Brighten Up

Move over Vitamin C, and meet the newest superstar ingredient -tranexamic acid 

- Dr Chew Yuhhui

Move along Vitamin C and get to know the new skin brightening ingredient in the world of cosmeceuticals—tranexamic acid.

Pronounced as trane-xa-mic acid, this superstar ingredient is touted as a game-changer for stubborn pigmentations and has emerged as one of the favourite staples in dermatologists’ offices.

Of course, from the good old hyaluronic acid which helps to hydrate the skin, to exfoliating lactic acid and acne-busting salicylic acid, it is easy to be confused and wary when it comes to a new skincare ingredient, more so when it has the word ‘acid’ in it.

Now, let me break it down to you why you should add tranexamic acid into your skincare routine.

What is tranexamic acid?

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a synthetic derivative of lysine, an amino acid (a building block protein) found in our body. While tranexamic acid rose through all the ranks of the acids and found its fame in recent years, it is actually not a new discovery in the medical world.

Tranexamic acid was discovered by Japanese researchers, Dr Shosuke and Utako Okamoto, during World War II Japan. They had an altruistic quest to find a medication that could prevent excessive bleeding.

Since then, tranexamic acid has been used to treat various bleeding disorders or to prevent excessive bleeding. However, it was an accidental discovery when patients on oral tranexamic acid found that their skin hyperpigmentation also reduced. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!