Medical products are available on prescription, while Obagi Clinical products can simply be purchased directly by customers.
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