Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves containing many nutritional components are the best food for silkworms. The extracts from mulberry leaves have a potent antihyperglycemic activity in diabetic mice. Many phenolic compounds have been identified from the root bark of mulberry tree. Morus alba L. also contains rutin, isoquercitrin, and astragalin. The root bark of Morus […]

Azelaic acid (AZA) is a naturally occurring 9-carbon dicarboxylic acid compound isolated from cultures of Pityrosporum Ovale. It inhibits tyrosinase activity in vitro (Kj = 2.73 X 10 3M) and may also interfere with DNA synthesis and mitochondria activity in hyperactive and abnormal melanocytes. AZA has been used to treat melasma and post­inflammatory hyperpigmentation and […]

Kojic acid (5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-4H-pyrane-4-one, KA) (8), a naturally occurring hydrophilic fungal derivative evolved from certain species of Acetobacter, Asperigillus and Penicillium, is used in the treatment of hyperpigmentation disorders (9). Its molecular formula is C6H6O4 5, and its molecular weight is 142.1. It also eliminates free radicals, strengthens the activity of cells and keeps the food […]

Tyrosinase is a copper enzyme, which catalyses both the hydroxylation of monophenols to o-diphenols and the oxidation of o-diquinones to o-quinones. Most whitening agents act specifically to reduce the function of this enzyme by means of the following mechanisms (2): (i) interference with its transcription and/or glycosylation, (ii) inhibition by different modalities, (iii) reduction of […]

Wen-Yuan Zhu Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P. R. China Ru-Zhi Zhang Department of Dermatology, The Affiliated Hospital, BangBu Medical College, BangBu, P. R. China The ideal depigmentating compound should have a potent, rapid, and selective bleaching effect on hyperactivated melanocytes, carry no short – or long-term side effects, […]

Our knowledge of the cellular signaling pathways is growing by leaps and bounds due to advances in gene microarray analysis and other genomics and proteinomic discoveries. These are being rapidly translated into practical applications for skin care. The ability to understand the molecular biology associated with the development and maintenance of the skin’s structure and […]

Although it would be great to be able to find all the information you want in a straight­forward peer-reviewed journal search, it is highly unlikely. The basic information that is obtained from an on-line database like Google will have a great deal of marketing hype with little to no science. However, it may not be […]

Most companies do not state if a product is stable or how long it will last either opened or unopened, with the exception of OTC products, which are expiration dated if they do not last more than three years. However, international cosmetic and/or cosmeceutical companies marketing in the EU are required to put an expiration […]

1. Science and clinical studies: DMAE is considered a tertiary amine and a precursor of choline. At concentration of 1% to 5% when applied to facial skin, DMAE have been shown to produce and increase tone in about 20 to 30 minutes. Half-and full-face studies applied over 16 weeks to one year have been shown […]