Founded in 1988, the name Obagi Medical has since been synonymous with standout skincare products that deliver proven, transformative, and long-lasting results. As one of the pioneers of medical-grade skincare, Obagi shows no signs of slowing down and continues to produce unique professional-strength skincare systems that make youthful and healthy-looking skin within reach. This dermatologist-favorite brand truly has something for every complexion concern—from signs of aging to acne to uneven pigmentation—and for every skin type.
Taking inclusivity to heart, Obagi is the first professional skincare brand to design its clinical research protocols to cover all six Fitzpatrick spectrum skin tones. The Fitzpatrick Skin Spectrum is a scientific classification that determines skin types based on their response to sun exposure and the amount of pigment in the skin. By ensuring that each Obagi product delivers optimal results regardless of skin type and skin tone, you can trust that these skincare heroes will work for your skin and specific concerns.
If you’ve been wanting to try Obagi’s top-of-the-line skincare systems but don’t know where to start, don’t fret. Below, we list the best Obagi products for all your skincare needs.
Table of Contents:
What is Obagi Medical?
As a brand, Obagi is known for breakthrough innovations and committing itself to the highest standards of skincare, ultimately raising the bar for the entire skincare industry. Its superior, science-backed, and pharmaceutical-grade products are formulated with nothing but the purest, most effective, and most potent ingredients.
Each product the brand puts out has undergone rigorous testing and comprehensive clinical trials at every stage of the development process, from pre-clinical evaluation to consumer preference and usage. This battery of tests is designed to uphold the brand’s three tenets of product standards—Integrity, Safety, and Efficacy—so you can be sure that every moisturizer, serum, or treatment has been tried and tested to work and deliver maximum benefits for every skin type, tone, or concern.
While the brand stays on top of skincare development and utilizes cutting-edge technology, Obagi eschews fads and trends, focusing instead on creating timeless skincare systems with solid scientific foundation and support. This results in a wide range of skincare systems that are stellar not only in quality but also in providing reliable, long-term solutions even for the most stubborn skin concerns like photodamage, acne, and premature skin aging.
How to Find the Right Obagi Product for Every Skin Concern
Obagi understands how skin biology works at the cellular level, making it possible for the brand to craft the most impactful and targeted products that not only correct and prevent skin concerns but also unleash the skin’s full potential while equipping it with all the essentials.
Featuring powerful, no-fillers formulas backed by skincare science and innovation, Obagi’s inclusive products—including treatments, cleansers, toners, moisturizers, serums, masks, eye care, and body care—offer targeted and straightforward solutions for every skin concern, such as acne, discoloration, dryness, and premature aging. Below is a guide on the best Obagi products for your specific skin concerns.
For fine lines and wrinkles
Sun damage is the number one culprit behind premature skin aging, so it only makes sense to start off your Obagi anti-aging skincare routine with a broad-spectrum sunscreen like the Obagi Nu-Derm Healthy Skin Protection SPF 35. Aside from having the right SPF protection for daily use, this sunscreen filters UVA and UVB rays that cause surface and cellular-level damage to your skin. But that’s not all. This lightweight UV shield is also infused with brightening and free radicals-fighting ingredients that help stop pigmentation right on its track and add a much-needed layer of protection against environmental stressors as you go about your day.
Another standout when it comes to addressing premature signs of aging is Obagi’s ELASTIderm system. The ELASTIderm Eye Cream is clinically proven to dramatically reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, lines, and wrinkles around the eyes, thanks to its highly advanced blend of ingredients that takes advantage of the body’s natural skin renewal process. Use it in tandem with ELASTIderm Facial Serum, powered by the brand’s Bi-Mineral Contour Complex™, which supports skin elasticity, restores firmness, and improves the appearance of crepey skin. For unwanted lines in your neck and chest area, Obagi has the answer: ELASTIderm Neck and Decollette Concentrate. With this anti-aging solution, you can say goodbye to sagging skin, uneven skin tone, horizontal lines, and creases.
Finally, no skincare regimen is complete without a retinoid, and Obagi’s Retinol 1.0 lets you reap the benefits of this anti-aging MVP regardless of your skin type. Also infused with jojoba oil, shea butter, and vitamins C and E, Retinol 1.0 offers a potent dose of retinol for those whose skin has already adapted well to retinoids. (It also comes in a 0.5 strength, which is ideal for retinol newbies or those with sensitive skin.) Aside from increasing collagen production and hastening cell turnover, this serum works hard in improving tone and texture, diminishing dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and promoting firmness and elasticity.
Best Obagi Products for Aging Skin
Refine those fine lines and bid wrinkles adieu with Obagi’s anti-aging skincare solutions.
