The whitening principle of arbutin is that the glucose residue is hydrophilic, and the phenolic hydroxyl group has the effect of inhibiting melanin synthase. Therefore, as a whitening additive with a whitening effect, it can be added to whitening cosmetics to a certain extent—moisturizing and whitening effect. But, is arbutin safe?
Is Arbutin Safe?
The researchers studied the in vitro inhibitory effect and cytotoxicity of tyrosinase activity of five whitening active substances, such as arbutin, Vic, VitC derivatives, hydrogen aldehyde, and kojic acid, and concluded that among the five whitening agents, Arbutin is the safest and most effective.
The biological effects of arbutin on skin melanocytes also showed that β-arbutin could destroy the proliferation of melanocytes and inhibit the growth of cells, suggesting that cytotoxicity should not be ignored.
The current study also found that β-arbutin can damage the cell membrane of cultured cells, so the amount of β-arbutin has a certain relationship with its safety. At present, the dosage of β-arbutin in cosmetics is about 3%. If the dosage is less than this amount, the inhibitory effect on the catalytic activity of tyrosinase in the skin is weak, and the whitening effect is not obvious. growth, resulting in cytotoxicity. Japanese scholars conducted experiments using normal human cells to show that the α-arbutin produced by biotechnology is 10 times stronger than the β-arbutin usually extracted from Wufanshu in inhibiting melanin production, and is stronger than other current whitening activities. Element. It does not affect the growth of cells at higher concentrations, so the efficacy and safety are higher than β-arbutin.
Comparison with other skin depigmented:
Azelaic acid, kojic acid and its derivatives, hydroquinone, etc. inhibit tyrosinase activity and reduce melanin production through competitive and/or non-competitive mechanisms; vitamin C and its derivatives, a-lipoic acid, a-tocopherol phenol
Others interfere with melanin synthesis through antioxidant effects; retinoic acid prevents the transport of melanin to corneal cells, resulting in hypopigmentation; unsaturated fatty acids can stimulate cell renewal and promote the shedding of keratinocytes containing melanin granules, resulting in depigmentation. ; Some traditional Chinese medicine monomers or prescriptions play the role of the decolorizing agent through different ways.
Among them, VitC injection and hydroquinone have the highest inhibition rate on tyrosinase activity, and the lowest concentration of half inhibition, so the whitening effect is the best. However, in practical applications, due to the strong cytotoxicity of hydroquinone, it will cause permanent skin depigmentation, which has been gradually eliminated. The whitening effect of VitC has a great relationship with its own structure and state. Usually, only levorotatory Vit C has a whitening effect. VitC is water-soluble, does not easily penetrate into the stratum corneum of the skin, and is easily oxidized and unstable, so its application is limited. It is usually combined with metals such as sodium and calcium to maintain its stability, or used in cosmetics in the form of its derivatives.
Arbutin has a good whitening effect, relatively small cytotoxicity, and stable properties, so it is the most widely used whitening agent at present. The use of arbutin preparations can effectively reduce the degree of pigmentation of melasma and reduce the area of skin lesions.
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