According to Yahoo! Finance1Glutathione Market to expand at a 8.7% CAGR through 2030, reaching a Valuation of US$ 0.85 Billion | Persistence Market Research. yahoo!finance. Jan 23, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024 from https://finance.yahoo.com/news/glutathione-market-expand-8-7-083000232.html., the value of the global glutathione market was $470 million in 2023 and is forecasted to reach a valuation of $850 million by the end of 2030, at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%.
There are different reasons for the popularity of glutathione, but one of those is the growing trend of “beauty-from-within” and the rise of ingestible skincare dietary supplements. The size of the global beauty supplement was valued at $3.56 billion in 2022, and it is expected to reach $9.22 billion in 2031 with a CAGR of 11.4%.2https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-beauty-ingestible-market/1049
As a beauty-from-within nutraceutical with powerful antioxidant properties, glutathione benefits skin health in numerous ways, including the reduction of skin pigmentation, wrinkles, pore size, UV-induced skin spots, and skin lightening.
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide3Franco R, Schoneveld OJ, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. The central role of glutathione in the pathophysiology of human diseases. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2007 Oct-Dec;113(4-5):234-58.4Forman HJ, Zhang H, Rinna A. Glutathione: overview of its protective roles, measurement, and biosynthesis. Mol Aspects Med. 2009 Feb-Apr;30(1-2):1-12.predominantly made in the liver. It is comprised of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine5Anderson ME. Glutathione: an overview of biosynthesis and modulation. Chem Biol Interact 1998;24;111-112:1-14.6Lu SC. Regulation of hepatic glutathione synthesis: current concepts and controversies. FASEB J 1999;13:1169-83.. GSH is extremely important since it is needed for:
- Synthesis and repair of DNA
- Prostaglandin synthesis
- Amino acid transport
- Supporting a detoxification pathway in the liver
- Immune system function
- Preventing oxidative cell damage
- Enzyme activation 7Lomaestro BM, Malone M. Glutathione in health and disease: pharmacotherapeutic issues. Ann Pharmacother 1995;29:1263-738Powers SK, Hamilton K. Antioxidants and exercise. Clin Sports Med 1999;18:525-36.9Hong SY, Gil HW, Yang JO, Lee EY, Kim HK, Kim SH, Chung YH, Hwang SK, Lee ZW. Pharmacokinetics of glutathione and its metabolites in normal subjects. J Korean Med Sci. 2005 Oct;20(5):721-6.
- Support of healthy gut microbiome
- Maintenance of redox balance
In addition, there is good research on glutathione for skin, as discussed below.
Depletion and bioavailability
Several factors can deplete GSH including poor nutrition, exposure to toxins, and stress. To begin with, GSH levels decline with age10Zhu Y, Carvey PM, Ling Z. Age-related changes in glutathione and glutathione-related enzymes in rat brain. Brain Res. 2006 May 23;1090(1):35-44.11Tong J, Fitzmaurice PS, Moszczynska A, et al. Do glutathione levels decline in aging human brain? Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2016; 93:110-17. Furthermore, GSH can be depleted vis-à-vis UV radiation, infections, toxins, injuries, burns, and deficiencies of GSH precursors and enzyme cofactors.12Glutathione, Reduced (GSH) Monograph. Altern Med Review. 2001;6(6):601-7. It is also noteworthy that GSH was once thought to have poor bioavailability13Witschi A, Reddy S, Stofer B, Lauterburg BH. The systemic availability of oral glutathione. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1992;43:667-9.14Allen J, Bradley RD. Effects of oral glutathione supplementation on systemic oxidative stress biomarkers in human volunteers. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep;17(9):827-33.. Now, however, GSH is well absorbed in supplemental forms15Kovacs-Nolan J, Rupa P, Matsui T, Tanaka M, Konishi T, Sauchi Y, Sato K, Ono S, Mine Y. In vitro and ex vivo uptake of glutathione (GSH) across the intestinal epithelium and fate of oral GSH after in vivo supplementation. J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Oct 1;62(39):9499-506.16Yamada H, Ono S, Wada S, Aoi W, Park EY, Nakamura Y, Sato K. Statuses of food-derived glutathione in intestine, blood, and liver of rat. NPJ Sci Food. 2018 Feb 6;2:3.17Richie JP, Nichenametla S, Neidig W, et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. Eur J Nutr. 2015; 54:251–263. such as capsules, tablets, powders, and liquids.
