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Published online: January 19, 2021

Comstock J, Gold MH (eds): Cosmeceuticals. Aesthet Dermatol. Basel, Karger, 2021, vol 5, pp VII–VIII (DOI: 10.1159/000491839)

Preface

During my dermatology residency at the University of Arizona in the late 1980s, I had begun to notice an unanswered patient demand for the treatment of pigmentation, redness, large pores, accelerated aging due to photodamage, natural aging, and scar tissue that was leaving patients with uneven, rough or tired, dull skin. The University of Arizona was just completing their arm of a Retin A study that showed the cosmetic benefits of retinoids and wrinkle treatment. It was the beginning of a transitional time in dermatology. When I completed my residency, I was fortunate to fall into a small, personalized training in Beverly Hills with Dr. Zein Obagi. While there, I witnessed the potent efficacy of medical-grade topical skin care. It specifically was able to erase melasma that had been relentlessly and unsuccessfully treated with more traditional means. These experiences began a lifelong intrigue with skin care science that became the foundation of my career.

When I began my private dermatology practice in 1991, I immediately started carrying skin care products in my clinic, much to the dismay of the local dermatology community. However, my patients were thrilled to be able to purchase products that cost less than what they had been spending and provided an extension of the care they received in my office. The combination of growing patient demand, patient satisfaction, and avoiding the misery of dealing with health insurance quickly pushed me to redirect my practice to focus solely on the evolving subspecialty of cosmetic dermatology at a time when that was unheard of. I have never looked back. Cosmeceuticals afford every person a safe, at-home means of improving skin tone and texture, as well as maximizing global improvement and healing after medical aesthetic procedures.

Over the years I have been able to advise excellent skin care leaders, including Skin Medica, Colorescience, Physician’s Choice of Arizona, Skinceuticals, Sente, Obagi, and ZO Skin Health. In 2014, I was named the Cosmetic Medical Director for Skinbetter Science, an exciting and science-laden skin care line led by my friend, colleague, and mentor Jonah Shacknai. These companies have taken peptides, proteins, antioxidants, nonirritating retinoids, and more to the next level, using more natural ingredients and conducting controlled studies to thoroughly test them. You will read about the incredible advances in topical treatment options made by these companies and more throughout the thoughtful chapters in this book.

The world of cosmeceuticals is an exciting mix of innovative science, strict regulations, and fast-paced consumer business practices. All of this is tempered by our medical oath to do no harm and act in the best interest of our patients. I am proud to say that the critical role of cosmeceuticals continues to gain respect in the dermatology community, and a faculty position was created in 2016 for me to teach this important topic to dermatology residents at the University of Arizona. I thank Dr. James Sligh for his commitment and vision to making this happen. New ideas take time.

I was thrilled when Dr. Michael Gold invited me to be his co-editor of this book. Watching my dermatology colleagues extend their talents to also become cosmeceutical entrepreneurs with devices, products, and business platforms has been a great joy, and we hope this book helps you on your skin care and science journey. Dr. Gold is bright, kind, entrepreneurial and incredibly passionate about skin care and dermatology. It has been nothing but a pleasure working with him.

Cosmeceuticals have created an explosion of opportunity to optimize healthy and beautiful skin. I am grateful to be a cosmetic dermatologist with an array of treatment and business tools in my practice. The joy of facilitating my patients to achieve their best and healthiest skin is only superseded by their appreciation. The best thing about cosmeceuticals is that there is always more to come!

Conflict of Interest Statement

Dr. Comstock has worked as a consultant, advisor, or instructor for: Skinbetter Science, Allergan, Gladerma, Revance, Evolus, and Endo.

Jody Comstock, Tucson, AZ

The world we call cosmeceuticals has grown at an astounding rate over the past several years. We have more and more cosmeceuticals being developed, which have helped many of our patients achieve healthier and more rejuvenated skin.

A cosmeceutical is defined as a skin care product with bioactive ingredients, which have a desired effect on the skin. They have no actual claims of changing the structure and function of the skin in the eyes of the US FDA, but those cosmeceuticals that dermatologists and cosmetic physicians use and recommend to patients and clients definitely play a major role in skin care.

Many companies make skin care products that they call cosmeceuticals. Many have very nice science behind them. It is the purpose of this book to show the reader how these cosmeceuticals work for a variety of skin care concerns, and in concert with our most commonly used cosmetic procedures.

The term cosmeceutical was coined by Dr. Albert Kligman in the 1990s using the terms cosmetic and pharmaceutical, to show that they acted like a cosmetic but had attributes of pharmaceuticals. Again, no claims are made by the companies that make these products.

Those in dermatology are lucky to have mentors and teachers that spark our interest and command our curiosity. I am fortunate that Dr. Kligman became my dermatologist when I was 16 years old. I suffered from a very bad case of cystic acne vulgaris. Dr. Kligman prescribed me a solution to use on my skin and told me to use a little bit every night. Well, being a smart 16 year old, I figured that if a little worked, a lot worked even better. So instead of a little, I put a lot of this solution on my skin every night. By night three, I realized I was not going to be having a fun next few days. What I found out was that Dr. Kligman had given me a 5% tretinoin solution and then I proceeded to have a medium depth chemical peel over the next week. I stayed home from school, was miserable, and in quite some discomfort. When all was said and done, my acne was gone, and now some 45 years later, I rarely get an acne lesion. To this day, Dr. Kligman was the inspiration for me to become a dermatologist, and with my later mentor, Dr. Henry Roenigk, this dream became a reality. It was also amusing to see Dr. Kligman at some of the dermatology conferences. When I lectured, he always seemed to quiz me to make sure that I was continuing with my studies, even while practicing dermatology. I was very fortunate.

I was also very lucky to have an incredible editor partner for this project. Dr. Jody Comstock is a rock star and someone that has been a true professional, and through this process a good friend. I thank her for her dedication and her commitment to this project. It has been a pleasure working with her.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Dr. Gold declares that he has been a consultant and/or performed clinical research for: Defenage, Stratacel, Alastin, Revision, and Topix.

Michael H. Gold, Nashville, TN