SO YOU WANT WHITER SKIN?

So You Want Whiter Skin?

Two out of five Asian women feel they can be more attractive by having a lighter skin tone. In the Philippines, one out of two women use whitening products.

While we espouse that we should be proud of our natural skin tone, who are we to judge someone who wants a lighter complexion? We develop products and services designed to even out skin discolorations. What will work for skin discoloration will also work to whiten skin, which has the bigger demand.

What the market wants is fast and permanent skin lightening. These are unrealistic expectations that could lead to disastrous results.

When formulating a product, our number one consideration is safety. We use only ingredients that are proven safe. Then we engineer these whitening actives to enhance their efficacy. We also use advanced encapsulation technology to ensure long term stability.

Below are the five whitening ingredients that have passed our screening for safety and efficacy:

Glabridin from Licorice Root Extract

Two decades ago, we developed the trailblazing Godiva natural skin care products, the first to use glabridin from licorice extract as whitening active. Then, 40% glabridin was the best that can be achieved. Now, we have 90% glabridin, which we nano-encapsulated for really amazing results.

Alpha-Arbutin

Arbutin is a plant-derived hydroquinone, extracted from bearberry, cranberries, blueberries, wheat, and pears. The mild effect of arbutin is attributed to the controlled release of hydroquinone. Arbutin is present in two (2) forms, namely alpha and beta-arbutin. Alpha-arbutin offers higher stability and efficacy compared to the beta form.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has been clinically tested extensively and showed excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-acne properties. It also lightens skin and protects against sun damage. Vitamin C is notoriously unstable and cannot be used in creams and serum. The stable ester form of Vitamin C is the ingredient used instead.

Glutathione

This is probably the most popular whitening ingredient nowadays. Combined with Vitamin C, glutathione is taken as a food supplement, and IV pushed. For creams and lotions, we have nano-encapsulated glutathione to make it stable and small enough to penetrate the skin.

Retinol

Any whitening regimen requires exfoliation to improve efficacy. Retinol is the milder version of tretinoin, the gold standard of dermatologist for exfoliation. Retinol is converted slowly into tretinoin upon contact with our skin. We used advanced technology to produce time-released encapsulated retinol. This vastly improves mildness yet provides consistent results.

Conclusion

One can aspire to regain one’s original skin tone. There’s nothing wrong with that. Check the part of your skin that is not exposed to the sun. That is your real color. To attain that, always wear sunscreen everyday, and avoid unnecessary sun exposure. Use only proven safe and FDA registered products. Avoid products promising magic results and miracles but are not safe to use.

DERMAX NanoWhite Intensive Underarm Cream
with Retinol plus Glabridin, Alpha-Arbutin, and Vitamin C

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This article appeared in The Manila Bulletin Main Section, page 9 on April 28, 2015. The author is Fred Reyes, a cosmetic chemist and scientist, and the CEO of DERMAX and SkinStation, two leading skin clinic chains in the Philippines. He was awarded the Outstanding Professional in Chemistry in 2011 by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

DO YOU REALLY NEED FOAM IN CLEANSERS?

DO YOU REALLY NEED FOAM IN CLEANSERS?

“Cleansers that do not foam are not good. They cannot clean just as well as a bubbly skin cleanser or soap.”

If you believe this, you cannot be blamed. Through the years, print ads and TV commercials have been miseducating the public. Products are being sold on the basis of having the most foam. “More foam means more cleaning power,” the ads would claim. Perhaps, but does your skin really need to be squeaky clean? 

Let’s take a look at the science behind skin cleansers. The purpose of a skin cleanser is to clean off the oil, debris, and makeup that accrue during a normal day. To do that, all soaps or cleansers work by a process called “micellation.” Through “micellation,” big substances such as oil or dirt are broken into smaller ones so they can rinse off the skin easily.

Two ingredients make this possible. A fat derived ingredient (fatty acid) attaches to the oils on the skin and dissolves them, while an alkaline substance makes it possible to rinse the tiny particles off the skin. Today, most cleansers use synthetic surfactants which are cheaper and easier to manufacture. The most commonly used surfactants are sulfates, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).

Sulfates efficiently remove oils, dirt, and makeup. However, they cannot distinguish between the good and the bad oils on the skin, resulting in over cleansing. They leave your skin feeling dry. Once the skin senses dryness, the oil glands are activated to produce more oil. This disturbs the natural moisture balance of skin. Oily skin becomes even more oily. Dry skin becomes more sensitive.

The better alternative is to use a mild cleanser. DERMAX gel cleansers use natural soap berry extract and coconut derived coco betaine as cleansing agents. They contain no harsh sulfates, no toxic parabens, and no fragrances that can irritate skin.

Another option is to use an oil-based cleanser such as Pure Bliss Squalane Oil. It dissolves the sebaceous oils without harming the skin’s moisture barrier. You can use cotton pad soaked with squalane oil to remove makeup. There is no need to rinse. This leaves the skin moisturized. The skin is not left dry so the sebaceous glands do not have to go into overdrive to produce more sebum.

How can you tell if your cleanser has harsh surfactants? It foams a lot. The sulfates create the foams in cleansers. You don’t need foam from sulfates. You don’t need anything that’s too powerful yet harsh on your skin.

DERMAX Gel Cleansers are guaranteed sulfate-free and gentle on your skin.
Pure Bliss Organic Squalane Oil moisturizes and enhances suppleness. ECOCERT

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This article appeared in The Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on April 14, 2015. The author is Fred Reyes, a cosmetic chemist and scientist, and the CEO of DERMAX and SkinStation, two leading skin clinic chains in the Philippines. He was awarded the Outstanding Professional in Chemistry in 2011 by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC). He can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph.