Dermocosmetics: why the pharmacy is becoming a centre of competence for skin health

When skincare suddenly becomes complicated

Skincare was long comparatively simple: cleanse, moisturise, sun protection. Today customers encounter, on TikTok, Instagram and in online shops, a barely surveyable number of active ingredients, routines and promises. Retinol is supposed to help against skin ageing and blemishes, acids are supposed to refine pores, vitamin C is supposed to act as an antioxidant and ceramides are supposed to strengthen the skin barrier.

Customers’ growing knowledge is fundamentally positive. At the same time, the risk of over-treating the skin increases. Several active ingredients are started simultaneously, peels are used too frequently, or routines are changed on a weekly rhythm. Burning, dryness, flaking or redness are then not infrequently interpreted as a sign that a product is “working”, when the skin is simply irritated.

It is precisely here that a field of consultation arises which goes well beyond classic beauty advice.

Dermocosmetics is more than cosmetics, but not drug therapy

The term dermocosmetics describes products that combine cosmetic care with a particular focus on dermatological needs. Legally, however, this does not create a separate medicinal product category. In Switzerland these products are fundamentally subject to cosmetics law. Medical or therapeutic efficacy claims are not permitted for cosmetic products.[1]

For the pharmacy this distinction is decisive. A cream does not treat severe acne, rosacea or atopic dermatitis. A sensibly chosen basic care product can, however, accompany the medical therapy, improve tolerability and help avoid further irritation of an already stressed skin barrier.

This connection is particularly apparent in acne. Topical retinoids and benzoyl peroxide are among the established treatment options.[2] At the same time they can cause dryness and irritation. A randomised study from 2024, for example, showed that accompanying care with ceramides and niacinamide can improve tolerability and reduce skin irritation in patients on topical acne therapy.[3]

Dermocosmetics is therefore to be understood less as an alternative to therapy than as an interface between skincare, prevention and medical treatment.

The skin barrier becomes the central consultation topic

One of the most important trends of recent years is the return to the skin barrier. After phases of highly concentrated acids, aggressive peels and complex ten-step routines, the question of what the skin actually tolerates is increasingly moving centre stage.

That makes professional sense. In conditions such as atopic dermatitis, disturbed barrier function plays a central role. Current dermatological guidelines explicitly recommend moisturisers as a component of treatment.[4]

Care that is as non-irritating as possible is also relevant in rosacea. Dermatological recommendations rely on gentle cleansing, suitable moisturising care and consistent sun protection. Aggressive exfoliation, rubbing and potentially irritating products, by contrast, should be avoided.[5]

This also changes the consultation. The decisive question is no longer only: “Which active ingredient helps against this problem?” Increasingly it is: “What does this skin need right now, and what should it better not be given?”

The pharmacist as translator between TikTok and science

A customer asking about niacinamide, retinol or peptides frequently does not need yet another product. They need context.

It is precisely here that the pharmacy has an advantage over many other sales channels. Pharmacists can place cosmetic products in a medical context. They can take into account which medicines are already being used, whether a dermatological condition is known, how sensitively the skin reacts and whether certain active ingredients make any sense at all at present.

This competence becomes particularly important where cosmetics and medicines meet. A patient on acne therapy, for example, needs a different routine from a customer with healthy skin who wants to reduce the first signs of skin ageing. Under isotretinoin therapy, for instance, gentle, moisturising care takes priority, while additional retinoids, peels or other irritating active ingredients can be problematic.[6]

Particular stages of life also belong in the consultation. In pregnancy and when trying to conceive, retinoids for example have to be viewed particularly critically.[7]

The pharmacy’s real added value therefore does not lie in selling as many products as possible. It lies in deliberately leaving unnecessary products out for once.

Healthy ageing instead of anti-ageing

In parallel, the language around skin ageing is changing. The classic anti-ageing promise is increasingly being replaced by a concept of long-term skin health. Sun protection, barrier protection, avoidance of chronic irritation and a consistent routine are gaining importance over spectacular short-term promises.

For pharmacies this development is particularly interesting. Because “healthy ageing” fits pharmaceutical consultation better than the traditional beauty promise. It is less about combating every visible sign of ageing than about preserving skin functions for as long as possible and reducing avoidable damage.

This allows pharmacies to differentiate themselves from purely trend-driven beauty concepts.

Personalisation does not automatically mean more products

Digital skin analyses, apps and AI-based recommendations will continue to change dermocosmetics. They can, for example, help to document skin conditions or structure consultations more systematically. What remains decisive, however, is professional interpretation.

A personalised routine does not have to consist of seven different products. On the contrary. For many customers the best recommendation may initially consist of three components: gentle cleansing, suitable basic care and consistent sun protection. Additional active ingredients can then be added in a targeted way.

The ability to reduce complexity is thus likely to become one of the most valuable consultation skills in the dermocosmetics segment.

When the pharmacy should refer on

Professional dermocosmetics consultation equally includes the ability to recognise when cosmetics are no longer enough. Persistent or strongly inflammatory skin changes, pronounced itching, weeping or infected areas, suddenly appearing changes, scarring or unclear pigment changes belong in medical hands.

It is precisely this that lends the consultation credibility. The pharmacy does not have to solve every skin problem itself. Rather, it can provide orientation, select suitable accompanying care and recognise when dermatological diagnostics become necessary.

The future belongs to the “skin health pharmacy”

Dermocosmetics therefore offers pharmacies far more than additional shelf space. Positioned correctly, it can become a genuine field of competence.

The decisive competitive advantage lies not in the number of brands stocked, but in the quality of the consultation. Anyone who considers skin condition, existing therapy, active ingredients, skin barrier and the customer’s everyday life together is not simply selling a cream. They are offering orientation in a market that has become increasingly confusing for many consumers.

The pharmacy of the future could therefore be less a beauty shop and more a “skin health pharmacy”: a place where scientific evidence, cosmetic care and pharmaceutical competence come together.