O COSMEDICS Celebrates 15 Years of Cosmedical Skincare Innovation
Under 3 Minute Read
25th June, 2025
This year marks a major milestone for O COSMEDICS, Australia’s leading professional skincare brand, as it proudly celebrates 15 groundbreaking years in the industry.
Founded by industry trailblazer Maria Enna-Cocciolone, O COSMEDICS has redefined how professionals and consumers treat their skin, pioneering the ‘Cosmedical’ category - where cosmetics meet medical-strength ingredients.
From the outset, O COSMEDICS set out to do things differently. With over 20 years of industry experience behind her at the time, Maria was crystal clear on her strengths, and equally clear on where to bring in the best. “Starting a business takes a village,” she reflects. “I was determined to have experts working on all layers of my business so the business could grow with knowledge and strength.”
That commitment to excellence, paired with an education-first philosophy, quickly established O COSMEDICS as a category leader. At a time when active ingredients were still misunderstood, the brand introduced functional doses designed to trigger true skin responses, not just surface-level, feel good, smell good experiences. “When we first launched many initially thought they were reacting to our products” Maria explains, “but what we were actually seeing were true skin responses. We had to help skin experts unlearn and relearn how to treat the skin with functional actives.”
It’s this pioneering spirit that led Maria to coin the term ‘Cosmedical’ in 2007, an entirely new category of skincare that demanded a new language. “In 1981, Albert Kligman coined the word cosmeceuticals, where cosmetics meet pharmaceutical ingredients” Maria explains. “Twenty-six years later, I coined Cosmedical - where cosmetics meet medical-strength ingredients. I didn’t want O COSMEDICS to get lost in a decades-old category. From day one, I set out to create something truly different.”
“While the consumer journey has been carefully considered, O looks, feels, and smells great, yet it’s the synergy of active ingredients used in their functional dose, biomimetic delivery system, and Corneotherapy principles that transform skin” Maria shares.“I created O to ensure it didn’t look, feel, or sound like anything else on the market. It’s unique, and most importantly - it works. Consumers stay loyal to skincare that delivers real change.”
A Red High Heel
Maria’s founder story begins in heels, juggling sales,
marketing, and education and swapping to flats in
the warehouse to pick and pack.
A Red Heart
Maria leads with heart, always.
“Every decision I make is guided by
intention, connection, and care.
A Red Chilli
When O COSMEDICS first launched, the use of high-performance
actives was ahead of its time. Early trials came with redness and
reactivity, a sign of real skin transformation. It led to the education
-first approach, helping strengthen skins through functional doses
of active ingredients.
A Red Cherry
A bold branding decision: A marketing
consultant oncetold me red symbolised
“red angry skin”, but for me, red represents
passion, demands attention and is the
bloodline of O COSMEDICS.
A Red Lobster
A tribute to Maria’s Italian coastal roots
in Sardinia, where the spirit of family runs
deep and defines O’s culture.
Over the years, the brand has hit countless milestones, but none quite as defining as the global pandemic. “Given that O COSMEDICS is primarily sold through professional skin clinics, and clinics were the first to close and the last to reopen, our entire community had to pivot” Maria reflects. “Consumers had to learn quickly how to treat their skin next-level at home. Skins changed due to stress, masks and lack of treatments, so overnight, clinics and our HQ turned to Zoom consultations, tutorials, and DIY treatment plans. O COSMEDICS grew exponentially, and we’ve never looked back.”
Now, to celebrate 15 years of skin-changing innovation, O COSMEDICS unveils a limited-edition packaging design for its cult-favourite Gentle Antioxidant Cleanser, featuring five iconic red symbols that honour Maria’s personal and professional journey and the passion behind the brand.
So, what's next for O COSMEDICS?
With a dedicated in-house R&D team and Australian-based manufacturing plant, the brand remains agile, innovative, and future-focused. “We understand changing skins, skin influences, and consumer needs better than ever” says Maria. “You can only imagine what our NPD list looks like. Exciting is always just around the corner.” International expansion is already well underway, with O COSMEDICS now distributed across Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Canada. “We’ve got our eyes on global growth” Maria says.
“Our next-level dream is to save one skin, one country at a time. International dominance, here we come.” And while the brand may be celebrating 15 years, Maria insists the journey is just beginning.