Alastin

The brand sits in what the industry calls the physician-dispensed or cosmeceutical segment: cosmetic products sold mostly through clinics, often positioned for use around in-clinic procedures such as lasers, peels and microneedling, alongside everyday categories like cleansers, moisturisers and sunscreens.

Whatever the sales channel, products of this kind are still cosmetics rather than medicines. Their claims concern the appearance and feel of skin, and the ingredient list remains the most useful thing to read — peptides, antioxidants, humectants and emollients appear across many brands and many price points.

If a product is being suggested around a procedure, the clinician performing that procedure should decide what goes onto healing skin and when, because timing and tolerance depend entirely on the treatment. Otherwise the usual rules apply: check the ingredient list against anything you already know irritates you, introduce one product at a time, and patch test. This entry is descriptive and is not an endorsement or a comparison of brands.