Cosmeceutical Facts and Your Skin

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Cosmetics are used to color and adorn the body in a stylish fashion, whereas cosmeceuticals are non-prescription products that are intended to improve appearance from a functional standpoint. These product categories are not regulated, therefore actual skin care benefits must be separated from marketing hype. A topical, over-the-counter product cannot deliver the results obtained from a prescription product or cosmetic procedure.

CATEGORY	PURPOSE	EXAMPLES
Skin care prducts	Maintain healthy skin	Cleanser, soap, moisturizer, astringent, antiperspirant, bubble bath, body wash
Cosmetic	Beautify and adorn the skin, hair, or nails	Foundation, mascara, lipstick, nail polish, hair dye
Cosmeceutical	Improve the skin's appearance by providing ingredients necessary for healthy skin	Non-prescription anti-aging products (and any other product applied to the skin that contains one or more ingredient said to improve the skin's function)

COLORED FACIAL COSMETICS

It is important to select makeup carefully because it remains in contact with the skin for a long time. Ideally, makeup should be hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and non-acnegenic, which means it produces fewer allergies and will not plug pores or cause acne. Look for cosmetics that contain sunscreen, which will help prevent skin cancer and wrinkles.

SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

Of these, cleansers and moisturizers are the most important in preventing dry skin, a common dermatologic condition. Dryness causes cracks and fine wrinkles in the skin, which decreases its effectiveness as a barrier, and can cause pain and itching.

Soaps, detergents, bath or shower gels, and bubble baths remove dirt, body oils, and bacteria. They prevent odor and infection, but heavy use of these products can over-dry the skin, causing flaking, itching, and irritation. People who have dry skin should choose a mild cleanser, bathe or shower with cool water, minimize water contact, and apply a moisturizer immediately after bathing while the skin is slightly wet.

There are several varieties of soaps. Deodorant soaps have an antibacterial agent to eliminate odors. Beauty-bar soaps are generally less drying and irritating.

Moisturizers prevent water loss by layering an oily substance over the skin to keep water in, or by attracting water to the outer skin layer from the inner skin layer. Substances that stop water loss include petrolatum, mineral oil, lanolin, and dimethicone. Substances that attract water to the skin include glycerin, propylene glycol, proteins, urea, and some vitamins. Moisturizers can prevent dry skin and minimize the appearance of wrinkles related to dry skin.

CATEGORIES OF COSMECEUTICALS

Cosmeceuticals are products that may improve the functioning of the skin and may be helpful in preventing premature aging. Examples include:

• HYDROXY ACIDS
  Hydroxy acids are ingredients designed to remove the outer layer of dead skin cells through a process known as exfoliation. The removal occurs through a disruption of bonds between the cells, which occur naturally in youth but slow with advancing age. Too many retained dead skin cells leave the skin rough and sallow appearing. Commonly used hydroxy acids include glycolic acid and salicylic acid. These increase skin exfoliation, making aging skin appear smoother and feel softer. Hydroxy acids can be added to daily-use moisturizers or can be incorporated into solutions used in dermatologists' offices, such as chemical peels.

• RETINOIDS
  Retinoids are a family of vitamin A chemicals found in foods and also chemically synthesized in a laboratory. Vitamin A is important to both skin and eye health and should be consumed on a daily basis. Fruits and vegetables that are yellow, orange, or red in color are rich sources of vitamin A because these colors are created by the presence of vitamin A. Examples include citrus fruits, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, and yellow squash.
  
  Topical formulations of vitamin A can be applied directly to the skin, causing skin cells to grow and die more rapidly, thereby increasing the turnover of cells. This is best accomplished by a synthetic form of vitamin A, known as tretinoin, which is only available by prescription. Less potent cosmeceutical forms of vitamin A that are available over the counter include retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, and retinyl propionate. Both prescription and over-the-counter vitamin A might cause skin irritation, dryness, and peeling, so it is important to carefully follow the directions for use supplied with these products.

