The use of cosmeceutical moisturizers

Cosmetic products are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They do not require testing or approval, as they are not considered to have any biologic activity. Drugs, on the other hand, are subject to extensive testing required by the FDA before their approval and entrance into the marketplace. For this reason many cosmetic companies avoid testing the ingredients in their products or avoid making public the results of these studies. The drug versus cosmetic controversy has presented the need for a new category in order to allow the necessary testing of the products our patients use, at the same time protecting the interests of the cosmetic companies. These products are commonly known as cosmeceuticals. This article is intended to isolate the ingredients most commonly found in cosmeceutical moisturizers and explain what facts are actually known about these agents including retinol, antioxidants, green tea, soy, and α-hydroxy acids.