A method for the cosmetic treatment of chronologically-aged and/or photo-aged non-diseased skin in a subject comprising administering to the skin of said subject an isolated ingenol compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein the ingenol compound has the formula: wherein R 1 is selected from optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted acyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted arylalkyl, S 2 R', S 2 OR', P (OR') 2 (wherein R' is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, acyl, aryl, or arylalkyl) and glycosyl and R 2 -R 3 are independently selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted acyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted arylalkyl, S 2 R', S 2 OR', P (OR') 2 (wherein R' is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, acyl, aryl, or arylalkyl) and glycosyl or R 1 and R 2 or R 2 and R 3 may form a methylene or ethylene chain; and R 4 is selected from hydrogen, hydroxy, optionally substituted alkoxy, optionally substituted alkenoxy, optionally substituted alkynoxy, optionally substituted acyloxy, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, OS 2 R', OS 2 OR', OP (OR') 2 (wherein R' is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, acyl, aryl, or arylalkyl) and glycoxy, wherein optional substituents for alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryl and thus acyl, include: halo(chloro, bromo, iodo and fluoro), hydroxyl, Alkoxy, C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, phenyl, nitro, halomethyl (e.g. tribromomethyl, trichloromethyl, trifluoromethyl), halomethoxy (e.g. trifluoromethoxy, tribromomethoxy,), C C 1-6 alkyl, amino(NH 2), C 1-6 alkylamino, (e.g.methylamino, ethylamino and propylamino) diC 1-6 alkylamino (e.g.dimethylamino, diethylamino and dipropylamino), CO 2 H, CO 2 C 1-6 alkyl, thio and C 1-6 alkylthio, and includes the replacement of a CH 2 group by carbonyl (C=O) group or may be a methylene or ethylene dioxy group. R 1 is selected from optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted acyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted arylalkyl, S 2 R', S 2 OR', P (OR') 2 (wherein R' is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, acyl, aryl, or arylalkyl) and glycosyl and R 2 -R 3 are independently selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted acyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted arylalkyl, S 2 R', S 2 OR', P (OR') 2 (wherein R' is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, acyl, aryl, or arylalkyl) and glycosyl or R 1 and R 2 or R 2 and R 3 may form a methylene or ethylene chain; and R 4 is selected from hydrogen, hydroxy, optionally substituted alkoxy, optionally substituted alkenoxy, optionally substituted alkynoxy, optionally substituted acyloxy, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, OS 2 R', OS 2 OR', OP (OR') 2 (wherein R' is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, acyl, aryl, or arylalkyl) and glycoxy, wherein optional substituents for alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryl and thus acyl, include: halo(chloro, bromo, iodo and fluoro), hydroxyl, Alkoxy, C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, phenyl, nitro, halomethyl (e.g. tribromomethyl, trichloromethyl, trifluoromethyl), halomethoxy (e.g. trifluoromethoxy, tribromomethoxy,), C C 1-6 alkyl, amino(NH 2), C 1-6 alkylamino, (e.g.methylamino, ethylamino and propylamino) diC 1-6 alkylamino (e.g.dimethylamino, diethylamino and dipropylamino), CO 2 H, CO 2 C 1-6 alkyl, thio and C 1-6 alkylthio, and includes the replacement of a CH 2 group by carbonyl (C=O) group or may be a methylene or ethylene dioxy group.