Real Whitening Skin

Bearberry extract turns up more and more often in skincare. This edible red berry (which is a favorite food of bears – hence the name) has long been used in herbal medicine. It contains something called arbutin, which is a natural skin brightener.

Arbutin, alpha arbutin or bearberry extract are in Dermalogica's Chromawhite and Meladerm, Arcona Instant Magic Reversal Serum ($105 in the shop) and La Vie Celeste Restorative Rose Hydrosol Eye Cream ($60 in the shop). So what is bearberry extract and its arbutin component and how effective is it?

First a skin pigmentation 101. Skin color is the result of a number of different things. Haemoglobin is responsible for red and bluish tones, carotenoids for the basic yellow tinge of us Caucasians,  while brown comes from a couple of pigments that are produced in special cells called melanocytes. Lurking around in melanocytes are enzymes called tyrosinase. They get activated by UV light ultimately form melanins - we are talking freckles and age spots. This is where arbutin comes in - it works by blocking tyrosinase.

Alpha arbutin is a glucoside and potion makers like it because it is water soluble and stable. But more importantly, it seems to work. A one-month study on 80 Chinese women, using a 1% alpha arbutin concentration, resulted in a "skin lightening effect". It was faster and more effective than kojic acid (another commonly used skin lightener) and it left hydroquinone in the shade. This is particularly good news because hydroquinone, once the most popular lightener/brightener around, is carcinogenic. It is banned from over the counter sale in the US, Europe and Japan.

Alpha arbutin, on the other hand, doesn't appear to have any nasty side effects. However, it is still a form of hydroquinone and questions about its long term safety hang in the air. Anecdotally, it is much less irritating to the skin than hydroquinone at similar or even greater doses.

As well as bearberry, a few other plants harbor arbutin. One is dockweed (a plant that most kids know as an emergency cure for nettle rash). Bearberry is especially interesting because it has sun protection properties and may reduce the degree of skin tanning after sun exposure.

Skin whitening, skin lightening and skin bleaching refers to the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten or even out skin tone to provide an even complexion by lessening the concentration of melanin.

Several chemicals have been shown to be effective in skin whitening, but some have been shown to be toxic or have questionable safety profiles that have caused them to be banned in many countries.

However, Alpha-Albutin, which suppresses unwanted pigmentation rather than killing pigment-producing cells, is currently being sold as an effective alternative that is much safer to use than the harsh chemicals used in other over the counter skin creams.

What Is Alpha-Arbutin?

The primary source for Alpha-Arbutin is a small evergreen bush called the Bearberry, and it is derived from the leaves of this bush. Bearberry grows over most of the Northern hemisphere and is found in the continental United States as far south as Wisconsin and New Jersey.

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Arbutin is derived from the leaves of bearberry because of it’s melanin-inhibiting properties. Arbutin and other plant extracts are considered safe alternatives to commonly used pigment reducing agents to make the skin fairer.

Arbutin exists in two conformations, alpha and beta. The alpha conformation offers higher stability and is the preferred form for skin lightening applications. Medical studies have shown it to be very effective for skin lightening. There are patents  covering its use for topical skin lightening products.

Alpha-Arbutin doesn’t appear to have any nasty side effects and some government studies have shown it to be safe to use. Questions about it’s long term safety look promising but are incomplete. Anecdotally it is much less irritating to the skin than hydroquinone at similar or even greater doses.

The Effect Of Alpha-Arbutin

Woman checking her skin after applying Meladerm CreamAlpha-Arbutin is a biosynthetic active ingredient that is pure, water-soluble and is manufactured in a powder form. As one of the most advanced skin lightening ingredients on the market, it has been shown to work effectively on all skin types.

It works primarily by inhibiting melanin and it has been shown to work effectively on all the different skin colors. Pure forms of arbutin are considered to be potent skin lightening agents.

Alpha arbutin is a glucoside and potion makers like it because it is water soluble and stable. But more importantly, it seems to work. A one-month study on 80 Chinese women, using a 1% alpha arbutin concentration, resulted in a “skin lightening effect”.

It was faster and more effective than kojic acid (another commonly used skin lightener) and was every bit as effective as hydroquinone. This is particularly good news because hydroquinone which is one of the most used and popular lighteners around is now considered carcinogenic.

It has been banned from over the counter sale in Europe and Japan, but is still a common ingrediant in the US. Research has proven that (alpha) Arbutin has a stronger inhibitory action than that of (beta) Arbutin, but it is a more costly ingredient to manufacture, even at very low concentrations, which is why many manufacturers still use hydroquinone.

Alpha-Arbutin has shown to inhibit the activity of tyrosinase which controls the production of melanin. It’s inhibitory mechanism is different from that of other forms of arbutin and can be up to 10 times more effective.

The a-form of  it offers higher stability and efficiency than the B form found in the related Beta-Arbutin. This leads to a skin whitening active that acts faster and more efficiently than existing single components.

It is one of the most stable and effective brightening ingredients available—promoting lighter, more even tone for all skin types and is considered to be a remarkable facilitator in the quest for brighter skin.