Cosmetics & Cosmeceuticals

Cosmetics are often promoted as "cosmeceuticals" which can be misleading to the consumer as they may believe that the cosmetic concerned has undergone the same kind of rigorous testing which is required for a pharmaceutical product.  The word "cosmeceutical" is a combination of "cosmetic" and "pharmaceutical" and is used by those in the industry for topically applied products which they claim have drug-like benefits, for example, anti-aging creams.

 

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act "does not recognize any such category as "cosmeceuticals".  A product can be a drug, a cosmetic, or a combination of both, but the term "cosmeceutical" has no meaning under the law".

 

In the UK, cosmetics and cosmeceuticals are regulated by local Trading Standards Officers on behalf of the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).

 

If there are any doubts about the status of your cosmetic, it is advisable that a regulatory professional or the MHRA (UK Health Authority) is consulted as it is the responsibility of those marketing the product to ensure that it is launched without breaking the law.