Thiospot
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Medical Concern Increases over Cancer Inducing Skin Lightening Ingredients in Widespread use in De-pigmenting Skincare
Thiospot® Offers Consumers a Safe, Effective Alternative for a Clear, Even Complexion
Skin pigmentation appears in localised areas on the skin as dark brown marks, where melanin, the skin’s natural UV defence mechanism to the harmful effects of intense sun light, has gone into production overdrive… This excess accumulation of pigmented melanin cells is derived from hereditary factors e.g. freckles and moles or for the unfortunate millions of sufferers of hyper pigmentation, as well as a result of hormonal factors, such as pregnancy (melasma – post pregnancy mask around the jaw line) drugs and oral contraceptives, liver disease (liver spots), sun damage, age spots and acne scarring.
A serious health risk masked behind an undesirable skin disorder…
Deep in the dermis of the skin, melanocyte cells produce melanin to protect the skin against the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation. The process of melanin production (melanogenesis) occurs in the melanocyte cell via the amino acid tyrosine, which when triggered by the enzyme tyrosinase, undergoes several rapid phases of oxidation and molecular transformation. Once produced, melanin is transported from the melanocyte to the surrounding skin cells. Under normal circumstances when sun-tanning, these cells, darkened by the melanin pigment, gradually migrate to the skin surface, where they eventually form the upper layer of the skin, appearing as melanin on the epidermis (a suntan), which is later lost through the everyday shedding of surface skin cells.
Irregular or hyper-pigmentation occurs when the melanocyte cells continue to overproduce melanin, resulting in unsightly, perpetually darkened skin patches and areas of differential pigmentation on the face or body.
There is increasing medical concern for the millions of misinformed sufferers who are at risk when trying to eliminate and lighten these undesirable skin discolorations with popular facial creams.
One step forward, two steps back…
For decades, the powerful skin-bleaching ingredient, Hydroquinone, was traditionally used as the key ingredient, which applied via a cosmetic cream lightens dark skin discolouration by aggressively destroying the melanocyte cells. Aside from its carcinogenic properties, Hydroquinone consequently leaves the skin sensitive and exposed to future sun damage through depletion of its natural defence response. After years of extensive lobbying, the use of Hydroquinone in cosmetics was banned in Europe in January 2001, due to its proven capacity to cause blood cancers, such as leukaemia, and DNA and kidney damage in animal studies.
Alarmingly, Hydroquinone cream is still available on prescription despite the medical industry’s increasingly strong objections to its use and the emerging evidence of its carcinogenic toxicity when applied to the skin at lower levels than the 2% found in the prescribed creams… However, even more disturbingly, the majority of leading skin care brands still legally includes high percentages of Arbutin, the glycopyranoside of Hydroquinone, in their skin lightening product ranges. Arbutin, a derivative of the ‘Bearberry’ plant, is a rich, natural source of Hydroquinone. Hence, whilst the skincare product can claim to be ‘natural’, in reality when the molecule enters the skin, it simply breaks down and releases Hydroquinone into the bloodstream with the same potentially toxic, cancer inducing results.*
When applied to the skin every 24 hours for 4-6 weeks, as indicated for effective use, Hydroquinone is absorbed into the blood stream and has been shown to be excreted via the kidneys, at a much slower rate (every 72 hours). It is this accumulation in the body, as the molecule is broken down in the bone marrow to p-benzoquinone, which provokes the potential long-term DNA cell damage and poses the carcinogenic threat.
The issue of Bearberry and Arbutin as a substitute source of Hydroquinone has been raised with the EEC healthcare commission, but they have yet to respond; despite Hydroquinone being classified as a known carcinogen...
*This medical information was evaluated in a recent review by Dr W Westerhof and T J Kooyers of the Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders and the Department of Dermatology at the University of ? on the health risks of Hydroquinone and its analogues. They are pleading with the EEC authorities to ban all sources of Hydroquinone immediately.
Thiospot® -A safe, effective alternative for a clear, even complexion
Sufferers of skin pigmentation and facial melasma can be reassured to know that a safe, effective alternative formulation is already available in a skincare treatment. Thiospot® includes the active ingredient Thioctic acid, which has demonstrated equal de-pigmenting efficacy to Hydroquinone in medical trials,** without destroying the melanocyte cells or incurring the potential health risks.
Thioctic acid is a naturally occurring chemical component of the human skin cell, which functions by inhibiting the enzyme tyrosinase, thereby slowing down the conversion of tyrosine, the amino acid, in the first (enzymatic) phase of melanin synthesis. Thiospot® combines this highly effective ingredient with essential fatty acids, Linoleic and Linolenic acid, which diminish the enzyme activity, further impeding the production of melanin.
Thiospot® targets the second (oxidizing) phase of melanin production with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant - in the form of Ascorbyl tetra-isopalmitate, delivered into the skin using patented Synchrosome technology, which is vital to ensure optimum penetration of the epidermis. Vitamin C absorbs the excess oxygen in the skin cells, thereby minimising the oxidation process.
As the melanin production in the basal skin cells slows down, over a period of 4-6 weeks clear ‘pigment-free’ skin cells migrate to the upper layers of the skin, replacing the older darker cells and as a result the skin complexion becomes lighter and more even. Exfoliation of the old, darkened, surface skin cells is additionally promoted by the inclusion of lactic acid to rapidly increase skin shedding and generate a clear, even toned, healthy complexion.
Thiospot® advanced patented formulations are available in a cream and in a roller-ball pen.
Thiospot® INTENSIVE CREAM 30ML RRP £29.95
Thiospot® SKIN ROLLER 5ML RRP £19.95
**In view of the reported findings, General Topics Thiospot® cream with Synchrosomes may be regarded as a valuable alternative to Hydroquinone-containing cosmetic formulations for the treatment of unsightly cutaneous lesions resulting from focal skin hyper pigmentations.
Source University of Catania, Italy, March 6, 2000 Pr. Francesco Bonina
“It is vital for people’s health that they stop using products containing Hydroquinone. It is banned in the UK and Europe, but a significant amount of Hydroquinone creams are still imported from countries where it is yet to be banned and a strong black market trade exists. More worrying still are creams containing Arbutin and Bearberry, which are natural sources of Hydroquinone, which are legal but produce Hydroquinone in the body when applied to the skin. Thiospot® is a safe alternative to Hydroquinone and is equally as effective at eliminating skin pigmentation problems.” Peter Roberts, Managing Director of SkinMed, the UK distributor of Thiospot®.
Thiospot® is available from leading pharmacies, dermatologist and skincare clinics nationwide and via mail order from www.skinmed.co.uk
Case Studies are available on request. Quotes and interviews with Dr Gianfranco de Paoli are available by appointment.
For further information on Thiospot®, please visit www.skinmed.co.uk
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