An effective hydroquinone alternative for topical skin lightening.

Background: Many skin lightening preparations containing hydroquinone, kojic acid, arbutin, and deoxyarbutin are toxic to melanocytes.

Objective: This research examined a new skin lightening agent from a family of gem difluorocompounds 2-[2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-propen-1-yl]-1,3-propanediol that also function as tyrosinase inhibitors. This ingredient does not exhibit melanocyte toxicity yet is capable of inducing skin lightening. This research compared the gem difluorocompound, TFC-1067, to hydroquinone evaluating both tolerability and efficacy for lightening facial dyschromia.

Method: 48 nonpregnant and non-nursing healthy female subjects age 25-70 years skin types I-IV with mild-to-moderate facial dyschromia were randomized to receive either study product or 2% hydroquinone cream. Subject and investigator tolerability and efficacy assessments were made at baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12. Dermaspectrophotometer readings from normal skin and a pigmented target area were obtained. All subjects underwent facial photography at each visit.

Results: TFC-1067 and 2% hydroquinone produced statistically significant skin lightening after 8 weeks of use, but only hydroquinone lightened the normal skin. This pattern continued into week 12 where both products significantly lightened dyschromic skin, but hydroquinone also lightened the normal skin, which is not always desirable.