The cosmetic sector is a multibillion-dollar industry that requires constant attention being paid to innovative product development and engagement. Notably, its market value is projected to exceed 750 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, and it is expanding as novel, climate-friendly, green, and sustainable components from natural sources are incorporated. This review is written based on the numerous reports on the potential applications of food-derived peptides while focusing on their possible uses in the formulation of cosmeceutical and skincare products. First, the production methods of bioactive peptides linked to cosmeceutical uses are described. Then, we discuss the obtainment and characterization of different anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-aging, and other pleiotropic peptides with their specific mechanisms, from various food sources. The review concludes with salient considerations of the cost of production and pilot scale operation, stability, compatibility, user safety, site-specificity, and delivery methods, when designing or developing biopeptide-based cosmeceutical products.
Cosmeceuticals/chemistry* ; Peptides/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology* ; Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology* ; Cosmetics ; Skin Aging/drug effects*

BACKGROUND: Some cosmetics used for treating acne are considered as cosmeceuticals. Consequently, patients with acne are now more likely to perceive such products as actual treatments. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the awareness and use of cosmetics for acne and to compare them with hospital treatments in terms of efficacy and safety. METHODS: We surveyed patients who presented at the National Medical Center for acne treatment. We collected data on demographics, hospital treatments, kinds of cosmetics for acne, awareness and use of cosmetics for acne, efficacy and adverse effects (cosmetics for acne vs. hospital treatments), and overall patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Of 101 enrolled participants, 94 (mean [SD] age, 25.6 [6.5] years; 59 women) were analyzed. Seventy-one (75.5%) patients used cosmetics for acne. Only 30% perceived that cosmetics for acne were insufficient to treat acne, whereas 45~55% deemed cosmetics for acne as applicable replacements for topical and oral treatments. The participants rated their improvement to be significantly better with hospital treatments than with cosmetics for acne (much improved: 45.1% vs. 2.8%, became worse: 1.4% vs. 8.5%, p<0.01). There were significantly fewer adverse events after hospital treatments than after use of cosmetics for acne. The overall satisfaction scores were significantly higher with hospital treatments than with cosmetics for acne. CONCLUSION: Patients with acne mistakenly believe that cosmetics for acne can replace topical and oral treatments. Dermatologists should disseminate information and educate patients about the proper treatments for acne. Moreover, it is desirable to exclude the word “acne” from the name of cosmeceuticals.
Acne Vulgaris ; Cosmeceuticals ; Demography ; Humans ; Patient Satisfaction