Nutricosmetics are related dietary supplement or food or beverage products with additives that are marketed as having medical benefits that affect appearance.
[1] Quasi-drug (labelled 医薬部外品 or 薬用) is a Japanese term that refer to many of the same products with functional claims, albeit regulation is stronger as pre-market approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is required.
[2][3] Consumers are willing to pay a premium for skin and hair care products that they perceive as high-performance.
"[7] To avoid inquiry and punitive action by the United States Federal Trade Commission, cosmeceuticals which do not intend to be regulated as drugs by the FDA are carefully labeled to avoid making statements which would indicate that the product has drug properties.
However, as mentioned above, the reputation of the product may be falsely enhanced if the consumer incorrectly believes that a "cosmeceutical" is held to the same FDA standards as a drug.