Active Ingredients of Whitening Skincare Products

Whitening ingredients are very common in skin care products, such as vitamin C, arbutin and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients act on the skin through different mechanisms to achieve whitening effects. In this article, we will describe the whitening effects of different ingredients.

Vitamin C is a well-known ingredient with strong antioxidant effect. It is widely used in skin care products. It can reduce melanin, resist free radicals, and inhibit the activity of tyrosinase. But Vitamin C is very unstable and needs to be kept away from light and heat.

Vitamin C derivatives are more gentle and stable. Common ones include VC ethyl ether, magnesium/sodium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP, SAP), ascorbyl glucoside (AA2G), ascorbyl palmitate (AP), etc.

Niacinamide is one of vitamin B family, a water-soluble substance with solution stability and light stability.

Niacinamide can prevent melanin precipitation and dilute the precipitated melanin. It has the effects of whitening, removing spots and anti-aging.

Niacinamide is a rare ingredient among many whitening ingredients that can be used safely during the day.

Resveratrol is a polyphenol ingredient with strong antioxidant effect. It can inhibit the activity of tyrosinase and prevent photoaging.

It should be noted that resveratrol itself is not resistant to light exposure, so you should pay attention to sun protection when using it during the day.

α-Arbutin is more effective and stable, and the amount added is limited to less than 7%, generally around 3%. The whitening principle of arbutin is also to inhibit the activity of tyrosinase, increase the metabolic rate of melanin, and reduce pigment deposition. The effect is relatively mild and less irritating. It can be found in various extracts such as bearberry extract, mulberry bark extract, white mulberry extract, mulberry extract, blueberry leaf extract, cranberry leaf extract, etc. It is also necessary to avoid light when using it, and strict sun protection is required.

The whitening principle of tranexamic acid is to inhibit the transfer of melanosomes, thereby inhibiting the production of melanin, achieving the effect of whitening and brightening. It has a very good effect on melasma, especially pigmentation accompanied by vasodilation and erythema.

The amount of this ingredient added to skin care products is between 2% and 3%. Tranexamic acid has high stability and safety. It does not need to be protected from light after use. This ingredient is mild and non-irritating, and has a certain anti-inflammatory effect, so sensitive skin can also be used, but its whitening power is relatively weak.

There are 37 kinds of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA), and the common ones in skin care products are glycolic acid, lactic acid, gluconic acid and mandelic acid.

The whitening principle of Alpha Hydroxy Acids is to use acidic substances to soften the stratum corneum and promote the rapid shedding of keratinocytes containing melanin, thereby achieving a whitening effect.

However, Alpha Hydroxy Acids is highly irritating and can easily destroy the original barrier of the skin, which is not friendly to sensitive skin. And when using skin care products containing Alpha Hydroxy Acids, it is necessary to strictly avoid light and sun protection.

Whitening ingredients in plant extracts

There are many types of plant extracts (Botanical Extracts), which usually contain polyphenol flavonoids, such as tea polyphenols, grape seed extract, ellagic acid (persimmon leaf extract), mulberry bark extract, angelica, scutellaria, orange peel, ophiopogon, etc.

The common characteristics are: they are all relatively mild, but because of the complex ingredients, some of them occasionally have allergic or irritating reactions. They are generally very stable and have multiple functions such as anti-oxidation and promoting dermal collagen synthesis, so they can also be used for anti-aging and anti-glycation.

Yhanroo Cosmetics offer a variety of whitening skin care products, such as Vitamin C serum, VC cream, tranexamic acid serum, etc. Both wholesale and retail are available, as well as OEM/ODM customization services. Welcome to contact Yhanroo professional team to create your professional brand. Phone: +8615102041722，whatsapp:+852 60952242, Email：yhanroo1012@hotmail.com