Cosmeceuticals are over-the-counter cosmetic products containing ingredients that are associated with dermatological or pharmaceutical research. To avoid being classified as a drug, cosmeceuticals need to word their claims carefully, and often contain relatively low concentrations of the active ingredient.

Popular cosmeceutical ingredients include peptides, hyaluronic acid, retinoids, antioxidants, growth factors and cytokines. The global cosmeceuticals market was roughly $65–80 billion in 2024 with anti-ageing and actives in skincare forecast to drive growth.

Why are cosmeceuticals popular?

Increasingly, customers want some evidence or additional reassurance that skincare ingredients actually work and are safe. Cosmeceuticals use scientific words and data to appear more credible in these consumers' eyes, while still being available over-the-counter because they are not classified as drugs.

Scientific-sounding claims help to differentiate cosmeceutical products in the marketplace, and justify premium pricing. Brands often highlight testing data, in vitro studies, or small human trials to suggest that their products deliver measurable biological benefit. Associating a product with a famous clinic or physician can also add to the perception of measurable, ‘science-backed’ results, even if they fall short of drug-level standards.

To address safety concerns, cosmeceuticals often contain GRAS ingredients (Generally Recognised As Safe) such as glycerin and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), due to their long history of safe use on skin. However, GRAS ingredients are a food designation, not a cosmetic one, based on expert consensus under the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Do cosmeceuticals actually work?

Overall the quality of evidence for cosmeceuticals varies widely. There is some evidence that retinol, for example, provides statistically significant benefits, based on a 2021 systematic review published in the Journal of Aesthetic Dermatology. 

However the same study revealed that a product’s efficacy depends on its formulation as well as the ingredient it contains. Stability, concentration, delivery system and vehicle determine whether an active will reach its target and show the desired effects - or not.

Popular cosmeceutical ingredients such as peptides and growth factors still rely on small clinical studies for their claims. They mostly lack the backing of independent, large, randomised, controlled trials (RCTs) which are the gold standard of testing. 

What do cosmeceutical claims really mean?

There is no legal definition for ‘clinically proven’, so it may indicate a small in-house consumer study, or something more robust like an independent published RCT. ‘Bioactive’ is not regulated either and the bioactive ingredient’s effects may have only been tested in a cell culture (in vitro) rather than proven on skin.

‘Natural, clean, chemical-free’ does not mean non-toxic. Phrases such as ‘Addresses the signs of ageing’ or ‘Helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles’ are worded to avoid crossing the line with regulators, meaning that they only describe appearance, not biology.

‘Treats’, ‘heals’, or ‘repairs’ on the other hand imply a therapeutic action, meaning that the product alters skin structure or function. That might classify it as a drug under regulators like the FDA (US), MHRA (UK) or EMA (EU), so these claims do not tend to appear on cosmeceutical products.

Why are they called cosmeceuticals?

The name cosmeceutical is a hybrid of ‘cosmetic’ and ‘pharmaceutical’. However the term cosmeceutical is not a formal classification and regulators generally have their own lists and annexes of cosmetic ingredients that are either banned, restricted or pre-approved subject to varying rules on matters such as formulation, concentration and intended use.

The rough equivalent of a cosmeceutical in Japan are so-called quasi-drugs, which are subject to their own rules, while China has special cosmetics which are also regulated differently from standard cosmetics.