Skincare ingredients, in general, can be super confusing. Add natural and organics and all the opinions swirling around them into the mix, and it can get downright perplexing—which ones are better, which ones are safer, which ones have studies backing them up, and, the question we can never help but to ask: Which ones actually work?
Well, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), in conjunction with Washington, D.C., dermatologist Rebat M. Halder, MD, one natural substance you might want to take a look at if you have hyperpigmentation is ellagic acid. You may have heard of this one before, but you probably don’t know all the amazing things it can do. Derived from strawberries, cherries and pomegranates, it’s actually an antioxidant that also inhibits an enzyme needed for melanin production. Bottom line: It really helps with hyperpigmention caused by melasma, sun damage and PIH (those marks that stay behind on your skin after acne). Studies even show that it may be more effective at lighting skin than kojic acid and arbutin.
More than that, when taken internally, there is a lot of science that says ellagic acid may help boost collagen production and have various other anti-aging benefits. Earlier this year, research out of Oregon State University even reported that drinking red grape juice or wine (in moderation) might be able to help burn fat faster. The reason: One of the chemicals in the grapes was ellagic acid—and it dramatically slowed the growth of existing fat cells and boosted metabolism in the studies.