The Rise of Glutathione in the Skincare Industry
GSH was discovered in 188818Cassier-Chauvat C, Marceau F, Farci S, Ouchane S, Chauvat F. The Glutathione System: A Journey from Cyanobacteria to Higher Eukaryotes. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023;12(6):1199. Published 2023 May 31. doi:10.3390/antiox12061199, and first synthesized in 195219Glutathione. ACS Chemistry for Life. May 209, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2024 from https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/g/glutathione.html.. It wasn’t until the 2010s, however, that the oral use of GSH gained notoriety for its effects on skin lightening/reduction in UV-induced age spots (more on this below)20Arjinpathana N, Asawanonda P. Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2012 Apr;23(2):97-102.. The use of GSH in the beauty-from-within category provides a unique set of benefits.
Considering that GSH is involved in the prevention of oxidative cell damage21Lomaestro BM, Malone M. Glutathione in health and disease: pharmacotherapeutic issues. Ann Pharmacother 1995;29:1263-7322Powers SK, Hamilton K. Antioxidants and exercise. Clin Sports Med 1999;18:525-36.23Hong SY, Gil HW, Yang JO, Lee EY, Kim HK, Kim SH, Chung YH, Hwang SK, Lee ZW. Pharmacokinetics of glutathione and its metabolites in normal subjects. J Korean Med Sci. 2005 Oct;20(5):721-6., which is significant in this context since reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage is a primary cause of skin aging24Kammeyer A, Luiten RM. Oxidation events and skin aging. Ageing Res Rev. 2015;21:16-29. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2015.01.001.. Also consider that environmental toxins and UV exposure contribute to the breakdown of collagen and elastic fibers in skin, leading to sagging and wrinkles, while glutathione supports a major detoxification pathway25Pacifici GM, Viani A, Franch M, Santerini S, Temellini A, Giuliani L, Carra M. Conjugation pathways in liver disease. Br J Clin Pharmac. 1990;30:427-435.26Kiska DJ. The Detoxification Enzyme Systems. Altern Med Rev 1998;3(3):187-198.. Not surprisingly, a glutathione supplement for the skin has significant appeal.
Glutathione Benefits for Skin Health
Glutathione is an antioxidant that occurs naturally in the skin, where its function is to help defend against visible signs of environmental damage. It’s believed that the gradual decline of glutathione in the skin is one of the factors that contributes to external signs of aging.
For example, sun exposure increases melanin formation (especially after tanning) likewise, increasing freckles, pigmentation, and UV-induced skin spots (mottled pigmentation). This is particularly true for areas of skin that have had years of frequent and prolonged sun exposure as seen in the face and decolletage27May Clinic Staff. Age spots (liver spots). May Clinic. March 6, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2019 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/age-spots/symptoms-causes/syc-20355859.. Sunscreen alone is not sufficient to provide optimal protection from UV-induced and other environmental free-radical damage to the skin.28Nutrition and Skin, Lesson for Anti-Aging, Beauty and Healthy Skin, Pappas, Springer, NY 2011 chapter 4, pp. 43-78.29Nakagawa T, Kaji N, Konishi T. Beauty effects of glutathione. New Food Indust. 2016. 58(10):38-44
Attitudes towards tanning vary across regions of the world. Western Caucasian consumers seek to be tanner while Asian consumers seek a whiter more porcelain look to their skin. Glutathione may help improve such hyperpigmentation and provide a more even tone and texture while preserving the skin’s underlying architecture of collagen and elastin resulting in younger-looking skin with less wrinkles and more elasticity.
Skin brightness, pigmentation, and more
In clinical research, the skin condition of women supplemented with 100 mg. daily of GSH was tested after two months30Arjinpathana N, Asawanonda P. Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2012 Apr;23(2):97-102.. The results were improvements in skin brightness, a decrease in skin pigmentation, and the number of wrinkles under the eyes and pore size.
