The cult skincare brand shaking up Australia

Obagi Medical, the #1 physician-dispensed skincare brand in the US, is making some serious headway in Australia with its transformational skin health products.

With a full portfolio of skincare solutions to promote beautiful complexions for all skin types, Obagi® Medical is an international leader in topical skincare, available through practitioners. Each product range is designed to transform skin and bring it back to optimum health.

Obagi was originally developed by a small group of physicians in the US who wanted to prepare a patient’s skin for cosmetic procedures – the very origin of the brand as a skincare line was to boost skin health and help maintain results following treatment.

iNova Pharmaceuticals (A Valeant Company) acquired the cult skincare brand in 2014 and relaunched the brand in Australia. Since then, Obagi has quickly become a coveted name in cosmeceutical skincare.

Market domination

“The reason we have always dominated the US market is because our products are a different kind of ‘clinically proven’ – we are more stringent with our testing
and uphold stricter standards,” says Laurence Dryer, Obagi chief scientist. “We openly reveal our studies and they are published in peer-review journals.”

With a PhD in Neuroscience and extensive experience in cosmetic formulation, Dryer equates the fiercely loyal following of Obagi to the range’s efficacy. “Each one of our products is thoroughly tested for safety and, most importantly, clinically proven to work,” she says. “We have a strong relationship based on trust with the physician community, which transfers to their patients because they in turn have a trust-based relationship with their doctor.

“We don’t give in to fads, fashionable ingredients or story-driven products. We trust only proven, well-supported, scientifically tested ingredients for our products, and we submit them to the most stringent standards for testing. Our clinical strength derives from our stringent protocols but also from the involvement of well-known KOL physicians who often run those studies and can attest to the results.

“We’re not about ‘foofoo dust’ for the latest trending ingredient buzzword in the market; we are about transforming the skin and committing to it long term,” she adds.

It is the combination and balance of active ingredients, growth factors, antioxidants and alpha hydroxy acids that ensure each component in an Obagi product is working at an optimum level. By partnering different ingredients and products, Obagi changes skin from the inside out. While you can’t prevent ageing, you can prevent the rate of ageing.

Transformation ranges

Obagi’s transformation ranges are complete skincare regimens designed to effectively address and improve all elements of skin health. The Nu-Derm®, CLENZIderm M.D.TM and Obagi-C® Rx systems all incorporate active ingredients that work within the skin to purify the complexion and help combat the signs of ageing.

Nu-Derm is an anti-ageing therapy designed to transform skin behaviour at a cellular level. The range is used to help reduce the appearance of age spots, fine lines and wrinkles, skin laxity, pigmentation, uneven texture and redness.

The CLENZIderm M.D. system is specifically formulated to remedy adult acne, and the Obagi-C Rx system uses Vitamin C to help counter the early signs of ageing. These transformation systems are available alongside targeted solution creams in the ELASTIderm® range, which are formulated to address more specific areas of concern – for example, décolletage treatments and eye contour products.

The last word

“We are a serious company and we take care of serious problems, relying on clinical data and hard facts,” says Dryer. “Our clinical superiority is partly due to Obagi working synergistically with prescription-strength products; topical prescriptions are very important because they are the most effective way to treat moderate to severe skin concerns. For example, the retinoid category is widely known for its anti-ageing efficacy, and our Nu-Derm system relies on a tretinoin prescription product. Topical prescription products best serve patients

with real concerns, a need for correction and a high commitment level, following the ‘three Obagi Cs’ of Concern, Condition and Commitment.”

iNova Aesthetics offers a complete range of skin rejuvenation and body contouring solutions, including Fraxel, Thermage, Liposonix, Clear + Brilliant and Obagi skincare.