Battling dark spots, dull skin and pigmentation has been a concern for many. It may be due to various reasons like sunburns, skin defects, non-healthy sleeping and diet habits, etc., but the pigmentation spots and dull skin leave a bad impression of your personality.
Curing these stubborn pigments and dull skin tone is a long term process. If this long term process turns out to be tedious (like in the case of Ayurvedic medicines and other cosmetics), then surely there would be more quitters. What can change the routine for Medical skin lightening is Kojic Acid. Let’s see what we are talking about.
What is Kojic Acid?
Kojic acid is a chemical bonding agent formed by several species of Fungi especially, Aspergillus whose common name in Japanese is Koji. It can also be produced artificially by fermenting rice.
The acid thus obtained treats many cosmetic conditions due to its inhibition of Melanin. How? Kojic Acid prevents the formation of Tyrosine. Tyrosine, in turn, is an amino acid that helps the formation of Melanin. Melanin is a pigment that affects the color of hairs, skin, and eyes. The application of Kojic Acid prevents the formation of Melanin and thus lightens the skin color.
Potential Benefits Of Kojik Acid
Anti-aging Effect
Products with kojic acid are known to lighten the skin, which can improve the appearance of age spots & sun damage. The reduction of darks spots creates an anti-aging effect on the skin
Decrease the marks of Scars
Just like Retinol A tretinoin cream, it works in discoloration of scars. It may also decrease the dark pigmentation associated with certain types of scars.
Antifungal Properties
Treat fungal infections and helpful in preventing athlete’s foot and yeast infections
Anti-Bacterial Properties
It also provides anti-bacterial benefits. It may help decrease the chances of developing different types of bacterial skin infections
Treats Melasma
Here we are talking about a not-so severe case of Melasma. If the condition is worse, an effective ointment like Eukroma Lite Cream has to be used.
Things To Keep In Mind Before Using Kojik Acid
Although this product may be considered safe for most of the people, there are certain risks and side-effects of it that you should know of-
Skin Burn
It may likely to develop sunburn in people using kojic acid. Melanin helps to protect the skin from sun damage due to UV rays. Since Kojic acid prevents melanin from production, this leaves the skin more vulnerable to sunburn.
Contact Dermatitis
It can lead to contact dermatitis in some people, especially those with sensitive skin. It can also cause rashes, itching and dry patches of skin. Products with a higher concentration of Kojic acid leads to more irritation.
Precautions
- It is not at all recommended to use on the skin that is already red or irritated.
- When choosing the products, be sure to follow their prescribed directions strictly. It’s important to make sure the product has a concentration of Kojic Acid as recommended by your dermatologist.
- Never Ever Use Kojic acid cream on broken skin
- The desired results may vary from person to person according to skin types. Some may get the results in a few weeks while others may take a few months. Try to use this cream only for a brief period until you get the desired results
Kojic Acid Products You May Try
Kojic acid, as a skin lightening agent, is used in many forms including serums, creams, powders, gel, lotion, cleansers, and soaps. Some of the effective skin lightening products are mentioned below.
Kojic Acid Soap
As Kojic Acid teds to oxidize quickly, the Kojic Acid soap is made in small batches to retain the efficacy. It should be used as instructed by the manufacturer.
Kojic Acid Cream
Kojic Acid Cream is the most common form used as a skin lightening product. It blends quickly into the skin than other forms and gives better results.
Kojic Acid Serum
It is usually a night serum that is applied every day for better results. It has 1% Kojic Acid by weight (which is the highest among other products) and thus have the maximum impact on skin.
Kojic Acid Powder
It can be used with any regular cream or lotion to get the skin lightening effect.
Kojic Acid Body Lotion
The best among the Kojic Acid body lotions is Koie San body lightening lotion. With the lightening benefits of Kojic Acid, it has vitamin A and Vitamin C that keeps the skin nourished and moisturized.
