The ESK blog

The Safe And Effective Answer To Pigmentation: 4-n-Butylresorcinol

20 July 2021

Dr Ginni Mansberg

Hyperpigmentation has a number of different causes, is triggered deeper in the Dermis and can be difficult and require a long term approach to treatment to treat.

There are 4 pathways through which topical depigmentation can be achieved:

Anti-oxidants: Eg. Vitamin C, which neutralise the signal created by UV exposure, to create melanin

Reverse C Serum

A powerful anti-oxidant serum that hydrates, repairs the visible signs of ageing and protects the skin against further damage.

Repair sun-damage
Repair & prevent the appearance of ageing
Smooth any skin roughness

C Serum Lite

Vitamin C in its most potent form to repair the visible signs of ageing, and to protect the skin against further sun damage.

Brighten the skin's appearance
Reduce fine lines, wrinkles & pigmentation
Smooth skin roughness

Reduction of Melanin transfer: Eg. Vitamin B3 reduces the transfer of melanin (carried in melanosomes) to keratinocytes where it is deposited (as pigment)

B Calm

Calm sensitive, oily or acne prone skin with this light-weight vitamin B3 and Salicylic Acid moisturising cream that glides on like silk.

Improve skin's barrier function
Manage the skin's oil production
Improve acne and rosacea symptoms.

New formula: We added 2% Salicylic Acid making it more light-weight, hydrating and more effective in managing acne and red and sensitive skin.

B Quenched

Retain your skin's natural glow with a rich hydrating cream made of Vitamin B3 and Hemp Seed Oil for skin that is sensitive, or dry.

Improve skin's barrier function
Anti-inflammatory
Manage rosacea flare-ups

Increased skin cell turnover: Eg. Glycolic acid and Vitamin A – flushes melanin in the skin

Ultimate A

Vitamins A and B. Effortlessly improves skin texture and tone for skin that is soft smooth and supple.

Rebuild collagen
Increase skin elasticity
Reduce hyperpigmentation

A Vitamin A (Retinal – 0.1%), B3 (Niacinamide – 4%) and AHA (Glycolic Acid – 2%) based night cream. Vitamin A is the ingredient with the strongest anti-ageing evidence and Retinal is the most effective and least irritating form of Vitamin A.

Tyrosinase inhibition: Eg. Hydroquinone (and 4-n-butylresorcinol) targets Tyrosinase, the precursor which is involved in creation of melanin.

Enlighten

A gentle yet effective tyrosinase inhibitor to fade pigmentation and age spots.

Lighten & brighten skin appearance
Even out skin tone
Increase skin elasticity

While best results are available by targeting multiple pathways at the same time, Tyrosinase inhibition is the most effective pathway to tackle pigmentation. But it is also the slowest, with treatments often only starting to show results after 1 ½ to 2 months. That said, some depigmentation ingredients (like Vitamin A) can take 2 years to start showing results.

Of the Tyrosinase inhibition group, Hydroquinone is the “gold standard” ingredient , but it has for some time had a cloud over its safety profile and potential to irritate. The evidence for other ingredients in this group which includes Arbutin, Azelaic Acid, and Kojic Acid is not as strong as Hydroquinone, and these ingredients can be irritating and in the case of the Kojic Acid, also have some concerns around their safety. As a result there has been a significant amount of work done on alternate Tyrosinase inhibition ingredients in the search for one that is safe, well tolerated and effective.

A relative new-comer to this group is 4-n-Butylresorcinol – pronounced “4 N beautal resorcinol” – (a.k.a 4nB, 4 Butylresorcinol or Rucinol). The first study on 4nB was published in 1995, but it wasn’t until 2005 that another study was published, with the first trials on humans being published in 2007 . Since then, repeated human clinical trials have shown good results, low irritation, high tolerance and good safety results.

While there have been no head-to-head trials of 4nB and Hydroquinone the relative ability of common Tyrosinase inhibition ingredients to perform their core task has been studied. And when 4nB was compared to Hydroquinone, Arbutin and Kojic acid, it demonstrated superior tyrosinase inhibition ability.

Based on the evidence to date, in the search for an alternative to Hydroquinone, 4nB has been demonstrated to be the most effective depigmenting agent producing less irritation than the alternatives. But in the words of others taking into account its fast onset of action, once-a-day application, and a wide range of indications, this promising (4-n-Butylresorcinol based) product may be a revolution both in treatment of melasma and in skin rejuvenation.

Having found this, we created the Enlighten face cream (can be purchased individually or with a tailored kit) to specifically target hyperpigmentation and age spots using 4-n-Butylresorcinol. See how our Pigmentation Kit has improved the skin tone of customers: