A blemish free, even-toned skin is universally associated with healthy skin. This reasoning makes people desire to have a flawless skin.
Melanin is a naturally occurring pigment in humans. This pigment is responsible for skin, hair, and eye color, therefore determines our race and phenotypic appearance. On darker skin types, it is common that
melanin production processes malfunctions. These malfunctions often lead to overproduction and secretion of
melanin. As a result, unwanted pigmentary problems such
melasma occur. Due to unknown etiology and its recurrence in nature,
melasma is challenging to treat. The current available
melasma treatment options often produce undesired side effects and suboptimum results. First-line topical treatments usually involve
hydroquinone or topical
steroids. Apart from the
irritant reactions, this treatment mode is not suitable for all skin types.
Skin care specialists are in search of an effective long-term
cosmetics and
cosmeceuticals to address
hypermelanosis problems. Understanding of naturally occurring
depigmenting agents provides an opportunity for more effective ways to manage
melasma in all skin types. This review considers the benefits of naturally occurring ingredients which could help address skin pigmentation problems and broaden the choice for skin-lightening treatments.