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Glutathione whitening effect

Updated: Nov 20

Relationship between glutathione and beauty

Glutathione is used for anti-aging and skin whitening purposes due to its antioxidant and anti-melanin properties.



woman doing face massage

What is glutathione

Glutathione is a peptide in which three amino acids (glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine) are linked. It is also synthesized in the body by the liver and is found in food.

There are oxidized form and reduced form, but glutathione in cells is almost reduced form, so "glutathione" usually refers to reduced form.

Antioxidant action of glutathione

Glutathione has a thiol group, and uses that thiol group to neutralize and eliminate active oxygen in the living body.

Glutathione detoxification

Glutathione binds to various drugs and toxins and is excreted in bile and urine.

Anti-melanin action of glutathione

Melanin pigment cells produce melanin from tyrosine via dopa and dopaquinone by the action of an enzyme called tyrosine kinase.

Glutathione prevents the formation of melanin by inhibiting the action of the enzyme tyrosine kinase.




Synthesis of pheomelanin

There are two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin.Eumelanin is dark brown.Pheomelanin is yellow to red.

Human skin and hair color are determined by the high proportion of eumelanin and pheomelanin.Whites are dominant in pheomelanin and blacks are dominant in eumelanin.

Glutathione is actively involved in pheomelanin synthesis by converting dark brown eumelanin into yellow to red pheomelanin in melanocytes.

Glutathione whitening effect

Glutathione suppresses the formation of melanin and promotes the synthesis of bright pheomelanin, so many people consider it effective for skin whitening.

Taking glutathione

There are several papers on the whitening effect of oral glutathione.






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