Online stores offer the kind of convenience that enables customers to shop at midnight in their pajamas while they sip a warm drink.

But customers can't reach out and touch a product or sample it.

That's a key reason that Dr. Joel Schlessinger decided to open a $6 million, 20,000-square-foot retail store at 2929 Oak View Drive in Omaha for his growing skin-care business. His business focuses on “cosmeceuticals,” which are cosmetics with potential medical benefits.

Schlessinger, an Omaha dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, has run his online skin-care business, LovelySkin.com, for 13 years. The LovelySkin retail store, which opened earlier this month, is an outgrowth of that online business, he said.

Schlessinger operated his online businesses from a 2,000-square-foot space in west Omaha that since 2004 had a small retail area.

The new store is significantly larger, with room for more than 7,000 products from more than 170 manufacturers.

Some dermatologists sell cosmeceuticals in their offices. What makes his business different, Schlessinger said, is that it is a stand-alone retail store.

Schlessinger said demand for cosmeceuticals has been growing.

From 2002 to 2007, cosmeceutical sales grew by more than 10 percent per year nationally at the wholesale level, according to Freedonia Group Inc., an industry research firm based in Cleveland.

The growth is expected to continue and reach $8.2 billion by 2012, the firm predicts.

The growth is driven by the baby boom population, said Corinne Gangloff, a spokeswoman for Freedonia.

Kathy Helm, 56, fits right into that group.

“I want to look good as long as I can,'' said Helm, who lives in Omaha.

During a recent visit to LovelySkin, Helm said she wanted to improve her dry skin and purchased a cleanser, hydrating mist, moisturizer and eye cream. All were made by a company called Kinerase.

Schlessinger said Kinerase is a good example of a cosmeceutical.

Products in the Kinerase line contain a substance derived from plants that provides protective and regenerative properties for skin. The properties would not be found in a regular cosmetic product, he said.

Cosmeceuticals generally cost slightly more than regular cosmetic products, he said, but customers derive greater benefits.

Schlessinger said that because of the high volume of sales through his online businesses, he is able to negotiate contracts with manufacturers that enable him to offer competitive prices.

Training for his retail staff was a priority, Schlessinger said. Each employee received about 320 hours of training, from him as well as from national trainers, among them representatives of manufacturers.

The training included education on skin anatomy and background on specific skin conditions such as rosacea, which causes small red bumps on the face.

Helm said there are so many products available, and she needs guidance on what to buy. The LovelySkin staff provided the right assistance, she said.

“They helped me figure out what would be best for my skin.”

Contact the writer: 402-444-1122, [email protected]