SÃO PAULO, Brazil—Brazilian researchers found the association of emblica, licorice and belides is a safe and efficient alternative for the treatment of melasma, a common skin pigment disorder with a difficult clinical response to treatment (An Bras Dermatol. 2010 Oct;85(5):613-20). Researchers sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the association of belides, emblica and licorice 7 percent, compared to hydroquinone 2 percent, in the treatment of melasma.
After 60 days of exclusive use of an 35 SPF sunscreen, 56 women, 18 to 60 years of age, phototypes I to IV, with epidermal or mixed melasma, were divided into two different groups in a mono-blind clinical study: A) cream with belides, emblica and licorice, applied twice a day; B) cream with hydroquinone 2 percent used at night. They were observed in a 60-day study; every 15 days, they were submitted to medical evaluation, self-evaluation and photographic registration—Visia®.
Fifty volunteers (89 percent), 23 in Group A and 27 in Group B, concluded the study. Two volunteers in Group A and seven in Group B had mild skin adverse events. Depigmentation was observed through medical evaluation (Group A: 78.3 percent; Group B: 88.9 percent) and volunteers' self-evaluation (Group A: 91.3 percent; Group B: 92.6 percent); these results were statistically significant (P<0.001), with no differences between groups (P>0.05). This pattern of results was observed by Visia in the number (P=0.001) and size and tone (P<0.001) of the UV stains, for both groups, with no differences between them (P>0.05). There were no statistic differences between groups in the improvement of melasma. Group A showed less skin adverse events.