Abstract
With the public’s growing interest in skin whitening, lightening ingredients only used under dermatological supervision until recently, are more and more frequently incorporated into cosmetic formulas. The active agents that lighten skin tone are either natural or synthetic substances, and may act at various levels of melanogenesis. They are used to treat various skin pigmentation disorders or simply to obtain a lighter skin tone as whiter skin may be synonymous of wealth, health, youth, and/or beauty in different cultures. However, recent studies demonstrated the adverse effects of some of these ingredients, leading to their interdiction or restricted use under the European Directive and several other international regulations. After an overview of skin whitening practices and the associated risks, this article provides insight into the mechanisms involved in melanin synthesis and the biological assays available to attest the lightening activity of individual ingredients. The legislation dealing with the use of skin lighteners is then discussed. As traditional depigmenting agents such as hydroquinone and corticosteroids are of safety concern, the potential of natural extracts has been investigated more and more; finally, a synthesis of three years of research in our laboratory for such plant extracts will be given.
Highlights
Skin whitening or lightening refers to the practice, deeply embedded in many ethnic groups [1], of using natural or synthetic substances to lighten the skin tone or provide an even complexion by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin [2]
Remains uncertain: they haveof been banned in some countries, whereas their is still status remains uncertain: they may have been banned in some countries, whereas their presence authorized in skin-lightening cosmetic formulations in other countries
This quest for whiter skin can lead to major health issues, largely due to the use in high concentrations of very aggressive compounds, some of which have been progressively banned by the European Cosmetic Regulations
Summary
Skin whitening or lightening refers to the practice, deeply embedded in many ethnic groups [1], of using natural or synthetic substances to lighten the skin tone or provide an even complexion by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin [2]. Numerous chemical substances have already been proven as effective skin whiteners, and some even display beneficial side effects (antioxidants [4,5,6,7], antiproliferative activity [8,9], protection of macromolecules such as collagen against UV radiation [4], etc.), but others have recently raised safety concerns, leading to their ban in some countries. The search for non-cytotoxic natural whitening compounds benefits from the fact that natural ingredients have become more prevalent nowadays in cosmetic formulations due to consumers’ concern about synthetic ingredients and the risks they may represent for human health [10]. The melanogenesis pathway as well as the diverse approaches to evaluate the skin whitening activity of an ingredient are presented. We report feedback from three years of research in our laboratory for plant extracts presenting skin-whitening capacity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
