Natural Cosmeceutical Ingredients for the Management of Hyperpigmentation in Hispanic and Latino Women.

BACKGROUND: Disorders of hyperpigmentation, such as melasma, postinflammatory pigmentary alteration, and lentigines, pose significant cosmetic concerns for women of Hispanic or Latino race and ethnicity. Natural ingredients are gaining popularity as alternative, safe, and effective topical depigmenting agents. OBJECTIVE: We sought to review clinical studies evaluating the use of natural ingredients in the topical management of hyperpigmentation in Hispanic and Latino women. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of scientific and medical electronic databases to identity randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized reports on topical natural agents for the treatment of disorders of hyperpigmentation, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. RESULTS: Our review of the literature revealed relatively few (N=7) clinical studies (including six RCTs) that evaluated the topical management of hyperpigmentation using natural ingredients with specific reference to women of Hispanic or Latino race and ethnicity. Despite limited research data, a small number (N=7) of natural ingredients demonstrated efficacy and safety as depigmenting agents in this cohort, including niacinamide, soy, azelaic acid, ascorbic acid, licorice, emblica, and belides. CONCLUSION: Several natural ingredients have scientific data supporting their potential efficacy as topical treatments for disorders of hyperpigmentation in women of Hispanic or Latino race and ethnicity. However, the paucity of robust cosmetic trials in this setting reflects the generalized low representation of Hispanic and Latino individuals in clinical studies of other skin conditions. Many in-vivo cutaneous trials of natural ingredients are limited by their study design, including with respect to subject selection and short duration. Further research is needed to determine long-term efficacy, safety, optimal concentration, and formulation of natural ingredients for the topical management of hyperpigmentation in Hispanic and Latino women.

Clinical Studies of the Safety and Efficacy of Macroalgae Extracts in Cosmeceuticals.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of in-vitro and in-vivo laboratory research on the skin bioactive properties of macroalgae. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the scientific literature for evidence supporting the clinical safety and efficacy of macroalgae-derived ingredients in cosmeceuticals. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of scientific and medical electronic databases for published, peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized reports on the clinical bioactivity of topical macroalgae extracts in skin. RESULTS: Several human studies report scientific data supporting the safety and efficacy of macroalgae-based skincare products, focusing on skin-moisturizing, anti-melanogenic, and anti-cellulite (slimming) benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Further clinical research is necessary to determine the long-term safety, efficacy, optimal concentration and formulation of macroalgae extracts in cosmeceuticals with respect to previously reported and yet uninvestigated skin-directed potential functionally and bioactivity.

Hispanic/Latinos and Skincare: Disparities in Product Development, Marketing, and Toxicity.

“Hispanic” and “Latino” (also known as Mestizo) describe a diverse racial and ethnic group, with a range of cultures, languages, and biological ancestry. It includes individuals of Mexican, Central-to-South American, and Spanish-Caribbean (eg, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican) descent.1 Individuals of Hispanic/Latino race and ethnicity represent a heterogenous group of people with different skin tones and Fitzpatrick phototypes. Hispanic/Latinos are the fastest growing population in the United States (US) - projected to increase from 55 million in 2014 to 119 million in 2060, an increase of 115%.2 By 2060, more than one-quarter (29%) of the US is projected to be Hispanic/Latino.2.