burnd Q&A | Episode 5

What about doctor-branded skin care products?

Most doctors are not formulators.  That is not a course in medical school.  It takes time and a good amount of money to develop truly effective skin care products.  So, how come it seems like every doc has their own “special” skin care line? The vast majority of doctor-branded skin care lines are not formulated by the doctors themselves. Instead, they are pre-made formulations produced by contract manufacturers and simply rebranded under different names.   Sometimes, doctors will request a custom blend of ingredients, but these products must still comply with regulatory requirements.

The exception is if a doctor prescribes a custom formulation for an individual patient, they can legally adjust drug concentrations or use unapproved combinations. This is how compounded medications and prescription-based skin care brands operate.

So, are the niche doctor branded skin care products bad?  Not necessarily but they are also probably nothing special either.