Melanin

What It Is

The pigment produced by melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis that determines skin, hair and eye colour, and provides partial UV protection. Two main types: eumelanin (brown-black, dominant in darker skin tones, better UV protection) and phaeomelanin (red-yellow, dominant in fair skin, less UV protective). Melanin overproduction in specific areas causes hyperpigmentation — including melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and solar lentigines (sunspots). Most brightening ingredients work by inhibiting tyrosinase, the key enzyme in melanin synthesis.

Key Context

The melanin-pigmentation pathway: UV/inflammation stimulates keratinocytes → keratinocytes release paracrine signals (endothelin-1, SCF) → melanocytes activate tyrosinase → melanin synthesised → transferred to keratinocytes via melanosomes. Every step in this chain can be targeted by brightening actives.

Learn More

• Hyperpigmentation Treatment
• Niacinamide Benefits