I am applying this test:
Q2) Are skin lightening ingredients present? (Q3) Strategy for skin lightening?
Ingredients of interest are:
- Niacinamide (3rd listed ingredient)
- Ascorbyl Glucoside (10th ingredient)
- Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (26th ingredient)
- Glutathione (32nd ingredient)
- Pueraria Lobata Symbiosome extract (33rd ingredient)
- Glycine Soja (Soyabean extract) (34th ingredient)
- Tocopherol (37th ingredient)
All of these ingredients will help the product lighten your skin. BUT as Niacinamide is the 3rd listed ingredient, it is primarily responsible for skin lightening in this product. The other ingredients are at best providing a distant supporting role.
Niacinamide:
Niacinamide is a very good skin lightener. It does not interfere directly with the synthesis of melanin, but instead reduces the amount of melanin being transferred to the epidermis (the topmost layer of our skin).
Less melanin in the epidermis results in the skin appearing visibly brighter/whiter or fairer.
*Melanin is a skin pigment that as Eumelanin (dark/brown pigment) is primarily responsible for giving skin its colour. (see What gives our skin its colour?)
Vitamin C
There are 2 forms of Vitamin C present: Ascorbyl Glucoside (10th ingredient) and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (26th ingredient).
Ascorbyl glucoside is a form of Vitamin C, which is both an anti-oxidant and tyrosinase inhibitor as amongst other things, it chelates Copper at the site of the Tyrosinase enzyme, therefore reducing the production of (dark) melanin.
Given Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is present towards the end of the ingredient list, I think its functioning as an anti-oxidant….
Anti-oxidants
Simplistically, this is how antioxidants work: UV radiation generates free radicals, especially reactive oxygen species (or ROS) and both these will counter the effect of ROS. Antioxidant activity reduces the need for skin to react to UV exposure, by producing more melanin. Therefore, at best (and I am being generous here), anti-oxidant activity may indirectly contribute to skin lightening.
The antioxidants present are Glutathione, Pueraria Lobata Symbiosome extract, Soyabean extract and Tocopheorl (Vitamin E).
Would I buy this product again?
Personally, this product contains parabens, which are estrogen mimickers. I avoid products containing parabens, such as this. Therefore I would not buy this again.
If you are ok with parabens, then this product will lighten skin for sure.
I would highlight that after about 4 weeks, you may not see any difference in your complexion, despite the continuous use of this product.
This would be consistent with studies that show the impact of Niacinamide in topical treatments plateaus after 4 weeks. This is by no means unique to only Niacinamide, but also applies to other skin lighteners (e.g.) retinoids.
For further information, please see Niacinamide as a skin lightener.
If you do plan use to use this product, please absolutely use a separate sunscreen product with at least an SPF 30 and that protects your skin against both UVA and UVB.
See also Top 5 sunscreen recommendations
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