As all of you know already I use just 100% natural and certified organic products. Therefore I can't agree with that claim above 100%, because drugstore brands usually contain synthetic and harmful ingredients that are really bad for the skin and our health.
Your esthetician should tell you why she wouldn't suggest those drugstore brands. It's not fancy, or being snob, it's aware you about the ingredients and their effect on your skin.
Drug store brands and salon products can have the same ingredients (although it's hard to find), but the amounts of those ingredients are different. Over the counter brands have those effective (if there is any) ingredients in much lower quantities.
While some of these may have benefits for your skin, I think there are not enough of those ingredients (with benefits) in the product to have any real effect, especially not for a long term.