Cosmetics and cosmeceuticals may look and sound similar, but when it comes down to it, the two are miles apart. What’s common in both, however, is their widespread involvement in the skincare routine of lots of people around the world. In this article, we’ll define cosmetics and cosmeceuticals and also highlight the fundamental differences between them for a thorough, more concise understanding.

Cosmetics are famously known to enhance and improve the appearance of the skin. They usually require no medical prescription and are easily available over-the-counter (OTC). While cosmetics make sure your skin looks and feels good after proper application, they do not replenish and revitalize your skin from the inside.

Cosmeceuticals can be defined as a blend of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. They comprise properties that are higher above in effect than regular cosmetics. The composition is what makes cosmeceuticals unique. They consist of active ingredients that bear favourable results for your skin. To clarify with an example, if a product claims that it contains peptides—a substance common for collagen growth—then that product is a cosmeceutical.

A bit of background knowledge would perhaps help you understand more. Cosmeceuticals aren’t a legal term; they’ve come into existence just to differentiate themselves from cosmetics. This is because these comprise an ingredient-rich effect on your skin that is bound to go deep and with full potency. The next section will explain more about this.

One of the major differences between cosmetics and cosmeceuticals is the involvement of active ingredients. These are biologically active substances that offer the very best when it comes to bringing beneficial effects. No matter the level of celebrity endorsements that come with regular cosmetics, what truly holds the potential to reinvigorate your skin is the use of cosmeceutical products. Cosmetics can only do so much to heal your skin. Biologically, they cannot penetrate the dermal-epidermal junction of the skin which is the space between your epidermis and dermis. What they can do is maintain and clean the surface where they are applied.

On the other hand, the active ingredients present inside cosmeceuticals dive deep and penetrate the epidermis to work their way down to the dermis. Therefore, their job is to correct or change the physiology of your skin, even enabling them to cure and prevent certain diseases.

Novaskin's pharmaceutical grade ingredients are clinically proven to increase skin hydration, improve skin texture and manage skin imperfections. Whilst we can't treat your skin at the moment, we can help you improve your skin health at home, and prevent future damage, with our professional range of skincare. We recommend daily use of a cleanser, hydrating serum and SPF, regardless of skin type. If you would like advice on which would be best for your skin, do drop an email to us on info@novaclinic.co.uk where we can help you select, or even a arrange a free video consultation with our skin experts.

£49 / £36.75

Vitamin C Infused Cleanser

£29 / £21.75

Age Defence Peptide Moisturiser

£54 / £40.50

Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid Serum

£54 / £40.50