Many, many people are more interested in the ability of glutathione to whiten skin than all the health benefits that have been so accurately attributed to it. In the interests of skin whitening, there are a number of products that are marketed by companies of all sizes and for the purpose of whitening skin, they include creams, pills and soaps.
But can glutathione really whiten skin? The answer is that yes, sometimes it can.
Glutathione is used as melanin inhibitor by the cosmetics industry and sold in the Philippines and Japan as a whitening soap. Melanin is what gives our hair, the irises in our eyes and our skin its natural color. People who have darker skin color have higher levels of melanin and should also have a higher tolerance to the rays of the sun. Inhibiting the production of melanin and reducing it’s darkening presence is how glutathione is used to whiten skin. It will, logically also leave your skin more vulnerable to damage from the sun and that is a major consideration for people who are looking to either lighten their skin overall or are hoping that glutathione can help to even out patchy, discolored skin.
For people suffering from an overproduction of melanin and over exposure to sunlight, reduced melanin production could be a desirable outcome. The results will depend on the person and require several months. Factors that can further affect individual results include smoking, alcohol and caffeine intake and of course, exposure to the sun.
Glutathione however, does more than inhibit melanin production and as a scavenger of free radicals it can also improve the appearance of the skin by helping to clear out toxins that contribute to a poor, unhealthy looking complexion. Do you wonder what free radical damage looks like on your skin? One thing to look for is the leathery, dried up wrinkles on someone who has spent too much time trying to tan and damaged their skin in the effort.
Glutathione injections (combined with vitamin C) are recommended by some supplies for skin whitening, but this can be an exceptionally expensive road to take, with at least two injections recommended each week – administered by someone who is medically qualified to do so- and a minimum treatment period of three months. then you’ll need additional intravenous glutathione administered twice monthly, once you have achieved the desired skin tone.
Whether you’re taking it for your general health or your skin, you need to know that glutathione taken orally is almost totally ineffective. Much of it is destroyed by the acids in your stomach and the glutathione molecule cannot easily pass through the digestive tract, so it never makes it into your bloodstream to reach the cells. Oral supplementation with glutathione is pretty much in one end and out the other – regardless of why you have taken it.
Dr Keller’s Original Glutathione Formula is not a glutathione supplement. It is more accurately called a glutathione precursor, providing your body with the nutrients it requires to accelerate your own production of this very important antioxidant.
If you are investigating ways to lighten your skin, please research carefully. Over the years, many whitening and bleaching products have been shown to be either ineffective or dangerous. Some products carry cautions with regard to cancer risks and others have been reported to cause thinning of the skin and damage to the collagen.
Increasing your glutathione – on the other hand- will have positive benefits to your health by building up levels of your body’s master antioxidant where it will be available to every cell in your body to decrease the cell damage caused by free radicals – seen by many scientists as the root cause of premature aging.