Lightening

What is pigmentation ?>

Irrespective of any exposure to the sun, the skin has a natural color : this is known as the pigmentation of the skin.
This color is associated with some of the cells in the skin : the melanocytes. These have the particular feature of producing pigments known as “melanins”. These melanins present in the skin provide natural protection against the ultraviolet (UV) rays emitted by the sun.

There are 2 sorts of melanins :

1. The eumelanins
known as the “true” melanins, which are black or brown in color and present in dark-skinned subjects (they protect against UV);

2. The phaeomelanins
also known as “red” melanins.  These are the melanins present in fair-skinned or redheaded subjects (they do not protect against UV).

The proportion of these two types of melanins determines the natural color of the skin, and the tanning produced by sun exposure.