UV-induced skin spots
A randomized, double-blind, two-arm, placebo-controlled study31Handog EB, Datuin MS, Singzon IA. An open-label, single-arm trial of the safety and efficacy of a novel preparation of glutathione as a skin-lightening agent in Filipino women. Int J Dermatol. 2016 Feb;55(2):153-7. was conducted on 60 healthy subjects to examine the effect of supplementation with 500 mg. daily of GSH for 4 weeks, on the skin melanin index compared with placebo. Results demonstrated that melanin decreased consistently at all examined sites with GSH supplementation. Statistically greater reductions compared to placebo were found on the right side of the face and the sun-exposed left forearm (p = 0.021 and 0.036, respectively). This likewise reduced the number of UV spots and lightened skin.
Skin lightening
An 8-week, open-label, single-arm trial32Etnawati K, Adiwinarni DR, Susetiati DA, et al. The efficacy of skin care products containing glutathione in delivering skin lightening in Indonesian women. Dermatology Reports. 2019;11(s1):8013. examined the effect of 500 mg. daily of GSH in a lozenge on skin lightening in 30 Filipino women. Results demonstrated a significant decrease in melanin in as little as two weeks. The researchers concluded that the lozenge containing glutathione was safe and effective in lightening the skin of Filipino women.
Ingestible vs. Topical Glutathione
As can be seen from the previous section, there are significant benefits for the skin in association with ingestible GSH. But what about the topical use of this nutraceutical?
A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study33Wahab S, Anwar AI, Zainuddin AN, Hutabarat EN, Anwar AA, Kurniadi I. Combination of topical and oral glutathione as a skin-whitening agent: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Int J Dermatol. 2021;60(8):1013-1018. doi:10.1111/ijd.15573 examined the impact of topical and oral GSH. Results demonstrated that the combination GSH group showed significantly lower melanin production and greater skin lightening compared to placebo (P < 0.05). The improvement in melanin content and skin-lightening score with the combination group were the highest of all groups.
In short, there are benefits to be had by combining topical and oral GSH. The results of the previously cited research show that oral GSH improves the total area of skin pigmentation, the number of wrinkles under the eyes, and pore size, while reducing the number of UV spots and promoting skin lightening. By contrast, topical GSH appeared to help to some extent with just skin lightening. It should be noted that there are many downstream benefits to combining GSH with other ingredients like ascorbic acid and tocopherol (Vit C and Vit E) for additional and synergistic benefits like collagen production and skin lightening and antioxidant recycling respectively.
So, the oral form clearly wins out if it is a choice between topical and oral GSH.
Conclusion
Glutathione in skincare is a powerful ingredient you shouldn’t overlook. Experts project the global glutathione market will reach $850 million in value by 2030, while the global beauty supplement market is projected to hit a valuation of $9.22 billion by 2031. Similarly, the global antioxidant supplement market will reach $6.92 billion in value by 203234Antioxidants Market. Precedence Research. Retrieved July 2, 2024 from https://www.precedenceresearch.com/antioxidants-market.. These impressive forecasts underscore the immense potential and growing demand for glutathione and related products like vitamins C and E in the skincare and supplement industries.
Partnering with a trusted contract development and manufacturing organization like Vitaquest can help you navigate these considerations and successfully bring your product to the market.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Glutathione
Q: What happens to your skin when you take glutathione?
Glutathione can help provide antioxidant protection to your skin. It can also help with skin pigmentation, wrinkles, pore size, and UV-induced skin spots.
Q: What happens if I take too much glutathione?
Excessive intake of glutathione may result in bloating, cramping, or loose stools. However, research has shown good safety when used in doses ranging between 100-500 mg/day.
Q: Can glutathione make you look younger?
Glutathione can help provide antioxidant protection to your skin. It can also help with skin pigmentation, wrinkles, pore size, and UV-induced skin spots.
Q: Does glutathione cause weight gain?
No. Some research suggests that glutathione may help with weight loss.
Q: How fast does glutathione work?
When used for its benefits for skin care, results have been seen in as little as two weeks.
