What is Kojic Acid?
Kojic acid is a byproduct in the process of fermentation of malting rice that is used to manufacture sake, a Japanese rice wine. It is produced by different species of fungi such as Aspergillus, Acetobacter and penincilium. It is an effective inhibitor of plant and animal polyphenol oxidases that speeds up the conversion of tyrosine to form melanin.
Kojic acid is a natural substance obtained from mushrooms, its small percentages between 2 to 4% is used in different skin whitening products. Its products are mostly preferred since they are safe when used in the correct dosages.
This acid is considered to be natural and therefore it is safe for use in skin lightening as compared to other skin whitening products.
Benefits of Using Kojic Acid Cream
Kojic acid cream is a skin lightening product that some dermatological clinics recommend it to people whose skin is sensitive to hydroquinone, the most typical active ingredient found in skin lighteners.
Kojic acid also acts as an exfoliator on the skin, removing dry skin. Many people also use it to treat acne and various forms of hyperpigmentation. While it doesn’t produce results overnight, a steady regimen using kojic acid cream or soap can lighten skin spots over a period of a few months.
Kojic acid works to disrupt the skin’s production of melanin, which is the source of darker skin, including freckles and brown spots.
The body naturally produces a pigment known as melanin through specialized cells known as melanocytes. Our genes produce the same amount of melanin, but how much of it gets processed determines our skin color. In people with fair skin, only small amounts of melanin are processed by melanocytes, while larger amount of the pigment are made by the cells of those with dark complexions.
Moreover, the production of melanin does not occur in fixed amounts. The production is increased in response to environmental or internal conditions such as: sun exposure (causing the skin to tan), inflammations (common among acne sufferers) and pregnancy.
Repeated exposure to the sun can result in a permanent increase in melanin production in spots on the skin, causing small freckles and larger sun or age spots to form. And here is where the Kojic acid comes in handy.
Kojic acid is also an antibacterial agent, meaning that it interferes with the processes that bacteria cells must perform to thrive and reproduce. By disrupting these processes, kojic acid causes the death of bacteria.
Some dermatologists recommend the use of mild concentrations of kojic acid for addressing acne blemishes, which are often caused by bacterial infections in the pores.
Kojic acid and Melasma
When kojic acid is applied to the skin in concentrated amounts, the chemicals in the ingredient work on the melanocytes, interfering with the production of melanin.
In addition to its skin-lightening abilities, kojic acid is classified as an antioxidant. This class of nutrients has the ability to counteract the effects of particles in the air called free radicals, which have the potential to cause oxidative damage to the skin cells.
By limiting the effects of free radicals, kojic acid helps to prevent the formation of signs of aging that occur when the cells that produce the skin’s vital structural proteins become damaged.
Lanelle Kojic cream is a highly-effective skin lightener, that evens skin tone, diminishes freckles, age spots and hyperpigmentation caused by sun damage by 50% in just two weeks. With long term use, dark spots are eliminated.
