A well written high level article about the trend for traditional cosmetics to contain emerging ingredients for added pharmacological benefit. The article deals with skin care, moisturizers, sunscreens, hair products and eye creams.
Cosmeceuticals: An emerging concept
Indian Journal Pharmacology 2005;37:155-159.
Today a new hot topic in the cosmetic industry is ‘cosmeceuticals’, which is the fastest growing segment of the natural personal care industry. Cosmeceuticals (or alternatively, cosmaceuticals) are topical cosmetic-pharmaceutical hybrids intended to enhance the beauty through ingredients that provide additional health-related function or benefit. They are applied topically as cosmetics, but contain ingredients that influence the skin’s biological function.
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Cosmeceuticals being cosmetic products having medicinal or drug-like benefits are able to affect the biological functioning of skin owing to type of functional ingredients they contain. There are skin-care products that go beyond coloring and adorning the skin. These products improve the functioning/texture of the skin by encouraging collagen growth by combating harmful effects of free radicals, thus maintaining keratin structure in good condition and making the skin healthier. Some of the common cosmeceutical contents are given in [Table – 1].
OLAY vitamin line, which includes vitamins A, C, D, E, selenium, and lycopene, pycnogenol plus zinc and copper, is a well-known skin care line.
