Cosmeceutical Market Promises American Beauty

Americans are in love with beauty. They want things to be flawless, porcelain, pulled tight and sealed with a never-ending glow of youth. America’s borderline narcissism may be pernicious to the mental well-being of those unable to meet, or forever striving to meet, its unforgiving standard; but, as long as they don’t turn into a flower like Narcissus, it’s actually a good thing, that is, for cosmeceutical formulators and manufacturers. In fact, cosmeceuticals are booming, creating competition for its pharmaceutical counterpart.
“Nutraceuticals and other natural products are always competing with pharmaceutical and over-the-counter products,” said Steve Holtby, president and CEO, Soft Gel Technologies Inc. “Although the often immediate results of pharmaceuticals might be favorable to many, there are always those that would prefer an effect they consider more natural. So where there’s Botox, there’s also omega fatty acids and hyaluronic acid.”
Consumers really are starting to question what’s in their personal care items and they’re thinking twice before slapping on an unknown face cream. “Lanolin-based topicals containing a few exotic ingredients thrown into a high-tech package with a celebrity endorsement are beginning to seem a bit ‘last century’,” said John Hunter, general manager of FutureCeuticals. “Consumers are looking for more science. They want to understand why a skin-health program makes sense and the products they are taking were designed by real scientists who have actually done the research.”
Cosmeceutical is a newer term, and its definition is a little debated, but in a general sense, cosmeceuticals are a blending between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals/nutraceuticals. “Cosmetics are used for beauty or style purposes and merely cover the skin, hair and nails. Examples of cosmetics include makeup and hair dye,” said Robyn Milewski, CEO, Pure SKN. “Cosmeceuticals, on the other hand, are used to actually improve or enhance the skin’s appearance with biologically active ingredients such as alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and dimethylaminoethano (DMAE). These include many non-prescription anti-aging products.”