Potential Application of Natural Bioactive Compounds As Skin-whitening Agents: A Review

Background: Melanin is a skin pigment that gives color to the skin, hair, and eyes. The accumulation or over production of melanin can lead to aesthetic problems as well as serious diseases associated with hyperpigmentation. Skin lightening is described as the procedure of using natural or synthetic products to lighten the skin tone or provide an even skin complexion by reducing the amount of melanin in the skin; therefore, skin lightening products help people to treat their skin problems. Ingredients such as hydroquinone, ascorbic acid, and retinoic acid were used as whitening agents to lighten the skin. However, they have many adverse effects on the skin and body health, such as skin irritation.

Aim: In this review, firstly, discuss on the directly/indirectly target melanogenesis-related signal pathways. Secondly, summarize potential natural bioactive ingredients with skin lightening properties from plants, marine organisms, microorganisms. Finally, the remaining problems and future challenges are also discussed.

Methods: For relevant literature, a literature search was conducted using Google Scholar and Web of Science. Natural bioactive compounds, tyrosinase inhibitors, and other related topics were researched and evaluated.

Results: Natural products isolated from plant and animal resources are potential active cosmetic candidates for lightening the skin tone and skin whitening and protection against UV irradiation. Natural bioactive ingredients as cosmetic whitening additives have attracted increasingly attention due to their safety and cost effectiveness, with few side effects.

Conclusion: Although natural active substances have been advocated for use in whitening cosmetics in recent years, there are still many challenges due to the fact that traditional inhibitors are used perennial in cosmetics which cannot be easily changed and the research on natural active substances is still in its infancy. In the future, by improving the extraction technique of natural extracts, it is achieved to give a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the active ingredients of the extracts, to determine the effect of the active components of action, and to find the substances that have the best possible whitening effect in natural organisms.