If you follow what’s new in the field of cosmetics, you have probably heard the words cosmeceuticals and dermaceuticals, but do you understand what they are?
Popular in Europe, these products are now gaining popularity in Canada. Cosmeceuticals and dermaceuticals are products that combine cosmetics with pharmaceuticals (medicines). While all of these products contribute to appearance, there are differences among them.
- Cosmetics are products that are applied to the skin surface and add colouring—such as lipstick and blusher. Cosmetics sit on the top layer of the skin and don’t claim to make long-term changes to the way you look.
- Cosmeceuticals contain active ingredients that are meant to restore the skin, but they are not classified as drugs. They are absorbed by the skin below the top layer, so they can do more than add a temporary colour boost. They are used for removing wrinkles, decreasing the signs of aging, keeping the skin moist, preventing acne, and healing scars. Some can even act as a sunscreen. In general, the word cosmeceuticals refers to cosmetic products that have effects similar to medical effects.
- Dermaceuticals are promoted as products that repair sun-damaged skin and can make skin look younger. They feature many high-grade skin care ingredients similar to those recommended by dermatologists. In fact, some dermaceuticals require a prescription. Dermaceuticals are cosmetic treatments that are adapted to the physiological needs of individual skin to produce changes to the skin.
While cosmetics can improve your appearance, cosmeceuticals and dermaceuticals can actually improve the condition of your skin. These next-level products can make your skin softer and smoother, moisturize it, remove dead skin cells, and boost the production of collagen and elastin, which help protect your skin.
Even within the categories of cosmeceuticals or dermaceuticals, not all the products are the same. The actions they have and the skin benefits they provide depend on the type of ingredients they contain. The chart below describes some of the common types of ingredients and what they are able to do.
How to use these products
Cosmeceuticals and dermaceuticals have opened up a new world of products that marry beauty enhancement with medical results. So which products are right for you, and how should you use them? These are excellent questions, and we can answer them for you by tapping into the expertise of both our pharmacists and the cosmetics experts in our beauty departments. Bring your questions to London Drugs, and we will help you find the answers.
