Cosmeceuticals, Nanotechnology, Primers = The New Terms of Skin Care Products

Cosmetic products have come a long way since the first cold cream was created. Galen's (from second century Greece) cold cream was based on beeswax and water, also containing olive oil and rose petals for softness and scent. Back then there was only one product and no one was the wiser about skin types or ingredients for those specific skin types. Today, with so many advancements in ingredients, technology and delivery methods, it gets a little bit confusing and it's enough to send us running from the beauty counter.

So here are some terms (with definitions) that you may come across while at the beauty counter:

Cosmeceutical

A term used to describe products that claim to have therapeutic affects. Health Canada and the FDA do not recognize this term as - in order for a product to have a therapeutic affect then it would be classified as a drug and would have to be approved as a drug. For the moment skin care products sold at the counter are classified as cosmetic products. The word came about with the marriage of the words cosmetic and pharmaceutical.

Serum

Serums have a more watery consistency. Serums usually denote a product that is concentrated and has a high percentage of ingredients.

Primer

A term use to describe a cosmetic product that is used to prep or prime the skin for the next step. Generally a primer is a silicone based product that is applied to the face prior to foundation. It is said to fill in lines and wrinkles to provide a smooth finish for the foundation.

Nanotechnology

A delivery method for ingredients. Ingredients are said to be reduced to a nano size format (usually 1/1000 the diameter of a human hair). The idea behind nanotechnology is that the smaller the particle the better the product can be absorbed by the skin and get to the lower levels of the skin where it is needed and can provide benefits.

These are some of the new terms that you will see at the beauty counter.