Chemical Composition and the Potential of Lavandula angustifolia L. Oil as a Skin Depigmentant

Finding non-invasive skin depigmenting agentsrepresent an important goal of cosmetic research and industry. It is now admited that Tyrosinase inhibitor substances could be the most efficient molecules in this field because Tyrosinase is the key enzyme in the melanogenesis process. In the pathology of macular skin hyperpigmentations it can mention aesthetic problems such as: melasma gravidarum, pigmentation of aged skin, photosensibilisation, hepatic disfunctions and post-inflammatory residual pigmentation. The aim of the study was to find out if the Lavandula essential oil has depigmenting properties on human skin, having as theoretical premise its tyrosinase-blocking effect, previously reported in literature for some plant species. By using gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer (GC/MS), a pharmaceutical cream preparation, a protocol of exploration on volunteers (including criteria) and a mexameter, we have highlighted the composition of a sample of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil (LEO) and its depigmenting effect on skin melanic macula. The results highlightes that the main compounds identified were linalool ( 26.783%), terpinen-4-ol (22.143%) and 3-carene (21.668%), Terpinen-4-ol is represented as the possible active compound in tyrosinase inhibition. Our dermocosmetic assay shows that the depigmenting effect of Lavandula angustifolia oil is effective after 2 months of daily topical treatement, when the melanine average value (measured by the mexameter) decreases more than a third from the innitial value. The study remarks that Lavandula angustifolia essential oil (LEO) in daily cutaneous pharmaceutical form application, during two month, reduces the intensity of spot skin melanin, exprimed through mexametric values.