Pharmaceutical Technology Week | Are you attracted by the idea of ​​"ointment skin care"? Wake up!

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I have acne on my face.

Use some mupirocin ointment;

Blackheads on the nose.

Use some metronidazole gel;

Chicken skin on the body,

Use some retinoic acid cream...

Recently, many popular online posts, popular short videos of "review bloggers", and personal test notes of "skin care experts" have been promoting the "skin care effects" of medical ointments. Some have even summarized the "effects" of various ointments, and eye-catching titles such as "acne-eliminating artifact" and "magic ointment" have emerged one after another...

Are ointments really effective for skin care?

Ointment is not a cosmetic. Ointment is a paste made by adding appropriate amount of excipients (such as vaseline, etc.) to the medicine. It is an external preparation specially used to treat skin diseases. Ointment is a medicine with indications, contraindications, adverse reactions, etc. It needs to be used under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist and in accordance with certain usage and dosage. It cannot be used blindly and cannot be used as a cosmetic.

The main differences between cosmetics and topical medicines are as follows:

Different levels of security requirements

Cosmetics should be highly safe and should not cause any irritation or damage to the human body; however, topical drugs act on the skin for a short time, and the slight irritation and adverse reactions they may cause to the human body are permitted within a certain range.

The target users of cosmetics are people with healthy skin, while the target users of topical medicines are people with symptomatic diseases.

Different purposes of use

The purposes of using cosmetics include cleaning, protection, nutrition and beautification, while the purposes of using topical medicines are to treat diseases.

Different effects on skin structure and function

External-use drugs can affect or change the structure and function of the skin after acting on the human body, but cosmetics cannot. Although some special-purpose cosmetics have certain pharmacological activities or certain functionalities, they are generally weak and short-lived, and will not have a systemic effect; while the pharmacological properties of external-use drugs are more powerful, deep, and lasting.
The concept of "pharmaceutical cosmetics" is illegal. It is worth noting that some businesses use slogans such as "medical skin care products" and "pharmaceutical cosmetics" on the Internet, making people feel that these products are more reliable, safer and more effective. In fact, the State Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly emphasized that these concepts are false propaganda.

On January 10, 2019, the Cosmetics Supervision Department of the State Food and Drug Administration issued the "Frequently Asked Questions on Cosmetics Supervision and Management", reiterating the regulatory attitude towards the concepts of "cosmeceuticals", "medical skin care products" and "cosmeceuticals", that is, products registered or filed in the name of cosmetics that claim to have the concepts of "cosmeceuticals", "medical skin care products" and other "cosmeceuticals" are all illegal. The "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics" implemented on January 1, 2021 also clearly stipulates that cosmetic labels and advertisements are prohibited from explicitly or implicitly indicating that they have medical effects. Everyone must be careful when purchasing cosmetics to avoid purchasing cosmetics that claim to have medical effects or use terms that are suspected of being false or exaggerated. If skin diseases occur, you should go to a regular hospital for treatment to avoid delaying treatment.
Be careful when choosing ointments

The so-called "ointment skin care" generally targets skin problems such as acne skin, blackheads, and closed comedones. In fact, the manifestations of acne skin are also very different. Some are just closed comedones, some are small pustules, and some are acne. When using the medicine, it is necessary to choose the medicine according to the skin characteristics, different skin types, age, and scope of involvement. Therefore, you must read the drug instructions carefully before using the ointment to avoid aggravating the condition or delaying treatment time due to the indiscriminate use of the ointment. Indications listed in the instructions of common "Internet celebrity" ointments:

Ointments are not for skin care, but are medicines for treating skin diseases. They should not be used blindly to avoid causing more serious damage to the skin.

Author: Zhang Xuemin, pharmacist of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Yunnan Province Review expert: Zhao Aimei, chief pharmacist of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Yunnan Province Review expert: Wang Baoxin, deputy chief pharmacist of Peking University First Hospital This article won the Outstanding Work in the Text Group of the 2021 Pharmaceutical Science Popularization Works Collection Activity