Publication:

Glutathione for skin lightening for dermatologists and cosmetologists

Glutathione is a potential antioxidant and its reduced form (GSH) has a good skin-whitening effect in humans through its tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Many physicians consider it as a Wonder drug for skin lightening and treatment of hyperpigmentation, especially with darker skin tones. Glutathione is available in topical, oral and injectable formulations. Topical and oral forms are considered to be safe. Intravenous form did not prove its safety and efficacy to till date. In this article, we shall review and discuss the current status of glutathione as a skin lightening agent and address the miscellaneous unanswered queries regarding the dosage, duration of use and longevity of accrued effects based on clinical evidence and recent insights into its antimelanogenic mechanism.