Dermocosmetics, The New Skin Health Category
- Tamara Reid
- Apr 14
- 4 min read
The term dermocosmetics has become increasingly prominent in conversations around skin health, aesthetic medicine, and injectables. Yet few understand where this term originates from, how it evolved, and what it really means when applied to modern treatments like botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers, or skin biostimulators.
In this editorial, we explore the history of dermocosmetics, their intersection with injectable treatments, and why this category is reshaping how we think about professional skin care today.
A Little Context
The concept of dermocosmetics was first introduced in France during the 1960s, largely attributed to Pierre Fabre, a pharmacist who sought to bridge the gap between pharmaceuticals and beauty. Unlike traditional cosmetics, dermocosmetics were formulated with pharmaceutical rigour — designed to enhance beauty while also addressing specific skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and sensitivity.
Early dermocosmetic brands, such as La Roche-Posay and Vichy, established a new standard for skin care: products that were clinically tested, well-tolerated, and often recommended by dermatologists. Unlike mass-market cosmetics, these formulations were positioned as solutions for those with ‘problematic’ or fragile skin, offering both therapeutic benefit and cosmetic appeal.
Although dermocosmetics have never been formally defined under EU or US regulations, they quickly became recognised by the medical and consumer community as products sitting between a cosmetic and a mild therapeutic. Over the decades, the segment expanded from treating skin conditions to addressing cosmetic concerns such as ageing, pigmentation, and environmental stress.
Today, dermocosmetics is a global category, with brands often holding themselves to medical-grade testing standards, and the sector is forecast to reach $115 billion globally by 2032.
Dermocosmetics in Dermatology and Cosmetic Medicine
Dermocosmetics have become essential adjuncts in dermatology. Dermatologists often recommend them to patients to support prescribed treatments, maintain skin barrier health, and prevent disease flare-ups.
Importantly, dermocosmetics have also found a significant role in aesthetic medicine. Many practitioners now incorporate clinically validated skincare into patient journeys (both pre- and post-procedure) to enhance outcomes from treatments such as chemical peels, laser therapy, or injectables. The underlying philosophy is simple: healthy skin responds better to interventions, and results can be prolonged when skin is properly prepared and maintained.
This approach has given rise to a new way of thinking about aesthetics: one where treatments and skincare are no longer seen as separate entities, but part of a continuous, holistic skin health strategy.
The Relationship Between Dermocosmetics and Injectables
In recent years, the term dermocosmetics has increasingly been used in connection with injectable treatments — from botulinum toxin (e.g. Botox®) to dermal fillers and collagen biostimulators.
Although injectables are strictly medical treatments regulated as drugs or devices, many brands and practitioners now frame them within a dermocosmetic approach. This signals that injectable treatments are not simply about superficial enhancements, but about improving the quality, resilience, and health of the skin itself.
Brands such as Teoxane (Switzerland) and Vivacy (France) exemplify this integration. Both originated in the injectable space (developing hyaluronic acid-based fillers) and later expanded into dermocosmetic skincare ranges. These skincare products often mirror the injectable technology, utilising similar active ingredients such as resilient hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants to complement and prolong the effects of medical procedures.
The messaging is clear: professional injectables and scientifically formulated skincare should work synergistically, offering patients better, longer-lasting outcomes. Moreover, this integration helps to demystify injectables, positioning them not as extreme measures but as part of a broader, medically-informed skin health routine.
Dermocosmetic Principles in the Injectable Space
When applied to injectables, the term dermocosmetics implies three important principles:
Scientific Rigor: Just as dermocosmetic skincare is developed under pharmaceutical standards, the injectables it complements are framed as being scientifically validated, thoroughly tested, and formulated with skin health as a primary goal.
Safety and Tolerance: Dermocosmetics have long been associated with safety for sensitive skin. The same ethos now extends to injectables, emphasising the importance of medical oversight, practitioner expertise, and treatments that harmonise with the skin’s natural physiology.
Holistic Skin Health: Rather than focusing solely on volume replacement or wrinkle relaxation, dermocosmetic injectables are positioned as treatments that can genuinely improve skin quality — encouraging collagen stimulation, hydration, and elasticity from within.
An example of this new approach can be seen with Profhilo®, an injectable hyaluronic acid treatment that is positioned less as a filler and more as a bio-remodeller — a product that enhances skin architecture and firmness without altering facial shape. Supporting dermocosmetic skincare products are often recommended alongside treatments like Profhilo® to maintain and optimise the results.
Brands Bridging the Two Worlds
Several brands have successfully built portfolios that blend dermocosmetic skincare with injectable science:
Teoxane: Originally a dermal filler manufacturer, Teoxane created a topical skincare range using the same resilient hyaluronic acid technology as its injectable products.
Laboratoires Vivacy: Makers of Stylage® fillers, Vivacy now offers the Stylage® Skin Pro line — a dermocosmetic skincare collection designed to support and extend the effects of injectable treatments.
Filorga/Fillmed: Starting with injectable mesotherapy solutions, Filorga expanded into dermocosmetic skincare, offering topical products infused with similar active ingredients for at-home skin rejuvenation.
Galderma and Allergan: These aesthetic giants have strengthened their dermocosmetic strategies by acquiring skincare brands such as Alastin Skincare (Galderma) and SkinMedica (Allergan), ensuring their injectable patients have clinically tested, procedure-friendly skincare options.
Dermocosmetica (Australia): Dermocosmetica is a leading Australian brand specialising in professional-grade dermocosmetic skincare, often recommended alongside aesthetic treatments such as injectables, laser, and chemical peels. Their products focus on strengthening the skin barrier, preventing post-procedure irritation, and supporting long-term skin health, particularly for patients undergoing professional skin therapies.
Each of these brands recognises the importance of treating the skin holistically — blending topical care and injectables under a unified philosophy of science-backed skin health.
Dermocosmetics, once confined to pharmacy shelves as ‘safe skincare for sensitive skin,’ have evolved into a central philosophy underpinning modern aesthetic medicine. Today, they represent a holistic approach to beauty: one where skin health, science, and aesthetic treatments work together, rather than in isolation. Injectables are no longer seen purely as cosmetic fixes; framed through the dermocosmetic lens, they are part of a continuum that protects, restores, and enhances the skin from both the inside and out.
As patients seek natural, lasting results and practitioners aim to deliver safer, more effective outcomes, the fusion of dermocosmetics and injectables is not just a trend — it is the future of skin health.
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