One of the beautiful things about getting older is that we get wiser and more experienced. Unfortunately, it’s not all fine and dandy like cotton candy. There are also one or two annoying things and the top annoying one is pigmentation. We all get it, especially if we love the sun too much. But worry not, the treasure chest called nature has something that not only lightens your skin but also gives it a youthful glow as well: Bearberry.
Keep reading if you’re looking for an alternative to hydroquinone to lift your dark spots. Every derm and their grandma keeps saying hydroquinone is the gold standard for lightening hyperpigmentation, no matter if it’s sun spots, freckles, or melasma. But if it’s not available in your country or you’d just rather have a natural alternative, bearberry can not only lighten skin complexion but also tighten up pores, diminish age lines, and improve skin texture. But first, a quick refresher on skin pigmentation.
Skin pigmentation 101
There’s a wide range in human skin colour, from dark chocolate brown to the lightest hue just like milk. The actual skin colour is affected by a number of things. The bluish-white connective tissue under the dermis and the haemoglobin are responsible for red and bluish hues. Melanin is behind the skin colour of the darker-skinned of us. Melanin is a pigment produced by special cells, the melanocytes. On a side note, melanin is also the pigment that gives your hair and eyes their colour.
The production of melanin is mainly regulated by the enzyme tyrosinase. When your skin is exposed to factors like the sun, they react to the UV rays and increase melanin production. Melanin functions as your skin’s natural sunscreen. Over time, years of sun exposure, sun spots, and freckles appear when melanin clumps together. These dark spots can also be caused by other factors like skin injuries, inflammation, hormones, or genetics. People with darker skin tones tend to suffer more from hyperpigmentation.
The bearberry’s secret
This is exactly where bearberry and its compound arbutin come in. It works as a tyrosinase inhibitor. In other words, it works by blocking the enzyme tyrosinase. But let’s backtrack and look at the bearberry plant first.
Before humans discovered that bearberry can lift dark spots, the bears got to the plant first. This short evergreen shrub grows in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its red berry is edible and a favourite food of bears – hence the name. Its botanical name emphasises it again: Arctostaphylos uva ursi. The first part contains the ancient Greek word arktos for bear, and the second part uva ursi means bear’s grape in Latin.
Although the berries are edible for us humans, it’s the leaves that hide the secret. The leaves were picked and dried to use as herbal infusion and in traditional medicine. It’s also the source of arbutin. It’s bearberry leaf extract that is most commonly used in cosmetic formulation.
The plant contains several bioactive substances including
- Arbutin
- Ursolic acid
- Tannic acid
- Gallic acid
- Tannins
- Flavonoids
What’s arbutin
Arbutin is a glycosylated hydroquinone. Arbutin breaks down into hydroquinone, the substance that hinders the enzyme tyrosinase. It also slows melanosome maturation. Melanosomes are organelles that synthesise, store, and transport melanin. This means it works on two different mechanisms of pigmentation. In other words, arbutin hinders your skin from pumping out the extra dose of melanin that’s collecting as dark spots here and there. All these dark spots gradually revert to their original colour, as the extra melanin fades away.
You’ll probably see alpha arbutin and arbutin. Alpha arbutin is a subcategory of arbutin. There’s also beta arbutin, also a subcategory. The main difference is that alpha arbutin is more resistant to heat, has more light stability, and has high water solubility properties. That’s also why potion makers like it, it’s more stable and can be easily dissolved in water.
Bearberry isn’t the only plant containing arbutin. There’s also dock weed (the house remedy plant when you’re stung by nettles). Bearberry is more appealing to the potion makers because it’s not a one trick pony.
Bearberry contains lots of tannins
You know the dry, tingly, puckering, or numbing sensation when you eat something like rhubarb? That’s because rhubarb and things like quince, persimmons, wine, and of course bearberry have tannins and what you feel is their astringent effect.
Bearberry leaves have lots and lots of tannins, up to 15 %. Tannins are a group of polyphenols that are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. They’re believed to provide the plant a chemical defense against predators and ultraviolet radiation. They’re soluble in water and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Broadly speaking, thanks to the tannins, bearberry helps reduce inflammation and protect your skin from UV rays damage. As a result, it helps delay if not prevent signs of ageing such as loss of elasticity and dark spots. As tannins are astringent, bearberry has a tightening effect on your skin, reducing the appearance of pores. Lastly, the antimicrobial activities of tannins fight against bacterial infections (for example acne-causing bacteria).
Bearberry contains lots of flavonoids
Another group of polyphenols present in bearberry is flavonoids. Their role is to provide photoprotection and pigment aka colour to the plant. This means, their potent antioxidants and as such scavenge free radicals. These are unstable molecules that contribute to the appearance of premature wrinkles as well as discolouration.
Both flavonoids, as well as tannins, protect collagen and elastin against degradation. Collagen and elastin are important proteins that are responsible for the firmness and elasticity of your skin. They form a mesh-like layer that makes your skin flexible and strong.
How to use
It’s probably the easiest way to find a skin care product and follow its instructions. For bearberry to have an effect, it should get some time. This means the longer it can be on your skin, the longer it can work. So, opting for cleansers, exfoliators, face packs, or anything that you wash off, isn’t going to leave the bearberry leaf extract for long on your skin. You’ll rather want to look for toners, essences, and moisturisers.
Since arbutin works in the same way as hydroquinone, it’s key to religiously use SPF and avoid excess sun exposure.
Common tyrosinase inhibitors
Other than bearberry leaf extract or arbutin, common tyrosinase inhibitors include mulberry, blueberry leaves, cranberry leaves, licorice extract, vitamin C, kojic acid, and burnet root extract.
- Conclusion
Bearberry isn’t just for lightening and brightening your skin. It’s packed with antioxidant tannins and flavonoids that protect against free radicals before they can give you wrinkles. In short, bearberry can
- Even out your complexion
- Reduce the appearance of pores
- Reduce puffiness, redness, and inflammation
- Natural protection from environmental stress (sun, smoke, pollution, …)
- Firm up skin
As always, before you try a new product perform a patch test first.
