Obagi vs SkinMedica — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
TNS Advanced+ Serum
9/10 · SkinMedica
| Professional-C Serum 20% | TNS Advanced+ Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Obagi | SkinMedica |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 8.7/10 | 9/10 ★ |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight, slightly viscous serum | Thick peach-pink serum |
| Finish | Smoothed, brightened, slightly tacky on application | Silky smoothing |
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| Verdict | Obagi's medical-grade L-ascorbic acid 20% serum has been the dermatologist-clinic vitamin C standard for two decades. Same active concentration as Skinceuticals CE Ferulic at meaningfully less than half the price; the formulation is less elegant (no ferulic acid stabilization) but the active is identical. Dermatologists who use vitamin C themselves often reach for Obagi. | The US cosmetic-derm world's post-procedure gold standard. TNS — Tissue Nutrient Solution, a growth-factor complex derived from human fibroblast conditioned media — paired with signal peptides and barrier support. Clinical data on photoaging is published and serious. $295 is genuinely expensive, but the 4–6 week post-Fraxel case is exactly what this product was built for. |
