What are Cosmeceuticals?
What is a cosmeceutical product?
Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products containing highly concentrated active ingredients and offering an additional medical benefit due to their specific formula. The word "cosmeceutical" is a portmanteau of the words "cosmetic" and "pharmaceutical."
Mainly "highly moisturizing," "antioxidant," and "highly anti-aging," cosmeceutical products fill wrinkles, skin breaks, and act specifically on cellular renewal.
Cosmeceuticals also aim to provide solutions for clients who undergo aesthetic procedures such as injections, laser treatments, or aesthetic peels. In these medical procedures, treating the skin before and after becomes necessary.
Birth of Cosmeceuticals
Cosmeceuticals originated in the United States in 1997 at the intersection of traditional cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and medicine. At that time, they were intended for clients who wanted to treat their skin without resorting to cosmetic surgery. Back then, cosmeceuticals were developed only by medical professionals, offering high-performance active ingredients at a higher than normal concentration with specific combinations.
What active ingredients are used in cosmeceutical formulas?
- Antioxidant vitamins C or E
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Peptides
- Retinol
- Also: Glycolic acid, fruit acids...
Cosmeceuticals in summary
Cosmeceuticals mean a high concentration of active ingredients, with high skin absorption allowing for high efficacy.
A cosmeceutical provides targeted action thanks to an active ingredient or a simple and logical combination of components. As explained earlier, the formula's approach is minimalist and limited to the essential active ingredients for effectiveness.
The action of a cosmeceutical is targeted to a specific need.
In cosmeceutical routines, care products are layered. It may be possible to mix serums to create synergy. Since cosmeceuticals are quickly absorbed, there is no unpleasant residue.
Cosmeceutical treatments are therefore designed for daily use, and more specifically before, during, and after an aesthetic medical treatment to prolong and optimize an aesthetic treatment session such as peels, injections, mesotherapy, etc.