Dr. Albert Kligman (M.D., PhD) is considered to be a founder of the cosmeceuticals field. He was a prolific scientist who spent many years studying the anti-aging effects of Tritinoin and retinol.

In 1942, Dr. Kligman received his PhD in botany, specializing in the study of fungi. He went on to continue his education at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, where he chose dermatology as his speciality.

In this field, he was able to apply his knowledge of fungi to work on skin conditions such as athlete’s foot and dandruff.

However, he is most famous for his research on topical retinoid. Along with Dr. J.E. Fulton and Dr. G. Plewig, he developed the Tretinoin treatment for acne that is still in use in current-day dermatological practice.

The study was truly considered groundbreaking, as prior to Dr. Kligman’s research, the benefits of these active ingredients for skin were unknown. It was following such research that Dr. Kligman started to call skincare products with therapeutic benefits as “cosmeceuticals”.

Dr. Kligman is also somewhat infamous for his controversial trials on inmates at the Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia. He was invited there by prison officials and performed trials relating to his work with athlete’s foot treatment.

He later extended his work in the prison to perform trials on behalf of pharmaceuticals companies, government agencies and even for the Department of Defence.