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Cosmetics v cosmeceuticals – what is the difference?

29-08-2018

Style icon Coco Chanel perfectly encapsulates the essence of beauty with her much-quoted observation: ‘Caring about beauty, it is necessary to start with the heart and soul, otherwise no makeup will help.’ As fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent once noted: ‘The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.’ In this blog, we discuss the difference between cosmetics and cosmeceuticals.

Cosmetics provide us with a palette with which we can paint a face, the lotions and potions we use to enrich our skin and hair, and the fragrances and perfumes we use to spritz our bodies – enhancing our appeal and boosting our confidence.

Purchased over the counter, they play a large role in our daily beauty regimes and hygiene care and are individual to each and every one of us.

Very often, the cost of cosmetics is brand-related, with leading designer labels taking a larger bite out of our budgets but all promising one thing – to make us feel good.

In the last decade or so, our interest in overall health and wellbeing has grown in tandem with an increasing desire for treatments that are anti-ageing.

More recently, we have focused on procedures that are minimally invasive and do away with scalpel and surgeon in order to refresh our appearance with more natural looking results.

Additionally, modern-day science and technologies have merged successfully to develop products that raise the ‘beauty’ bar – and we now have opportunities to enhance the way we look and feel that go way beyond the limits of usual over-the- counter cosmetic products.

We have welcomed science into a cosmetics market and we now have evidence-based solutions to problems that are more to do with physiology and dermatology and less to do with cover up and enhancement.

Cosmeceuticals (it’s a clever blend of the words ‘cosmetics’ and ‘pharmaceuticals’) go one step beyond cosmetics and have added an extra dimension to improving our appearance and wellbeing,

They are cosmetic products with biologically active ingredients that can make a visible difference to our skin.

In order to be classed as a cosmeceutical, the active ingredients must be at the scientifically proven levels of concentrations to have a positive and targeted effect on the skin and penetrate effectively.

In essence, these stronger formulations should be scientifically proven to deliver on what they promise with the potential to bring about visible changes to the skin.

It is worth noting here that some cosmetic ranges may claim to contain ‘active ingredients’ but very often this is simply a marketing term.

Over-the-counter skincare cosmetics are limited in what they contain and keep the areas on which they are applied in good condition and also protect, clean, perfume and change appearance without modifying skin in any way.

However, a cosmeceutical product is one that penetrates the epidermis, acting deep within the dermis targeting problem areas with the main aim of restoring, correcting or modifying the physiological functions through pharmacological action.

At Intrigue Cosmetic Clinic, we are a pioneering team who believe passionately in the powerful combination of technology and pharmaceuticals to deliver high quality targeted aesthetic results.

Clinical Director Amish Patel is a pharmacist and aesthetic practitioner and is, therefore, perfectly placed to help clients understand how each treatment differs, explain the science behind how they work and offer guidance on how they improve our overall appearance and sense of wellbeing.

At a consultation, we will take time to explain treatment protocols in great detail and listen to what you hope to achieve. We promise to put you at ease so you can choose your treatments with confidence. We offer two options when it comes to cosmeceutical home care skincare to address many of today’s skin problems.

The award-winning Obagi Medical range uses high-quality, prescription-strength potent ingredients and well-researched technologies that work together to achieve a targeted goal.

iS Clinical is formulated using only the highest pharmaceutical grade botanical ingredients and advanced technological formulation to expertly address skincare concerns.

If you are looking to kicktsart your skincare regime and address any issues of concern, we offer a tailored approach to aesthetic treatments.

Easy to book, quick to respond and with a friendly service all within a relaxing environment, why not book a consultation today and allow us to help you feel confident in your own skin.

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