2023 Author: Jessica James | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 03:31
Without fear and regret about how quickly time flies, we begin to plan a beauty schedule for the fall - the salons are already working ahead of schedule and are recording several months in advance. Together with the cosmetologist Julia Pärn, we will tell you why procedures with kojic acid in the cold season and who can benefit from them.
What is Kojic Acid?
“The main task of kojic acid is to lighten the skin,” explains Julia. "It inhibits tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in the formation of cells responsible for skin color (melanogenesis)."
Today, kojic acid is obtained from several fungi, including the genus Penicillium and Aspergillus. For the first time they started talking about it in Tokyo in 1907: professor of plant physiology Kendo Saito isolated acid as a by-product of the fermentation of boiled rice with mold. In Japanese, koji is translated as "koji mold" - these are molds that are used, for example, in the production of sake.
Why is this acid useful in cosmetology?
Yulia explains that compared to other more popular ingredients that are also used for skin lightening, kojic acid has one advantage. It removes pigmentation not only due to the whitening effect, but also due to a decrease in melanin production - this is very important to understand.
“Its effectiveness is enhanced when combined with other brightening ingredients: vitamin C, arbutin, glycolic acid, other hydroxy acids, y-aminobutyric acid, licorice extract. Kojic acid is used to lighten the skin in cases of hydroquinone intolerance."
What products contain kojic acid?
Kojic acid is most often found in combined acid peels and in mesotherapy preparations for correcting pigmentation. “If we are talking about home remedies, then these are peels, creams, serums, concentrates, cleansing treatments,” says Julia and recommends Dermaceutic Mela peel whitening peels in this category. “They work on pigmentation of any nature: hyperpigmentation spots (even in patients with a high phototype), post-inflammatory pigmentation, chloasma, melasma. Pluryal mesoline SHINE is a good mesotherapeutic product for skin lightening."
How to use kojic acid products correctly?
The main rule: procedures with kojic acid can be done from late September to mid-late April, when there is no high solar activity. The same goes for using home remedies. Julia recommends applying the treatments twice a day, morning and evening, but the course should last at least two months or until the desired degree of skin lightening is achieved. For home use, the safe concentration of kojic acid is 1-4%.
If you are doing acid treatments or treatments, be sure to apply SPF50 products every day, even in winter.
What are the precautions?
There are general contraindications that relate to the use of any active external agents: skin diseases in the acute stage, pregnancy and lactation, damaged skin, individual intolerance to the substance.
Kojic acid only has a whitening property, so it may be helpful for people with acne to remove post-inflammatory pigmentation. As for other skin diseases, before starting the course, it is imperative to consult with a specialist and take into account that such funds often cause contact dermatitis, as well as individual intolerance.