• BOTANICALS
  Some of the most interesting cosmeceuticals come from plants and are called botanicals. Roots, fruits, seeds, leaves, and twigs are used to make botanicals. Many botanical extracts used in cosmeceutical preparations contain antioxidants, which are substances that prevent energetic oxygen molecules created by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from damaging living things on earth. Antioxidants help protect plants and humans.
  
  The main antioxidants the human body uses for protection are vitamins C and E. These vitamins must be orally consumed daily for good health, which s why eating fresh fruits and vegetables is so important for healthy skin. Some believe that antioxidants also might be helpful if applied to the surface of the skin. Antioxidants added to cosmeceuticals include green tea, pomegranate juice, chamomile flowers, coffeeberry, and licorice root extract. These botanical antioxidants are typically added to moisturizers, sometimes in combination with a sunscreen.

• SUNSCREENS
  Dermatologists recognize that the most potent cosmeceutical on the market today that can prevent and reverse the signs of aging is sunscreen. Sunscreens contain chemicals that absorb, reflect, or scatter light. Light-absorbing chemicals include PABA esters, avobenzone, and cinnamates. Physical sunscreens contain fine powders of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that reflect or scatter light. Sunscreen is produced by combining a variety of ingredients that offer protection across the entire ultraviolet (UV) radiation spectrum that is damaging to the skin. This UV spectrum includes UVB radiation, which causes sunburn, and UVA radiation, which causes premature agining and skin cancer. A quality sunscreen should provide broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB radiation.
  
  Sunscreens prevent photo-aging and photo-carcinogenesis (cancer from the sun), and should be the cornerstone of any skin care regimen. Sunscreens can be added to facial moisturizers or cosmetics for daily protection, or they can be included in specially designed formulations that resist removal by water or rubbing to provide recreational protection.
  

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF COSMETICS AND COSMECEUTICALS

Reactions to cosmetics and cosmeceuticals can consist of simple irritation, depending on the condition of the skin, or they can provoke true allergies that involve the immune system. Irritant contact dermatitis is the most common problem with cosmetics and cosmeceuticals.

• IRRITANT CONTACT DERMATITIS
  Uninjured skin is an excellent barrier to most substances found in cosmetics and skin care products. If skin is very dry or injured, openings make that barrier less protective. Burning, stinging, itching, and redness might be signs that a product is irritating the skin. Bath soaps, detergents, antiperspirants, eye cosmetics, and moisturizers are the most common skin irritants.
  
  Allergic Contact Dermatitis
  
• ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS
  Some people are allergic to a specific ingredient or ingredients in a product. It might take several days for symptoms to appear, but they include redness, swelling, itching, and fluid-filled blisters.
  
  
  Allergic Contact Dermatitis
  
  

INGREDIENTS THAT CAUSE ALLERGIC REACTIONS

Fragrances and preservatives, ingredients commonly found in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals, are the most common causes of allergic reactions. More than 5,000 fragrances are used in products; however, less "allergenic" fragrances have been developed to minimize this problem.

Preservatives in cosmetics and skin care products are the second-most-common cause of skin reactions. Preservatives prevent the growth of fungus and bacteria, as well as prevent oxygen from spoiling products. Examples of preservatives include parabens, imidazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, phenoxyethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and formaldehyde. Preservatives must be listed as ingredients on product labels.

HOW YOUR DERMATOLOGIST CAN HELP

Cosmeceuticals, colored cosmetics, and skin care products are part of grooming, daily hygiene, and maintaining youthful-looking skin. If you suspect a problem, a dermatologist can diagnose and treat it. Patch testing, a method used to determine whether a specific substance causes inflammation of the skin, can be used to determine if you are allergic to specific ingredients in these products. Dermatologists can tell you what should be avoided and personalize a skin care regimen for you to maintain healthy-looking skin.

•••

A dermatologist is a physician who specializes in treating the medical, surgical, and cosmetic conditions of the skin, hair, and nails. To learn more about cosmeceutical facts and your skin, log on to www.aad.org, www.skincarephysicians.com, or call toll-free (888) 462-DERM (3376) to find a dermatologist in your area.

All content solely developed by the American Academy of Dermatology.

 

© 2009 American Academy of Dermatology
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