Esthetician Explains: Professional Grade Skincare

One of the main reasons you may decide to visit an esthetician or dermatologist is to gain the insight of experts on skincare treatments, products, procedures and the like. This usually comes with the expectation of advanced treatments by way of professional grade skincare, prescriptions and home care products. I mean who wouldn’t have this expectation?! Especially when the expectation is based on the thought that these products are superior

Recently though, there have been some questions and concerns as to what exactly IS professional grade skincare and if it is truly better than simple skincare people are able to purchase at their local drugstore or prestige beauty retailer, like Sephora or Ulta.

Im going to breakdown exactly how Cosmeceuticals or professional grade skincare came to be, what it all REALLY means and arm you with some important facts to keep in mind when looking for products in the future.

First things first, always remember that words mean things.

A Cosmeceutical is defined as a cosmetic preparation that has pharmaceutical properties. These properties would mean that it is a drug used for medical purposes and medicinal substances or plants are known for having healing properties.

The Origin Story

Dermatologist Albert Kligman, co-inventer of the transformative Retin-A developed in 1969 (also the man responsible for unethical human testing on Black men), defined Cosmeceuticals as a topical preparation that is sold as a cosmetic but has performance characteristics that suggest pharmaceutical action, based on the products abilities to target specific medical conditions and needs, such as wrinkles and acne. There were others making great strides in the field as well, Eugene Van Scott, M.D discovered alpha hydroxy acids for skin exfoliation and Sheldon Pinnell, M.D developed forms of vitamin c which proved to help with Photoprotection. Understanding the advancements being made in cosmetic skincare, the terms Cosmeceutical really was fitting as it attempted to differentiate between more simple skincare and products formulated with ingredients that are able to target concerns more specifically.

Photo inserted for visuals, not because he was a good person.

Photo inserted for visuals, not because he was a good person.

The facts are still the facts. The Food and Drug Administration differentiates between cosmetics products and drugs by their intended use and their ability to effect the skin. This difference in regulations is mainly why the word cosmeceutical has not been approved by the FDA

Cosmetics = Products that promote beauty and attractivness

Drugs = Mitigate, treat or prevent

cosmetics and pharmaceuticals individually are approved by the administration but the conjunction of the 2 is not yet recognized. According to the FDA “Cosmetics are required to be safe when consumers use them according to directions in the labeling, or in the customary or expected way.” They also do not have authority to approve cosmetic products or ingredients before they go to market nor do they have a required list of testing for said products. This means manufacturers are responsible for their own testing and if the FDA approves a cosmetic product they are not saying that it is guaranteed to live up to whatever its claims the brands themselves are making on its behalf. It simply means the benefits of the product outweigh the known risks

Fun Fact: These products are regulated to not make any medical claims, and they cannot state that they 'treat' a skin condition


What do I think? Well as a skincare professional I know that professional grade products are necessary in our services, being able to target specific conditions and having access to products with higher levels of active ingredients really do make a difference. I also know that many skincare brands take the not so well known info about cosmeceuticals by the general public and run with it, making claims that are not always true or even technically following FDA regulations all for the sake of marketing. Simple skincare is not trash, there are plenty of good product lines in drug stores and prestige beauty retailers to suite an array of needs. Many brands are now incorporating more targeted ingredients into product formulations and doing the required testing to make good on their promises. The myth that only skincare considered to be pro grade will give the results you are looking for is simply that, a myth.

What remains most important is understanding your personal needs, being picky about the products you choose to try and realistic about the expected results from a brand at whatever level they are on. Seek help from a pro if you feel confused and don’t let marketing make you think spending all your coins on higher priced items is the only way to have healthy skin!

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skincareTashona GibsonComment