Doctors selling their brand of non-prescription skin care products like astringents, cleansers and moisturizers, began as a trend in as early as the 1990s. Such products, which include hair and nail care, later evolved into becoming products known in the medical industry as cosmeceuticals, as dermatologists and even plastic surgeons subsequently started introducing their own line of private label skin care brands.
Currently, the most successful cosmeceutical products are those that use formulations developed by medical professionals who possess greater knowledge and expertise in the science of skin, hair and nail care.
What Exactl;y are Cosmeceutical Products?
Generally, cosmeceuticals refer to skin and beauty care products that possess both cosmetic and therapeutic or medicinal effects They have been tested and proven as having beneficial effects in terms of skin health. Similar to regular cosmetic products, cosmeceuticals come in the form of lotions or creams containing active ingredients, which when applied topically can have positive effects on skin cell function.
Through the years the ethics of branding and then selling one’s own line of cosmeceuticals has been the subject of a long standing debate, especially now that global skincare businesses have become a huge billion-dollar industry.
While the most common issue raised against the selling of private label cosmeceuticals is “conflict of interest” while acting as a medical practitioner and entrepreneur at the same tine, doctors involved in such practice contend that they are actually protecting their patients.
To date, the global cosmetic and skin care industry is said to be generating more than $135 billion in annual revenue, which market analysts predict will soar by 30% in 2025.
Inasmuch as consumers want to obtain greater value from the goods they purchase, they have more confidence that doctor-formulated or doctor-recommended brands can actually deliver the desired results. Cosmeceuticals have evolved into becoming the most popular segments of the global skin, hair and nail care market.
Examples of Successful Cosmeceutical Brands
In a recent article, Forbes named three medical professionals who achieved considerable success in launching their own brand of skin care products. It also does not come as a surprise that part of the branding of these doctor-formulated brands is linked to a particular mission.
In Germany, Professor Augustinus Bader, the Director of Applied Stem Cell Biology at the University of Leipzig, formulated and launched a collection of luxury skin care brand carrying his own name. In just a span of 44 months, and after receiving 64 awards mostly for being the Best Beauty Brand, Professor Bader’s sales in 2020, soared from $24 million to $70 million.
What is also notable is that this University of Leipzig professor is also investing money earned from his cosmeceuticals in the research and development of skin medications that can effectively help recover the skin function of those who suffered severe burns and serious skin injuries.
Dr, Sarah Villafranco, the founder and developer of Osmia, is a former emergency room physician before she ventured into the business of launching her private label natural cosmeceutical products. Her focus on natural skin care is in line with her goal to maintain a positive impact not only on human but on environmental health as well.
Dr. Macrene Alexiades a dermatologists and a clinical professor at Yale University’s School of Medicine introduced her Macreme brand of cosmeceutical to see to the fulfillment of a goal of eventually replacing cosmetic procedures with skincare products capable of producing the same same results. Dr. Alexiades is also a diplomate in both the European and American Board of Dermatologists,