“Effective Nutrients for Managing Summer Melasma: Beyond Glutathione with Pharmacist Noh Yoon-jeong”

It’s summer. This summer, heavy rain is expected for a long time, but I am already excited when I think about playing in the water and taking a vacation. But there are also concerns. It is a sign that increases after exposure to sunlight. Melasma is suddenly noticeable from about 2 weeks after excessive sunlight exposure due to the production cycle of melanin pigment. When I suddenly encounter a dark sign in the mirror, my face frowns without my knowledge and I feel depressed for no reason. If you are worried about spots in the summer, you should take care of them from now on. Ahead of summer in earnest, let’s learn about a nutrient that is cheaper and more effective than glutathione for managing melasma.

Melasma control nutrients affect the melanin production process

Melasma is a skin disease in which melanin pigment is excessively deposited. Melanin pigment is produced by the action of the enzyme ‘tyrosinase’ by using ‘tyrosine’ as a substrate in melanocytes present in the basal layer of the skin. Under normal conditions, the melanin pigment produced in the basal layer reaches the hair or stratum corneum and is eliminated along with the keratin every 28 days. However, if too much melanin is produced or there is an abnormality in the exfoliation of the stratum corneum due to wounds or inflammation, pigmentation causes spots. Melanin pigment is a substance produced to prevent skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays. Therefore, it is characterized by a rapid increase after exposure to sunlight, and in winter when sunlight exposure is reduced, the stain is paler than in summer.

Various factors affect melasma, but the main causes are female hormones and excessive UV stimulation. Changes in the secretion of female hormones during pregnancy or due to female diseases such as uterine fibroids stimulate the production of melanin pigment in melanocytes. Women who take long-term oral contraceptives for contraception or to treat acne can also experience this problem. Exposure to sunlight increases oxidative stress caused by UV stimulation and stimulates the production of melanocytes by melanocytes. Melasma management nutrients affect this melanin pigment production process to suppress excessive melanin pigment production.

‘Glutathione’ with no clear efficacy/effectiveness for melasma management

Antioxidants including glutathione (glutathione) are known to help manage melasma by reducing oxidative stress caused by UV stimulation. However, antioxidants other than vitamin C are single agents, and it is unclear exactly how much of them can help relieve freckles when eaten. Glutathione, which is often sought for skin whitening purposes, also has weak evidence for the dosage and duration of intake to relieve melasma. Accidentally, when high-dose glutathione was injected, the skin turned white as a side effect, and it attracted attention as a whitening injection ingredient.

Glutathione is synthesized in our body using three amino acids, ‘glutamic acid, glycine, and cysteine’, and above all, glutathione does not show the effect of relieving freckles. Looking at the efficacy and effectiveness of glutathione, which is currently used as a medicine, oral medications show ‘drug addiction’, and injections show only ‘prevention of neurological diseases by cisplatin (anticancer drug) or similar chemotherapy’. Overall, it means that only the detoxifying effect is recognized, and the scientific basis for the pigmentation relieving effect is not yet strong enough to be indicated as drug efficacy and effectiveness. On the other hand, vitamin C is clearly indicated as ‘reduction of pigmentation (blemishes, freckles) caused by sunlight and skin diseases’ as efficacy and effect in pharmaceutical nutritional supplements. For reference, vitamin C, a health functional food, cannot be advertised for specific disease names related to vitamins and minerals, so these contents are not displayed.

Complex melasma management nutrients such as vitamin C and L-cysteine, which are effective in relieving melasma

Vitamin C interferes with the action of tyrosinase, which synthesizes melanin pigment, to help relieve freckles. Glutathione is also expected to interfere with this process, but it is unclear whether it is as potent and as effective as vitamin C. To manage melasma with vitamin C alone, you need to eat at least 500mg a day. In addition to vitamin C, L-cysteine, vitamin B5, and vitamin B6 are also used as nutritional ingredients for melasma management. When used in the form of a complex like this, the content of vitamin C is also lowered.

L-cysteine ​​alleviates freckles by stimulating the production of ‘Pheomelanin’, which is lighter in color than ‘Mumelanin’ in dark color when melanin pigment is produced. Since L-cysteine ​​is a component of glutathione, it is expected that glutathione also stimulates the production of pheomelanin to show a temporary whitening effect. But if this is the key mechanism of glutathione, eating L-cysteine ​​is less expensive and more effective. Vitamins B5 and B6 can help maintain skin health by normalizing lipid metabolism. Products with this combination can only be purchased at pharmacies with the addition of a pharmaceutical ingredient called ‘tranexamic acid’, and those with vitamin C and L-cysteine ​​can be purchased online as ‘quasi-drugs’. All of these products are clearly marked with ‘stains’ in their efficacy and effectiveness. However, the most important thing in managing melasma is to reduce excessive sun exposure, so sunscreen should be applied meticulously.