Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty Magazine #65

skin
What to look out for
Does the range cater to most individual skin
concerns: ageing, blemishes, uneven skin
tone, sensitivity?
Does the range offer key active ingredients
such as stable active forms of Vitamin A,
Vitamin B3 and Vitamin C along with broad
spectrum UV protection?
Does the manufacturer have a core
brand philosophy that resonates with you,
the consumer?
Does the range offer optimal levels of
cosmeceuticals supported by readily available
clinical data?
Are you offered guidance and information on
the products by qualifi ed skin professionals or
medical staff when making your choice?
Is the manufacturer of the range able
to readily adapt formulations to this
dynamic industry?
Is the manufacturer readily available for
interaction with the consumer via email, social
media or telephone should the consumer
have and queries?
There is one fi nal and fundamental factor
in selecting good skin care: TRUST. If the
customer trusts the advice of their skin
therapist and the ethos and quality of the
brand they have chosen, they will feel their
decision is valid and positively embrace their
new skin routine.
A trained therapist will advise clients not
only of the ideal products but also advice on
lifestyle, nutrition and treatments to address
their skin concerns. When a cosmeceutical
home routine is adopted in a positive way, the
very best results can be achieved.
In my opinion, clinical grade skincare
really does stand apart from the white noise
of department store brands. If the customer
is prepared to take the time to research the
best cosmeceutical brands and the right
skin therapist, great results – not seven day
miracles – are possible.
A cosmeceutical skin care regimen is an integral part of the
equation. Mass market department store brands are generally unable
to offer the high grade of skincare that clinical skin professionals can
offer for the following reasons:
Packaging vs product
High street brands often spend more money on marketing and
packaging than on the actual product inside the bottle. Cost and
economics is the driving factor for this sector and the level of active
ingredients may be insuffi cient to give results.
Skilled professionals
Skin professionals are trained in educating clients on managing skin
concerns. Sales assistants in multi-brand mass-purchase department
stores are not skilled therapists. They often lack detailed knowledge
of skin and are unable to address individual skin concerns.
Clinical grade skincare companies will pride themselves on
supporting their clinics, and therapists will have a high level of training
regarding key ingredients and benefi ts of cosmeceuticals.
Dosage of active ingredients
As a formulator, I have suppliers present ingredients to me on a regular
basis. Many of these raw ingredients are novel and new. However,
formulators supplying clinics must evaluate the ingredient in terms of
its effi cacy and safety profi le. This involves a thorough analysis of both
in vivo and in vitro clinical data.
Furthermore, the formulating chemist must use the optimal dosage
of active ingredients to ensure effi cacy. Many over-the-counter brands
add just a whiff of active ingredient simply to make marketing claims.
Synergy and stability of combined ingredients
Cosmetic scientists must also understand the interactions of
ingredients within the fi nal formula. Formulating is not simply a matter
of adding a number of ingredients together and mixing them up.
Ingredients must be compatible and must also work together
in synergy. For example, retinol and niacinamide should not be
formulated in an acidic environment. Additionally, adding acids
such as AHAs, BHAs or L-ascorbic acid to formulas with these
cosmeceuticals results in retinol being rendered ineffective and
niacinamide being hydrolysed.
Ability to adapt
Many non-clinical brands are unable to react to market needs rapidly.
The large corporates must create marketing campaigns well in
advance and a need to adapt to new technology may take years.
Smaller specialist companies can more readily react to dynamic
changes in the appearance medicine industry. csbm
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