Proper Use and Expected Results of Obagi Clear Skincare Product in Reducing Dark Blemishes
About Obagi Skincare Products
Obagi is a line of physician-dispensed skincare systems and products developed by Dr. Zein Obagi in the late 1980’s. Obagi products have become well known because of their perceived effectiveness at diminishing skin blotchiness, uneven skin, and marks left by acne scars and sun damage.
Although some Obagi products are intended to be used alone, many of their skin treatments are sold as systems consisting of multiple products for use over a period of time. Several products contain ingredients available by prescription only and are intended to be physician dispensed through dermatologists, medical spas, plastic surgeons and other licensed facilities. The maker of Obagi products is Obagi Medical Products, Inc. of Long Beach, CA.
Part of Obagi Nu-Derm System
Obagi Clear is one of the products in the Obagi Nu-Derm System, which is intended to treat age spots, wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. The Nu-Derm System has five stages of treatment, they are Prepare, Improve, Stimulate, Protect, and Complement. Each step involves applying three to four different products in the morning or evening for a specified number of days. The Obagi Clear product is part of the Improve and Stimulate Phases.
Active Ingredient
Frequently people seek to purchase and use Obagi Clear by itself because it contains a 4% solution of hydroquinone, a prescription-strength treatment used to treat skin discoloration and promote an even skin tone. Hydroquinone reduces the amount of melanin skin produces which is how it is effective against brown blemishes.
Pregnant or nursing women or those who seek to become pregnant should not use hydroquinone. Over-application of hydroquinone can cause redness and blistering and it should not be applied to dry or damaged skin areas.
Inactive Ingredients
In addition to hydroquinone, Obagi Clear also contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (not a prescription required ingredient) as well as antioxidant vitamins. In some users, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate has been known to cause skin irritation.
Role in Nu-Derm System
Prior to using Obagi Clear in the Improve and Stimulate phases of the Nu-Derm System, Obagi system patients would have gone through the Prepare phase. In the Prepare phase two cleaning products are used to reduce oil and remove dirt from the skin’s surface and a toner is used to alter the skin’s pH level in order to enhance the efficacy of the later treatments.
During the Improve phase, in which Obagi Clear is first introduced, it is used in conjunction with products designed to help the skin shed dead and damaged cells. And in the Stimulate phase that comes next Obagi Clear is applied with other products that help lighten skin color evenly. The last two phases, Protect and Complement don’t use Obagi Clear.
Proper Use
Obagi Clear is one ingredient (that is used twice) in a sixteen-product, multi-step system designed to prepare, activate, restore and maintain specific results against serious skin blemish disorders. The product is not intended by the manufacturer to be used separately outside the recommended treatment plan.
Does Obagi Clear Work? The Results
Based on online research of user reviews, the majority of reviewers, both professional and average users, found that the Obagi Nu-Derm system worked to reduce or eliminate skin blemishes, scars and uneven skin tone. And many of them felt or were completely certain that their skin had become more tight making their appearance more youthful.
Interestingly, there was a noticeable difference in opinion from people who used only the Obagi Clear product. Users who did not follow the system typically reported more irritation problems and were less satisfied with the results than those who used the product as intended.