For hyperpigmentation and dark spots
One way to prevent dark spots and hyperpigmentation is by using adequate sun protection. However, existing discoloration can be tricky to remove without the right treatment. To refine skin discoloration with Obagi, it’s a must to have Obagi Medical Professional-C Serum 15% in your skincare arsenal. Infused with L-ascorbic acid, the most effective and only suitable form of vitamin C for topical application, it penetrates deep into your skin to deliver antioxidant protection against UV damage while brightening hyperpigmentation. Meanwhile, the Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish Mask is a brightening face mask that sloughs away dead skin cells that dull your complexion, improves texture, and minimizes hyperpigmentation and fine lines.
If you’re dealing with stubborn hyperpigmentation, then Obagi’s Nu-Derm System for normal to dry skin and normal to oily skin is for you. The Nu-Derm System’s star ingredient is seven percent arbutin, a powerful brightening ingredient that works by inhibiting the melanin-producing enzyme tyrosinase without the known side effects associated with hydroquinone.
For your nighttime routine, opt for the Obagi Medical Nu-Derm Blend Fx. This professional-strength, antioxidant- and lactic acid-packed, and hydroquinone-free brightening treatment comes with a richer and thicker formula that works on different layers of hyperpigmentation while enhancing the benefits of other products. Meanwhile, Obagi Nu-Derm Clear Fx is a powerful, clarifying, hydroquinone-free formula designed for day and night use to minimize the appearance of discoloration, including those hard-to-budge concerns, such as melasma, dark spots, and post-breakout blemishes.
Best Obagi Products for Hyperpigmentation and Dark Spots
Restore your complexion’s tone, texture, and radiance with these discoloration-diminishing products from Obagi.
For acne-prone skin
Dealing with a breakout is the quickest way to dampen one’s confidence, which is why it’s important to find skincare products that will safely and effectively prevent your skin from being overrun by the most common causes of acne: bacteria, excess oil production, and clogged pores. So, how do you deal with breakouts, blemishes, and acne that won’t go away? With Obagi CLENZIderm M.D. System. Infused with glycerin and two percent salicylic acid, Obagi Medical CLENZIderm M.D. Pore Therapy features a medicated formula that neutralizes acne-causing bacteria, clears pores of dirt and debris, controls sebum production, and helps calm irritation and inflammation. The CLENZIderm M.D. Therapeutic Moisturizer further enhances your skin’s protection against acne, makeup, and environmental stressors while adding a shot of long-lasting hydration to parched and congested skin.
As far as acne treatment is concerned, you can’t go wrong with CLENZIderm M.D. Therapeutic Lotion. This intensive moisturizer features five percent benzoyl peroxide and two percent SoluZyl Technology that work together in fighting off bacteria and preventing infection without drying out your skin and triggering excess oil production.
For on-the-go acne protection, make sure to always keep the Acne Cleansing Wipes within reach. These disposable wipes are infused with witch hazel, two percent salicylic acid, aloe vera, and citrus bioflavonoids to quickly cleanse and refresh your skin while helping calm inflammation. And if you’re looking for a sunscreen that won’t add slick and shine to skin that’s already struggling to keep oil under control, then look no further than Obagi Sun Shield Matte Broad Spectrum SPF 50. This high SPF sunscreen not only delivers protection from both UVA and UVB rays, but it’s also infused with antioxidants that help rejuvenate, brighten, and protect the skin. The best part? It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly, and leaves your skin with a smooth, non-greasy finish.
Best Obagi Products for Acne
Prevent and calm breakouts, refine post-acne blemishes, and reduce oil and shine with the best Obagi products for acne.
The Bottom Line
For over three decades, Obagi Medical has consistently earned the praise and approval of dermatologists, skincare professionals, and celebrities. That’s no surprise considering the brand’s medical-grade formulations continue to lead the industry and set the standard for top-grade skincare solutions that produce visible, long-lasting, and comprehensive results.
Obagi’s skincare systems promise to transform your skin—no matter your skin type, skin tone, or concern—and that commitment is something the brand has unwaveringly proven and continues to uphold across all its products and skincare systems. With Obagi’s targeted solutions, you’re setting your skin up for success and ensuring you maintain and preserve your youthful, healthy-looking, and radiant complexion.
Discover more of Obagi’s transformative skincare products here.
With over 10 years of writing and editing experience, Janeca Racho has worked with clients in the fashion, entertainment, food, health and travel industries. An adventurer at heart, she will gladly trade her heels for a good pair of hiking shoes and skip hotels to camp under the stars. She loves horror movies, googling ingredients in her beauty products and backpacking trips with her toddler. Her newfound obsession: nude lipstick.
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