{"id":4564,"date":"2017-10-13T17:45:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T17:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waters.com\/blog\/skin-lightening-agents-is-it-a-cosmetic-or-a-drug\/"},"modified":"2022-10-03T18:56:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T18:56:37","slug":"skin-lightening-agents-is-it-a-cosmetic-or-a-drug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waters.com\/blog\/skin-lightening-agents-is-it-a-cosmetic-or-a-drug\/","title":{"rendered":"Skin Lightening Products: Are They Cosmetics or Drugs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Identification of skin lightening agents in cosmetics<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Skin lightening products \u00a0\u0336 \u00a0also known as bleaching creams, whiteners, skin brighteners, or fading creams \u00a0\u0336 \u00a0work by reducing a pigment called melanin in the\u00a0skin. Most people who use lighteners do so to treat\u00a0skin problems\u00a0such as freckles, age spots,\u00a0acne\u00a0scars, or discoloration related to hormones. It is also a technique used to lighten naturally dark skin.<\/p>\n

Multi-national cosmetics brands have found a lucrative market: Global spending on skin lightening is projected to triple to US $31.2 billion by 2024, according to a report released in June 2017 by the research firm Global Industry Analysts<\/a>. In Nigeria, 77% of the country\u2019s women use skin-lightening agents, compared with 59% in Togo and 27% in Senegal. But the largest and fastest-growing markets are in the Asia-Pacific region, according to mosaicscience.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Skin lightening and whitening agents in cosmetics are often used to produce a more even skin tone, usually to the face and neck, but sometimes they can be used more extensively over larger areas of skin. These products may be marketed to consumers as either a cosmetic to improve appearance, or as a therapy to treat skin conditions (i.e., a drug).<\/p>\n

The distinction between a cosmetic and a drug is important from regulatory and safety perspectives because, among other things, a product marketed as a cosmetic should not contain active\u00a0pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Otherwise, they should be classified as a drug according to European Commission\u2019s No. 1223\/2009<\/a> and the U.S. FDA\u2019s regulations on Cosmetics<\/a>. Some creams sold over-the-counter or online may contain potentially harmful active ingredients<\/a> that can lead to health concerns if not prescribed under a physician\u2019s care.<\/p>\n

Cosmetics and personal care (CPC) companies, as well as regulators, regularly use chromatography to test skin care product ingredients<\/a>, from raw material testing, formulation, and quality control to safety and regulatory testing, identification of counterfeit products, and verification of label claims.<\/p>\n

How we found more than just the ingredients listed on the label<\/h3>\n

In a recent application note<\/a>, our science team investigated several skin lightening products \u2013 marketed by online retailers as cosmetics \u2013 that contained prohibited active pharmaceutical ingredients such as hydroquinone, corticosteroids, and tretinoin.<\/p>\n