The Medicine of Beauty



Skin Science:
Collagen, a rich protein, is the main structural element of the skin. It plays a key role in the provision of structural support beams for cells, tissues and organs. Collagen makes up 75% of the skin in the face, and the presence of healthy amounts of collagen gives the skin strength and toughness, and is responsible for a smooth, supple and youthful looking appearance.
Intricately aged skin (chronologically aged skin) is smooth, fairly straight, dry and unblemished, with certain loss of elasticity and age-related deterioration of structural regularity.
Extrinsic skin aging is largely due to ultraviolet solar radiation and partially due to other variables such as smoking, infrared light and air contaminants.
Cosmetics are skincare products that are used to cleanse and enhance the skin while Pharmaceuticals are basically drug products and are categorized as products that prevent, alleviate, and treat.
Cosmoceuticals:
The term was invented in 1984 by Dr. Albert Kligman of the University of Pennsylvania, who described the hybrid category of midway ‘cosmetics’ and ‘pharmaceutical’ product lines. Cosmeceuticals reflect a new category of products put between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals designed to improve the safety and beauty appearance of the skin. In recent years , many people are prepared to offer wealth for young people, the demand for high-end anti-aging products has increased, and the skin care industry has reacted in force. Moving beyond conventional cosmetics — which only momentarily adorn and embellish the skin — cosmetics companies have embraced the biomedical movement by incorporating biologically active ingredients to their products that improve the functioning of healthy skin. Cosmeceuticals have certainly taken over the personal care industry around the globe.
Despite the widespread ambiguity about its definition and scope, it would not be an exaggeration to say that almost 30 to 40 percent of any dermatologist’s prescription count in the world is cosmeceutical. A cosmeceutical is consensually accepted to have a 'pharmaceutical therapeutic benefit' but not necessarily a 'biological therapeutic benefit.' Cosmeceuticals have grown almost exponentially, e.g. with the discovery of alpha-hydroxy acids for exfoliation and skin rejuvenation, optimized ingredients of topical vitamin C, and an overfilled basket of antioxidants, among many others. The appropriateness of the term 'cosmeceutical' has gained more ground in that it represents a new breed of cosmetic products, which has produced effects beyond easy cosmetic enhancement but has not been qualified for a drug or pharmaceutical product.
Controversies of Cosmoceuticals:
This group of skincare products has not yet been officially approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) or the European Union. This difference arises from the distinction between 'cosmetics' and 'drugs' under the Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act (FD&C Act). The Japanese authorities recognize that certain skincare products are not classed as raw drugs or pure cosmetics in the conventional sense, but as a combination of the two, and call them 'quasi-drugs.' Cosmeceuticals are technically a separate category of the cosmetic or drug domain. Cosmeceuticals are a subclass of cosmetics in Europe and Japan; however, cosmeceuticals can only be considered as a subclass of drugs in the US.
Toxicity of Cosmoceuticals:
The word 'normal' is also used for most cosmeceutical components and signifies protection willingly or accidentally. Vitamin E has shown to cause a substantial increase in contact dermatitis, antioxidant P-hydroxyanisole improves skin pigmentation, certain components of peptides have also shown to be carcinogenic and could present the greatest risk of intentional adulteration and the introduction of harmful products such as steroids and retinoids.
Conclusion:
A variety of cosmeceutical products currently on the market have demonstrable anti-wrinkle, anti-aging and photo-protective effects. The key benefits of these topical treatments are cost-effectiveness, efficient photo-protective properties of UVA and UVB radiation and the prevention of invasive procedures for the user. Work continues to discover new ingredients and treatments that target particular processes in the aging phase of the skin in order to achieve a more personalized and improved means of mitigating the signs of aging.

References:
  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6188460/
  2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268293743_Cosmeceuticals_A_review
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544223/
  4. https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/features/beauty-is-now-more-than-skin-deep-the-emergence-of-cosmeceuticals/11135579.article?firstPass=false
By: Amna Rahil

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