Licorice Extract May Be A Leading Ingredient In The Treatment Of Melasma

Photo Credit: Bloggang 

The treatment of melasma is the single most complicated hyper melanogenesis disorder out there. I make no arguments about that and have mentioned that before in previous posts. I am constantly trying to learn more about which treatment options respond best with people who have moderate or severe melasma. 

Connecting with other people that have melasma through my blog has been the ultimate resource for me. Knowing personal experiences with this issue helps me in writing useful blog posts that can cater to the questions and needs of people who are struggling.

Triple Topical Therapy is the top choice amongst dermatologists in approaching moderate or severe melasma in dark skinned individuals. But, hydroquinone can be very irritating for some reactive skin types, which can lead to increased pigmentation problems. That and some people just don’t feel safe using hydroquinone even just on the affected areas. 

I know there are many skin lightening ingredients out there that have the ability to treat melasma in various degrees of severity. I am still learning new ingredients all the time, which is always exciting and what keeps my fascination going in this field.  I am also always learning new functions and abilities of ingredients I’ve already known about for years!

One of the most well-known and commonly used skin lightening ingredients is licorice extract. This is one of my favorites because it usually does perform very well (on my skin!) at brightening it up and calming down redness. So when I learned that it could possibly be an alternative to hydroquinone when used at 7%, I was extremely intrigued.

A team of researchers in Brazil conducted a clinical study comparing the effect of belides, emblica and licorice at 7% and 2% hydroquinone.

The patients used in the study had varying degrees of melasma and were divided into 2 groups. The first group (group A) was treated with the belides, emblica and licorice extract 7% cream twice a day, while the second group (group B) used hydroquinone 2% at night. Both used an SPF of 35 during the day before the trial and during the trial.

The evaluation spanned for 60 days where depigmentation was visible in most patients in both groups. Two patients in group A (licorice extract based cream) experienced adverse skin effects, while seven patients in group B (hydroquinone) noticed adverse effects.

The amount of lightening produced in the melasma legions was significant and strikingly similar in results in both groups. This signifies a similar potency in melanin inhibition in the licorice extract based cream, which makes it a valid alternative.

There is a lot of information on the internet on making DIY serums and toners, so if you are interested in making a 7% licorice extract skin lightening treatment, then by all means start looking around and researching. There are several sites where you can purchase raw/fresh licorice extract to put into cosmetics or create treatments easily from. I am becoming very interested in making my own lighteners as of late, and will be posting a lot more content regarding DIY skin lightening when I launch the new version of the blog.

I’m sort of already beginning my DIY treatments but I need more time in getting everything right and learning as much as I can (I’m not a chemist!) and testing it out on myself. I’ll be sure to blog about it extensively in the future.

Source:
http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2011/02/licorice-as-an-alternative-to-hydroquinone.aspx

Learn how licorice extract lightens skin:

Featured Ingredients: Licorice Extract