Kojic Acid Mechanism
Kojic acid is commonly used as a skin whitening agent, due to its ability to
prevent the formation of melanin, which is the primary skin pigment.
This is thought to be a result of kojic acid's ability to bind copper.
Copper is needed for an enzyme, known as tyrosinase, to work. Tyrosinase
is a protein that breaks down tyrosine, an amino acid. The products of
this breakdown stimulate melanocytes, small cells that that produce
melanin, which causes pigmentation of the skin. As a result, application
of kojic acid can effectively treat hyperpigmentation; its effects have
been documented in a 1999 study performed by Dr. Kim in Singapore, and
published in the Journal of Dermatological Surgery.
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