If you’re obsessed about skin whitening, then you’ve probably heard about glutathione. This power antioxidant is found in many whitening soaps and scrubs. You can even get glutathione injections and IV treatments at many Philippine skincare clinics. It’s a whitening superstar!
How does glutathione whiten the skin?
Glutathione contains three amino acids: cysteine, glutamine, and glycine. All of them affect your ability to produce melanin, which causes the pigments.
Glutathione inhibits melanin production so you get less dark spots and fairer skin. Your body produces glutathione, but this slows down with age. That’s why we develop age spots, and why our acne scars take longer to fade when we’re in our 30s. Skin discoloration and uneven complexion? Yeah, that’s also an effect of lower gluthathione levels.
Glutathione plays other important roles, too!
Gluthathione doesn’t just whiten the skin. It helps the liver flush out all the nasty chemicals in our body, which has a huge effect on our every day energy levels plus our risk for cancer, heart disease, and other conditions. In fact, skin whitening is really just a very small role or even side effect. Gluthathione is found in every cell in the body, and its main job is to maintain healthy tissues. There’s a lot of research going into gluthathione’s role in fighting pre-cancerous cells. In the US, gluthathione IV treatments are often used for people who have AIDS or cancer.
Do I need to take a gluthathione pills?
Doctors and dietitians say you can get gluthathione from a healthy diet. Garlic, onions and veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and kale can help your body create cystine and other key amino acids. Dr. Ariella Jimenez says, “I would always recommend taking natural sources over pills. But if you know your schedule and lifestyle make it difficult to get your daily dose, then supplements are better than not getting any real nutrients at all.”
However, if you’re after just skin whitening, then glutathione supplements are really not the best way to get that benefit. Your body will use glutathione for its primary, most important roles: boosting your immune system, and detoxifying your liver. It’s all about priorities!
Any skin whitening benefits from glutathione pills will be very gradual. (Most women see it over 2 to 3 months.) If you want to see quick results, then you should get glutathione soaps or creams, or a megaboost of glutathione from injections. Glutathione pills can help support this entire whitening skincare regimen, while giving you other health benefits that a soap can’t.
Glutathione pill reviews: real women speak up!
When Lisa Franco bought glutathione pills, she was actually disappointed. Her friend sold her the supplements on the promise of fair, bright skin. She didn’t see any radical change in her skin tone, but was pleasantly surprised about other health benefits she had never heard of until she went online.
“I didn’t know it could detox the liver, strengthen the immune system, or lower cancer risk. Cancer runs in my family so this was really good news. I continued taking the glutathione and even bought a second bottle even if I didn’t see any whitening benefits. For me, it was an investment in my health.”
Lisa says that her skin did look more even and radiant, but she can’t tell if it’s from the glutathione pills or other skincare steps like her cream, serum and whitening treatments. However the 35-year-old single mom believes that every little step counts. “My dermatologist says useless yung mga treatments if I don’t take care of my skin between facials. I think what I put on my skin, and eat, and how I take care of myself all adds up. Hindi lang pangpaputi pero pampaganda ang habol ko. And as a single mom, I also want to take care of my health.”
Other glutathione pills reviews say the same. They don’t rely on the pills for whitening — because the results are slower and more gradual — but they think the extra step doesn’t hurt. “Nobody tells you that they got whiter skin overnight. Even beauty bloggers with the best skin will say they took months of disciplined routines of using skincare, cleansing, sunblock, and eating right. For me, glutathione pills is part of many other steps I take to whiten my skin,” says Georgia Milagrosa.
Dermatologist Dr. Ariella Jimenez adds that if you really want to get whiter, fair skin then you have to be diligent. “Even the best Manila skincare clinics and doctors will tell you: what you get in the clinic can only work if you’re ready to take care of your skin every day. Lasers and glutathione pills can break down pigments, but if you’re not using sunscreen or applying the right products you can’t get the best results. There is no magic pill — just a lot of smart habits and good investment in your skin.”