Cosmetic

• Cosmetic Science


  • Commercial science that tries to find reasons for selling a product
  • Comparative science based on the fact that many manufacturers compare their own products to other manufacturers' products and try to convince consumers why to buy their products instead of other companies' products
  • Traditional science, such as chemistry or physics, where there are hypotheses and scientists try to justify or deny them by performing a number of tests and reactions
  • Borderline science as it is a transition among a number of different scientific fields, including pharmacy, chemistry, dermatology, and marketing, among others
• Knowledge and background education needed to work in the cosmetic industry as a scientist

  • Basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology
  • Chemical background, including organic, inorganic, colloid, and polymer chemistry
  • Basic pharmacological education
  • Formulation technology
  • Basic knowledge and understanding of the current guidelines, rules, and regulations relevant for cosmetics and OTC (over-the-counter) drug–cosmetic products
  • Rules that regulate labelling and packaging of a final cosmetic product
  • Education in analytical sciences as well as microbiology
  • Basic understanding of marketing and business
• Cosmetic science is a real science, and it is a multidisciplinary field since it includes basic knowledge and a wide range of information from a number of different scientific fields
• Cosmetic science is involved with developing, formulating, and producing cosmetics and personal care products
• Cosmetics


  Articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting structure or function
• Drugs


  Articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease" and "articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals
• Cosmetics


  • skin moisturizers, lipsticks, nail polishes, eye and facial makeup products, shampoos, permanent waves, hair coloring products, and deodorants
• Drugs


  • OTC drugs
  • Prescription-only drugs
• The legal difference between a cosmetic and a drug is determined by a product's intended use, i.e., what the product is used for, and not the ingredients in the product
• The substance is a DRUG if the intended use relates to the prevention and treatment of a disease
• The product is a COSMETIC if its intended use is described in advertisements as promoting attractiveness
• OTC Drug–Cosmetic Products


  Certain products can be cosmetics and drugs at the same time if they meet the definitions of both cosmetics and drugs
• OTC Drug–Cosmetic Products


  • Toothpaste that contains fluoride to prevent tooth decay
  • Deodorants that not only mask bad body odor but also alter the normal process of perspiration, i.e., antiperspirants
  • Mouthwash that contains ingredients to prevent and/or treat gingivitis (i.e., inflammation of the gums)
  • Facial foundations that also contain sunscreens to protect the skin from the harmful radiation of the sun
  • Facial cleansers that contain anti-acne active ingredients to prevent and/or treat acne vulgaris
  • Hand soaps that contain antibacterial agents to kill germs
• How a product's intended use is established

  • Claims that reflect the expected effects of a particular product
  • Consumer perception of the product established through the product's reputation
  • The history of an ingredient, where the presence of a pharmacologically active ingredient in a therapeutically active concentration can make a product a drug, even in the absence of explicit drug claims
• Cosmeceuticals


  • Multifunctional products that can be purchased as cosmetics and that are advertised to offer additional skin benefits over simple cosmetics
  • Generally advertised to contain bioactive ingredients that, although are not drugs, have visible and measurable short-term and long-term effects on the skin, such as improvement of fine lines
• Bioactive ingredients in cosmeceuticals

  • Vitamins, antioxidants, proteins, anti-inflammatory agents, and many others
• Nutraceuticals / Dietary Supplements

  • The word "nutraceutical" refers to the combination of natural ingredients and pharmaceuticals
  • Dietary Supplements: A product that is intended to supplement the body with vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other ingredients, which may not be consumed in a sufficient amount
• Dietary supplements are a legal category; however, they are not cosmetics
• Organic Products


  • A term often used on cosmetic labels to indicate the presence of naturally derived ingredients
  • This term does not have an official FDA definition
  • These ingredients are believed to be healthier and safer than their synthetic pairs, but this is not necessarily true
  • Consumers should be careful with natural ingredients as adverse effects, such as skin irritation, sensitizations, phototoxicity, and allergy, have been reported
• Hypoallergenic Product


  • A term used on cosmetic labels to indicate that the product is unlikely to cause allergic reactions
  • This term does not have an official FDA definition
  • Manufacturers of hypoallergenic cosmetics are not required to submit data and test results to the FDA to substantiate their hypoallergenicity claims
  • The term usually refers to products that do not contain ingredients known to cause allergic reactions, such as fragrances
• Preservative-Free Products


  • "Preservative-free" can refer to formulations containing a higher percentage of ethanol, which has antimicrobial activity
  • "Paraben-free" refers to the fact that the product does not contain parabens, but it does not mean that it does not contain any other preservatives
  • "No Added Preservatives" means that the product formulators did not add any ingredients to the formulation whose primary function would be preservation
• "Dermatologist Recommended" Products


  This claim leads consumers to believe that a medical panel of dermatologists has evaluated the product thoroughly and recommends it based on proven results, but there is no governing body requiring cosmetic companies to show data on whether a dermatologist, a few, or a large number of them tested and recommend a cosmetic product
• "Clinically Proven" Claims


  • This claim refers to the fact that a product was tested in a clinical environment on humans, but the details of the clinical testing are usually not provided
  • Clinical testing is not required for cosmetic products that do not have drug claims
• "Patented Formula" Claims


  Consumers believe that a product that has been patented must be more serious and scientific, but patenting a product is often related to the technology of how the product is manufactured and not the actual effect of the product
• "pH Balanced" Claims


  This claim tries to imply some level of superiority over products that do not make this claim by making consumers believe that the products will be less irritating and will work better, but any decently formulated product is formulated in a pH range that is compatible with the skin, hair, underarms, or other application surfaces
• Cruelty-Free Products


  • A term used on cosmetic labels to indicate that no animals were involved in product testing
  • This term does not have an official FDA definition, and its use is not regulated by the FDA
  • Alternative methods to replace animal experiments, such as ex vivo studies (i.e., studies using tissues from an organism in an external artificial environment), have been developed in the past decade