Talking about Whitening Cosmetics and Whitening Agents

As the saying goes, "One white hides one hundred ugliness." Among Chinese female consumers, the pursuit of fair skin is also one of their important demands for using cosmetics. Therefore, whitening cosmetics are very popular among consumers in China and Asia, and cosmetic companies are also very popular. Optimistic about this market, they have launched their own whitening products.

1. What are whitening cosmetics?

Whitening cosmetics generally refer to cosmetics that help reduce or slow down skin pigmentation and achieve skin whitening and whitening effects. Due to the relatively high degree of risk of such products, the "Regulations on Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics" clarify that they belong to the category of special cosmetics and implement registration management.

At present, my country's determination of whitening cosmetics is mainly based on the product label claims and product intrinsic attributes. In addition, relevant departments are preparing to draft a list of cosmetic whitening agents, which is expected to have a further impact on the definition of whitening cosmetics in my country after the list is released.

Consumers need to be reminded that in my country, products that achieve skin whitening and whitening effects through physical covering are also included in the management of freckle and whitening cosmetics, but the number of such products is relatively small, and the product category on the license approval is printed with "freckle "Whitening category (only with physical covering effect)", the label of this type of product also needs to be clearly marked "only with physical covering effect" to distinguish. This type of product only serves as a temporary covering and whitening effect, and does not really whiten the original skin color. Therefore, you should pay special attention to the difference between these two types of products when choosing anti-freckle and whitening cosmetics.

2. What are the commonly used whitening agents?

From the perspective of composition, cosmetics are generally products obtained by physical mixing of various raw materials, and the efficacy of cosmetics can be seen as a concentrated expression of the functions of the raw materials used. In other words, the whitening effect of whitening cosmetics depends on the variety and amount of whitening agents added to the product.

In addition to products that achieve whitening and whitening effects by physical covering, the current mechanism of whitening cosmetics mainly includes: inhibiting the production of melanin, blocking the transport of melanin, reducing melanin, and promoting the shedding of melanin in the epidermis. According to the specific formula used Different whitening agents, the whitening effect of the product is usually reflected by one or more of the mechanisms and combinations of raw materials.

Commonly used whitening agents in cosmetics in my country, Japan and Korea include: arbutin, nicotinamide, glycyrrhizin, phenethyl resorcinol, ascorbic acid (ie vitamin C), ascorbyl glucoside, 3-o-ethyl Ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, tranexamic acid, potassium methoxysalicylate, bisabolol, etc. The whitening plant ingredients mainly include oil-soluble licorice extract, mulberry leaf extract, matricaria flower extract, etc.

Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, talc and other raw materials are commonly used physical whitening ingredients.

3. Are there any safety risks to whitening products?

Everything has two sides. While companies are pursuing the whitening effect of whitening cosmetics, they cannot ignore the possible safety risks.

The production of melanin is actually the manifestation of the normal physiological functions of the human body. It is an important amino acid in melanocytes, tyrosine, which is produced through a series of complex biochemical and metabolic transformations, and is affected by many factors. For example, ultraviolet radiation will make melanocytes synthesize and produce more melanin, darken the skin and protect skin cells from ultraviolet rays. Therefore, whitening cosmetics should properly inhibit melanin synthesis. If the effect is too strong, it may seriously interfere with melanin production and adversely affect the normal physiological functions of the human body. In addition, since tyrosine and tyrosinase are also involved in the metabolism of catecholamine hormones in the body, the excessive effect of whitening agents may also have an adverse effect on the metabolism of catecholamine hormones.

The event that rhododendrol-added whitening products cause "white spots" on the user's skin is a typical case of consumers' skin injuries caused by such products. Therefore, this also requires our production companies to strictly implement the main responsibility and carry out a comprehensive safety assessment when developing whitening cosmetics to ensure the safety of such products.

Internationally, there has been continuous attention to the safety risks that may be caused by the use of whitening agents, and there is a constant new understanding of the safety of related raw materials. In November 2021, the European Union Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety, SCCS, issued a preliminary assessment draft SCCS/1637/21 on the whitening ingredient kojic acid in cosmetics. It concluded that kojic acid has potential endocrine disrupting properties and the maximum concentration allowed for use in EU cosmetics. 1% will no longer be considered safe, and kojic acid is included in the SCCS priority reassessment list. Information on the safety assessment of whitening agents at home and abroad deserves attention from our relevant companies.

4. What are the new changes in the supervision of whitening cosmetics in my country?

 In my country, the classification and strict supervision of whitening cosmetics under the category of special cosmetics are based on the higher safety risks of this category of products. Stricter management of whitening products is also an international practice.

Japan divides cosmetics into general cosmetics and quasi-drugs. Whitening products are defined as quasi-pharmaceutical products in Japan and must be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare before they can be sold.

 According to Korea's "Cosmetics Act", cosmetics are divided into general cosmetics and functional cosmetics. Whitening cosmetics are functional cosmetics and need to be reviewed and approved by the Korea Food and Drug Safety Agency before being marketed.

Nowadays, cosmetics are already indispensable products in people's daily life. One of the main ways for consumers to understand the efficacy of cosmetics is to read label claims. The content on the label, especially the efficacy claims, will have a direct impact on consumers' behavior in purchasing cosmetics.

