The future generation of skin care is emerging in the form of cosmeceuticles. So, the question here is what are cosmeceuticles? They are a mix of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. It is intended to enhance health and beauty, i.e. it can have either healing or therapeutic properties and also have an aesthetic effect. The most common example of cosmeceuticles that comes to mind are anti-aging skin care products or even anti-acne skin care products.
The term cosmecueticles is neither completely cosmetics or medicine or a pharmaceutical agent. It is a hybrid category of products lying between drugs and cosmetics. But to avoid confusion we use the term active cosmetics or nutricosmetics or dermaceuticles or just active ingredients, to name a few. Some of the top beauty cosmetology colleges in Nashik offer industry-synced programs to help students understand the latest trends in cosmetics.
Types of Cosmetics
1) Skin cosmeceutical products- Anti Aging creams, Moisturisers, Facial products and Lotions.
2) Hair cosmeceutical products- Gel and creams, Hair colorants and Dyes, Shampoos, Growth Stimulators and Conditioners.
3) Others- Lipstick, nail polish, toothpaste and powder.
Let’s go it some specifics,
Skin Cosmeceutical
In very plain and simple terms skin cosmeceticles are products that affect the function of the skin directly having a healing or therapeutic effect. Now how does this work? These skin care products are way beyond the beautification of the skin.
So, the most used active ingredients are:
AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid): The most used in this category include lactic and glycolic acid. Their function is to exfoliate the skin and make the skin free from impurities in turn making the skin smooth.
BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid): Salicylic acid is the most common example. It exfoliates the skin and is also an anti-acne agent. It also removes black heads and cleanses the excessive oil off the skin.
Ceramides: they naturally stay on the uppermost layer of the skin and protect the skin against environmental pollutants and maintain the hydration and make the skin supple and elastic.
Hyaluronic acid: it acts as a large sponge and absorbs the water molecules and keeps the skin hydrated and smoothens out the skin and wrinkles.
Peptides: They are the building blocks of the skin, and it tells the skin to produce collagen and improves elasticity and tones the skin.
Retinol: It is a very fancy name for vitamin a, in the form of retinoic acid, it acts as an antioxidants and depigmenting agent and is also a powerful anti- aging and makes the skin glow.
Vitamin C: it is a very potent antioxidant and has a rejuvenating effect. It helps with damage and protects the skin and makes the skin lighter.
Sunscreens: Sunscreens are the single most important cosmeceutical, because they protect skin against solar radiation, which is the most important damaging environmental agent. As a result, they help to prevent signs of aging. To be effective, sunscreens should provide broad spectrum (i.e., 30 ++ SPF) coverage that includes both UVA and UVB blocking agents to inhibit photoaging and be part of a daily skin care regimen. Sunscreens contain active ingredients that act as ultraviolet filters.
These are very few examples that are extremely popular currently. When it comes to hair products, even saying anti- dandruff shampoos, anti-hair fall shampoos and promotes hair growth, it comes under cosmeceutical as it is still having a therapeutic effect. Other examples may include tooth whitening toothpaste or lip balms as they technically have a therapeutic effect.
Another aspect that can be seen is that cosmeceuticals may be synthesised chemically or derived from natural sources. Regardless of whether it is synthetic or natural cosmeceuticals, the ingredients used in it must be safe, effective, stable, cost-effective, and should not harm the skin. In synthetic cosmeceuticals, the active ingredient can be derived artificially through chemical reaction, or it can also be a chemical modification of any naturally derived compound. Whereas herbal cosmeceutical formulation consists of herbal ingredients as active components in a cosmetic base providing the cosmeceutical effect.
The changing lifestyle of the customers and the awareness about the side effects of chemical-based cosmetic products has marked a significant demand for natural cosmetics. There is no standard protocol to study the effectiveness and safety of the natural product to date. Hence, the active ingredients in herbal cosmetics and cosmeceuticals should be defined and tested using proper technologies to ensure their use in cosmeceutical products is efficient and safe.
Conclusion
The usage of cosmeceuticals has drastically hiked in recent years. The global trend in the cosmetic industry towards developing ‘medicinally’ active cosmetics, and in the pharmaceutical industry towards ‘cosmetically’ oriented medicinal products as part of a current ‘lifestyle’ ideology. A B.Sc. in Beauty Cosmetology qualification can really help you boost your career prospects in the field of cosmetics. The future promises increasingly sophisticated formulations for cosmetics and skin-care products. Cosmetic companies are finding ways to deliver small-dose ingredients that do not require medical regulations and to introduce steroids and hormones into lip balms, which would result in production of cosmetics that could help to improve body mass, nail, and hair growth. The new developments in cosmeceuticals concentrate on nonirritating, stimulating, and protective ingredients to improve hair and skin appearance.
The metabolites present in the herbal cosmeceuticals impart their role in several biological functions along with the advantage of their natural origin and fewer side effects. Hence, their demand in the current market is rapidly increasing and will have significant growth in future.
Another similar concept is nutraceuticals for skin care, it is a fast-growing category of nutraceuticals focused on enhancing beauty from the inside out. Unlike traditional topical cosmetics, these supplements work internally to address skin, hair, and nail health. Available in a variety of forms like pills, gummies, liquids, powders, and tablets, these contain active ingredients like vitamins, minerals, and botanical extracts that support cell growth, hydration, and elasticity. But that’s talking for another day.