The use of LSP in digital cosmetics advertising

Abstract This study explores the use of Language(s) for Specific Purposes (LSP), particularly terminology from chemistry and dermatology, in social media advertising by UK-based cosmetics brands Byoma and The Inkey List . It investigates how these brands use LSP to construct scientific credibility and how users linguistically respond to such content. Employing corpus-based critical discourse studies, this research analyses two corpora: brand posts on Instagram and TikTok , and the respective users’ comments. The British National Corpus (BNC) was accessed via Sketch Engine to examine key lexical patterns and contrasts in usage. Findings reveal that the brands strategically use LSP to convey authority, while users also adopt scientific terms, though more casually, often blending them with evaluative or informal language. This partial uptake contributes to the broader popularisation of scientific discourse but may lead to misunderstandings. This study thus emphasises the ethical need for clearer scientific communication in health-related consumer advertising.