And the efficacy of a cosmetic is mainly determined by factors such as the type, amount, specifications, and product use methods added to the formula.

According to the Regulations for Evaluation of Cosmetic Efficacy Claims, starting from January 1, 2022, the newly applied for registration of freckle and whitening cosmetics should be evaluated by the cosmetics registration and filing inspection agency in accordance with the mandatory national standards and technical specifications. Test and issue a report, and the cosmetic registrant uploads a summary of the basis of the product efficacy claim on a special website designated by the State Drug Administration.

At the same time, the "Administrative Measures on Cosmetics Labeling" that came into effect on May 1, 2022 stipulates that all ingredients in cosmetics labels are required to be marked. All ingredients in cosmetic formulations that do not exceed 0.1% (w/w) should be used as "other trace ingredients". The introduction of the guide will be marked separately. To

The above two regulations also show that the national regulatory authorities attach great importance to the management of cosmetic efficacy claims and pay attention to consumers' right to know. After their implementation, they will certainly crack down on the false and exaggerated claims of unhealthy companies' whitening efficacy and the conceptual addition of functional ingredients to a certain extent. And other illegal practices that mislead consumers. Guide enterprises and the entire industry to pay more attention to research and development and to improve the quality of their products, thereby promoting the high-quality and healthy development of the entire industry.

 5. How should consumers choose whitening cosmetics?

First of all, whitening cosmetics should be purchased through formal channels. The product label of the purchased product must have the product approval number of the State Food and Drug Administration, that is, the domestic freckle whitening product approved in 2021 is "National Cosmetics Special Character G2021XXXX". The imported product is "National Makeup Special Jin Zi J2021XXXX". It is also possible to check the consistency of the product registration information with the information marked on the actual label through the official website of the State Drug Administration or the APP of the State Administration of "Cosmetics Supervision". When purchasing, pay attention to distinguishing products that only have physical coverage in the freckle and whitening category.

Avoid buying products with obvious violation claims on the label, such as "Quick Whitening", "Seven Days Whitening", "Medical Whitening", etc., because some counterfeit and inferior products stimulate consumers' desire to buy through these false claims. It is often suspected of illegal additions, such as illegal addition of hormones and prohibited substances such as lead and mercury. Repeated use of hormone products can make the skin extremely sensitive, turning into a "hormonal face", causing dependent dermatitis, and severely affecting the nervous system, etc. Cause harm.

Choose products suitable for their skin type according to the seasonal characteristics, and use them after trying them on local skin for consumers with sensitive skin. Please read the product manual carefully before use, especially some warning words. If symptoms such as skin redness, swelling, itching, etc. occur after use, stop using it immediately, and seek medical advice in severe cases.

 When using whitening cosmetics, it is necessary to minimize the effects of sun exposure on the skin, especially the long-wave ultraviolet UVA that makes the skin tan, otherwise it will affect the whitening effect of the product. It is recommended to use sunscreen cosmetics when going out in spring and summer.

6. How do you treat the "377" in ordinary products?

Not long ago, the State Food and Drug Administration found that some companies had added phenethyl resorcinol (trade name SymWhite? 377, commonly known as 377), a raw material with only whitening effects, to ordinary products during a random inspection of the quality of domestic common products. The raw material is a new cosmetic raw material approved by the former State Food and Drug Administration in 2012. The only approved use purpose is to "whiten the skin and inhibit the formation of melanin by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase."

From the perspective of raw material use, the use of the raw material in ordinary cosmetics other than the whitening effect exceeds the approved use of the raw material, and it can be used after completing the registration or filing in accordance with the new raw material registration and filing regulations. From the perspective of product formulation, the only raw material whose purpose is whitening agent is added to the general product formulation, and the raw material has no other functions, which means that the product added with this raw material should have whitening function, or the company’s practice implies that The product has a whitening function, and the product should be managed in accordance with the freckle and whitening cosmetics, and the product can be marketed after registration.

The above-mentioned registered ordinary products added with phenethyl resorcinol are suspected of violating the relevant provisions of the "Regulations on Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics", and the provincial drug regulatory bureaus have begun to deal with them in accordance with the law.

Whitening agents are a relatively high-risk type of raw materials. It is recommended that companies should fully understand their sources, properties, scope of application, use conditions, regulatory requirements, etc. when using such raw materials, and use them after completing a comprehensive safety assessment to ensure It is safe to use.

Many raw materials in cosmetics have multiple functions at the same time. For example, ascorbic acid and its derivatives have anti-oxidant effects in addition to whitening effects; bisabolol has a certain whitening effect and also has a certain soothing effect. Many formulators recognize this raw material The first is based on its soothing properties. Before the whitening list is published, cosmetics companies should rationally select the purpose of use according to the source of the raw materials and their own characteristics and apply them to their products, so as to avoid repeating the mistakes of "377" by ignoring the properties of some specific raw materials and the attributes of the products used.

 (Thanks to Professor Xu Liang from the Beijing Institute of Daily Use Chemistry and Professor Guan Yongbiao from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences for their support of the National Medical Products Administration in the popularization of cosmetic safety science!)