A humectant moisturizing amino acid that is a part of the skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor. It helps to increase water content on the skin’s surface and is often used in conjunction with anti-pigmentation products.
Moisturizing
Humectant
Moisturizing (Humectant)
Humectants are moisturizing ingredients that draw moisture to the skin, either from deeper layers or from the environment (when it's humid).
Humectant
Moisturizing (Humectant)
Humectants are moisturizing ingredients that draw moisture to the skin, either from deeper layers or from the environment (when it's humid).
Other functions
Antistatic
Antistatic
Antistatic – reduces electric charge buildup.
Antistatic
Antistatic
Antistatic – reduces electric charge buildup.
Origin
Synthetic,
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Synthetic,
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Leucine is an essential amino acid that builds the proteins in our body. Like other amino acids, leucine has humectant moisturizing properties that help to retain water to the skin’s surface.
There are also experiments in scientific literature that add leucine into anti-pigment and skin tone evening creams.
We unfortunately cannot tell from the study if leucine itself had any effect on pigmentation and skin tone because it was mixed with other ingredients such as resorcinol.
Science
1
Dreher, F., et al. (2013). Efficacy of hydroquinone-free skin-lightening cream for photoaging. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 12(1), 12–17.