The Influence of Glutathione-containing Cosmetics on Skin Pigmentation

Based on the results of analysis on the antioxidant effects of glutathione, there have been studies on its diverse effects on human body. Some studies have also examined its functions such as liver function improvement & detoxification, immunity enhancement, NK cell & T-cell generation, anti-virus effects and anticancer effects. Recently, in addition to the pharmacological effects of glutathione, its effects on human skin have been investigated. While there have been studies on its effectiveness on human skin and its brightening effects through cell experiments and dietary treatments, it has been difficult to find a study on clinical trials after the use of glutathione-containing cosmetics. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate the effects of glutathione on skin pigmentation through clinical trials. For this, a double-blind test was performed against a total of 24 testees (12 persons each for experimental and control groups). Three different glutathione-free cosmetics and 3 different cosmetics containing 3% glutathione were applied to the control and experimental groups respectively twice a day in the morning and in the evening over 6 weeks. Then, skin conditions before and after the use of the cosmetics such as pores, wrinkles, skin coarseness, UV pigmentation, flushing and brightness were examined. The control group revealed no statistically significant change in pores, wrinkles, skin coarseness, UV pigmentation, flushing, brightness and skin moisture. In contrast, decrease in UV pigmentation and increase in skin bright were found in the experimental group with statistical significance even though no statistically significant changes were observed in pores, wrinkles, skin coarseness, flushing and skin moisture. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that glutathione is valuable as a whitening cosmetic ingredient which can enhance skin tone by reducing the skin pigmentation index.