Cosmeceuticals

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• QHow is copper peptide used in skin care?

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  A Dr. Arthur W. Perry, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered

  Copper peptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu) is actually a protein growth factor that has been isolated from human plasma. It was shown to improve wound healing. It increases collagen formation better than tretinoin, melatonin, and vitamin C. The collagen stimulation is due to the complex molecule and not to the copper or the peptide alone. Copper peptide increases the growth of the cells that make collagen (fibroblasts) and causes them to make more growth factors. These in turn have enormous effects on the skin. Cells exposed to radiation therapy improve when exposed also to copper peptide.
  
  Unfortunately, various cosmeceutical manufacturers may not have read this research carefully and have begun putting copper into their creams. Copper alone will not have any effect. It must be part of the peptide compound. The copper peptide evidence is compelling in test tubes; the big question is whether this large molecule can actually penetrate the skin and cause real change in actual humans.
  
  Retinol has been added to some copper peptide products. This teaming with anti-aging drugs that are known to be effective hints that either the copper peptide alone may not be clinically effective or the vitamin A drug may enhance the copper peptide.

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• QWhat are cosmeceuticals?

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  A Riverside Women's Health answered

  Some products can be both cosmetics and drugs. This may happen when a product has two uses. For example, a shampoo is a cosmetic because it is used to clean the hair. But, an anti-dandruff treatment is a drug because it is used to treat dandruff. So an antidandruff shampoo is both a cosmetic and a drug. Other examples are:

  Toothpastes that contain fluoride Deodorants that are also antiperspirants Moisturizers and make-up that provide sun protection These products must meet the standards for both cosmetics (color additives) and drugs.

  Some cosmetic makers use the term "cosmeceutical" to refer to products that have drug-like benefits. FDA does not recognize this term. A product can be a drug, a cosmetic, or a combination of both. But the term "cosmeceutical" has no meaning under the law.

  While drugs are reviewed and approved by FDA, FDA does not approve cosmetics. If a product acts like a drug, FDA must approve it as a drug.

  This answer is based on source information from the National Women's Health Information Center.

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• QWhat is a "cosmeceutical" and how is it different from drugs?

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  A Dr. Ellen S. Marmur, MD , Dermatology, answered

  Dr. Albert Kligman - the man who discovered topical retinoic acid as a treatment for acne and then wrinkles - coined the term in 1980. The word itself combines "cosmetic" and "pharmaceutical," although there's no medication to be found in the products. A cosmeceutical is a hybrid of a beauty product and an active ingredient (or a few) that may have an effect on the skin. That active element - whether it is a peptide, an antioxidant, or a growth factor - is not a drug, something the Food and Drug Administration considers to be anything that "affects the structure or function of the body." Only drugs are regulated (and must undergo documented clinical testing), and if they are included in a product (such as sunscreens or deodorants, for example), the label must clearly list them as active ingredients above the cosmetic ones.

  As defined by the FDA, cosmetics are "articles applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance," and they comply with only the most liberal of guidelines. Beauty products (cosmeceuticals fall under this classification) don't have to provide evidence of their efficacy, and they aren't required to undergo approval before they are sold to the public. Legally, cosmetics manufacturers don't even need to prove that their products do what they promise.

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• QHow do cosmeceuticals work?

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  A Dr. Ellen S. Marmur, MD , Dermatology, answered

  To fight the signs of the aging process, cosmeceuticals try to prevent more degradation from happening or encourage and stimulate the senescent skin factory in the dermis to get moving. Antioxidants quench toxic free radicals, stopping them from wreaking havoc and causing inflammation, DNA mutations, and collagen destruction.

  Other cosmeceutical components - peptides, retinol, and growth factors, among others - are supposed to do things such as fire up collagen production, stop its destruction, slow down the aging process of skin cells, firm the skin, and increase hydration in the extracellular matrix of the dermis.

• QWhat cosmetics should teenagers choose to avoid blemishes?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Since teens tend to be acne-prone due to hormonal changes that stimulate oil production, they should use cosmetics and skin care products that won't increase their chance of developing or worsening acne. They should look for the word "noncomedogenic" on product labels. It means the product won't clog pores. 
• QWhat is kojic acid?

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  A Ben Kaminsky , Dermatology, answered

  Kojic acid, a by-product from the fermentation of rice, is used for inhibiting melanin production in skin lightening formulations.
• QWhat is the primary function of cosmeceutical skin products?

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  A Ben Kaminsky , Dermatology, answered

  In the body, one of the primary roles of the skin is to act as a barrier to protect muscles, tendons and internal organs and structures from environmental damage and infection. To maintain an optimal barrier function, the skin’s hydration level becomes very important. A primary function of effective cosmeceutical ingredients is to maintain or restore the skin’s optimal hydration level.
  
• QWhat are the health benefits of lipoic acid?

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  A Dr. Doris Day, MD , Dermatology, answered

  Lipoic acid plays an important role in energy production. It helps a cell generate energy from carbohydrates. It is also an antioxidant in its own right but also helps extend the life of other antioxidants such as C, glutathione and E. The body can make some lipoic acid but cannot make enough to meet increased need during periods of stress or in cases of chronic illness. It is one of the more useful antioxidants since it protects against most types of free radicals, including superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, and hydrogen peroxide. It also has many other important functions, such as neutralizing damaging metals, which makes this an ingredient you want to make sure you get enough of in your diet.
  
• QWhat is alpha hydroxy acid?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Alpha hydroxy acid is a chemical used in some cosmetics. Products that contain alpha hydroxy acid are marketed for a variety of skin care purposes, such as:
  

  • softening wrinkles
  • unclogging pores
  • improving skin tone and texture
  • eliminating scars
  • treating acne

  Talk to a dermatologist before using a product containing alpha hydroxy acid. He or she can suggest skin care creams, lotions, and other treatments that are best for you.
  

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