Does the new Elure Skin Lightening cream with ‘Melanozyme’ work for melasma?

Dr. Irwin
October 19, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Dr. Irwin- I am a woman in my early thirties that experienced melasma from my pregnancies. I am no longer on any birth control and I VERY careful about sunscreen and sun exposure. I h

So far, I think this is another triumph of marketing over substance/science – but time will tell.  Elure’s patented ‘Melanozyme’ is the enzyme lignin peroxidase which is an enzyme produced by a fungus.  It is a fairly large molecule so there are questions about how much actually penetrates into the level of the skin required to break down melanin (brown pigment).  Also, clinical studies compared it to 2% hydroquinone where it seeemed to give a similar effect.  2% hydroquinone is not the “gold standard.” 

Why not compare it to the best we currently have available which is Triluma, also called triple cream, which combines a 4% hydroquinone with vitamin A cream (tretinoin) and a mild steroid anti-inflammatory???  I’d love to be wrong about this since we would all love a new topical that really works well for pigment. 

Two other concerns are that Dr. Leslie Baumann who speaks for the company is also on the Advisory Board for the company (often a paid position) and that Syneron, who markets Elure,  is a laser company which has not always had the best reputation for it’s laser products.  

 Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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