January 2003
Dear Paula,
What do you think of Physician's Complex Microdermabrasion Cream? I received this product from www.totalskincare.com and am very much interested in your thoughts. I am excited that this cream contains the same magnesium oxide crystals used in regular microdermabrasion procedures.

Andrea from Columbia, MD

Dear Andrea,
With the rising popularity of microdermabrasion, it was only a matter of time before cosmetics companies would begin launching products to use at home that supposedly mimic the effect of a microdermabrasion treatment. Products such as Physician’s Complex Microdermabrasion Cream ($59 for 3 ounces), Crystal Clarity Microdermabrasion Cream ($47.50 for 2 ounces), EpiDerm Microdermabrasion Cream ($78 for 2 ounces), and Dermanew Microdermabrasion Cream ($42 for 2.6 ounces) contain the same (or nearly identical) abrasive ingredient used in microdermabrasion machines, namely aluminum oxide (also known as corundum crystals). What consumers often fail to realize (and the ads for these creams certainly don’t mention) is the fact that adding this component of the microdermabrasion procedure to a cosmetic scrub product is not going to produce the same results as the actual treatment will. For one thing, you’re asked to believe that massaging these gritty-feeling concoctions over your face is akin to a mechanical device shooting pressurized aluminum oxide crystals at high speed against your skin and then vacuuming it off, a process that is controlled and monitored by the technician or physician performing the procedure. I understand the temptation to want to continue such treatments at home, but they cannot in any way provide the benefit microdermabrasion imparts. For all intents and purposes, these products are nothing more than scrubs, and rather irritating ones at that.

The main concern for these microdermabrasion scrubs is the fact that they are quite harsh, with the rough feel of sandpaper or coarse salt. The directions for these scrubs all indicate that they should be massaged over the skin for several minutes, which can produce a lot of irritation, especially for those who are overzealous with their technique. The direct message accompanying all of these creams is that you can literally scrub away your skin problems, whether they are acne, blackheads, wrinkles, or discolorations. Further, many of these creams include other skin irritants, such as orange oil, lemon oil, and menthol. None of these are beneficial for skin, and they’re even worse when they’re introduced while the skin is being abraded by aluminum oxide or magnesium oxide particles. Given that real microdermabrasion procedures require successive treatments to maintain what can only be described as superficial results, you should ask yourself how likely is it that a microdermabrasion scrub will be the cure-all for every major skin woe? The bottom line with all of these microdermabrasion scrubs is that they are inadequate and potentially harmful substitutes not only for genuine microdermabrasion treatments (preferably performed by a physician) but also for consistent use of well-formulated AHA or BHA products.