Vitamin E regenerates alongside vitamin C and roughly doubles its UV protection in the classic C+E+ferulic combo — but the popular claim that it fades surgical scars has real evidence against it.
Mulberry (Morus alba) extract inhibits tyrosinase and showed real melasma improvement in a small placebo-controlled trial — the evidence, concentration, and a common potency claim worth correcting.
Lactic acid is the gentlest common AHA and doubles as part of skin’s own natural moisturizer — the right concentration, who it suits, and an honest look at its pigmentation evidence.
Ferulic acid stabilizes vitamin C and roughly doubles its UV protection — effective at 0.5–1%, but best understood as a synergist rather than a standalone brightening treatment.
Hydroquinone remains the benchmark ingredient for stubborn pigmentation and melasma, but it’s prescription-only in India since 2019 and carries real risks at high concentrations or long-term use.
Phytic acid chelates copper and mildly exfoliates for a gentler brighten-and-support role — but most pigmentation evidence comes from combination formulas with tranexamic acid or glycolic acid, not phytic acid alone.
Thiamidol is Beiersdorf’s patented tyrosinase inhibitor, tested head-to-head against hydroquinone for melasma — genuinely promising results, though still mostly company-funded and exclusive to Eucerin and Nivea.
Melasma is stubborn but manageable — the topical actives that genuinely help, what oral tranexamic acid actually involves, and why treatment needs to continue even after it fades.
Glutathione’s oral and topical evidence for skin brightening is real but modest and reversible — IV glutathione drips are unapproved anywhere for this use, and India’s CDSCO has started cracking down on them.
Two simple at-home tests can tell you whether your skin is oily, dry, combination, normal, or sensitive — and why it’s worth retesting every so often rather than assuming it never changes.