Editor’s note: As is well-known, consumer demand exists for active products that provide drug-like effects for cosmetic benefits, such as those described here. Product developers are reminded that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews label claims to determine whether a product requires drug registration or may be classified as a cosmetic. In addition, it should be noted that human materials are banned from use in cosmetics in the European Union.
With marketing using superficial terms such as crow’s feet, zits and liver spots, it is easy for consumers to overlook the important fact that human skin is a dynamic, living organ, and since cosmetic appearance is a driving force in consumer perception, skin care studies and research often focus on the effects of moisture-bearing properties to plump dead, keratinized surface cells. Skin care is obviously much more than what is seen on the surface, which is why it is important to understand how cells grow, survive and reproduce in the human body. Understanding these mechanisms provides keys to unlocking diseases that result from abnormal cell development—e.g., physical deformities, senile dementia, slow wound healing and tumors.
