UNILIPO Whitening Spot-Fading Essence: 42.5% Reduction in Facial Melanin After 6 Months

Earlier, we shared the 90-day results from our Brightening & Dark Spot Study, where participants had already seen noticeable improvements. Today, we're excited to share the final 180-day results after continued use of the UNILIPO Whitening Spot-Fading Essence.

Study Participants

A total of 22 healthy women aged 20–45 enrolled in the study. Four participants withdrew after 90 days for personal reasons, while 18 completed the full 180-day study period.

Before the study, participants reported the following concerns:

50.0% had red or dark post-acne marks

81.8% had dull, uneven-looking skin

90.9% had pigmentation concerns, including freckles, sun spots, and melasm

Study Protocol

【Brightening & Dark Spot Study】

Product Tested: UNILIPO Whitening Spot-Fading Essence

Duration: 180 days

Directions: Apply once in the morning and once in the evening, using one pump each time. Focus on areas with dark spots and acne marks.

Results

After six months of testing and precise instrumental analysis, the improvements in melanin content, Skin tone (ITA°), and brightness (L*) are as follows:

Compared with baseline, average melanin levels decreased by 42.5% after 180 days of use.

Melanin is a natural pigment produced by melanocytes that helps protect the skin from UV damage. However, factors such as sun exposure, hormonal changes, inflammation, and genetics can trigger excess melanin production, resulting in dark spots, discoloration, and uneven-looking skin tone. Measuring melanin levels provides an objective way to evaluate changes in visible pigmentation over time.

After 180 days of use, ITA° improved by an average of 19.95% compared to baseline.

ITA° (Individual Typology Angle) is an objective parameter used to assess skin tone. It is calculated from skin color measurements and expressed as an angle ranging from −90° to +90°. Higher ITA° values generally indicate a lighter and more even-looking skin tone, while lower values indicate a darker skin tone.

After 180 days of use, skin brightness (L*) increased by an average of 8.18% compared to baseline.

In the CIE Lab* color system, the L* value represents brightness. Higher values indicate a brighter appearance, while lower values indicate a darker appearance.

Fading Dark Spots

Dark spots result from excessive or uneven melanin production in localized areas of the skin. Their formation involves four key stages:

Trigger → Melanin synthesis → Melanin transfer → Epidermal metabolism and appearance

The causes of facial dark spots vary from person to person. To effectively reduce visible pigmentation, it is important to target key points along the melanin production pathway and help regulate excess melanin production at the cellular and genetic levels.

Below are before-and-after images from participants in the Brightening & Dark Spot Study, highlighting changes in the appearance of dark spots over the 180-day study.

Meet @Dear～Jin🔆 

As shown in the images above, spots that were originally darker and more defined gradually became lighter and less noticeable over the course of the study. Improvements in visible pigmentation are also evident under UV imaging.

Overall Assessment

• Melanin levels: ⬇️ 42%

• Skin tone (ITA°): ⬆️ 29.6%

• Skin brightness (L*): ⬆️ 8.2%

Meet @vividcolor_in

This participant presented with multiple types of visible pigmentation, including a concentrated area of brown spots beneath the eyes. Due to her lighter skin tone, the contrast between the spots and the surrounding skin was particularly noticeable.

Comparing the before-and-after images, the pigmentation beneath the eyes appears noticeably reduced under natural light, UV imaging, and brown spot analysis. The visible spots on the bridge of the nose also appear substantially lighter.

Overall Assessment

• Melanin levels: ⬇️ 40.6%

• Skin tone (ITA°): ⬆️ 31.9%

• Skin brightness (L*): ⬆️ 8.2%

• UV spots: 90 days ⬇️ 26.6%, 180 days ⬇️ 48.8%

• Brown spots: 90 days ⬇️ 25.8%, 180 days ⬇️ 48.7%

  
  

Meet @🦊🦊🦊🦊  

While this participant's pigmentation was relatively light, there was a noticeable difference in tone between the affected areas and the surrounding skin.

Over time, the contrast between the pigmented areas and the surrounding skin became less noticeable, particularly in the under-eye area.

Overall Assessment

• Melanin levels: ⬇️ 41.1%

• Skin tone (ITA°): ⬆️ 27.7%

• Skin brightness (L*): ⬆️ 6.8%

Meet @чιυςk   þю

This participant had a distinct pigmented spot beneath the eye that became significantly less noticeable over the course of the study. UV imaging and brown spot analysis also showed a marked reduction in visible pigmentation.

Overall Assessment

• Melanin levels: ⬇️ 39.6%

• Skin tone (ITA°): ⬆️ 26.5%

• Skin brightness (L*): ⬆️ 6.7%

Meet @Zoey  

This participant presented with more persistent pigmentation concerns that appeared prominent under brown spot analysis. Comparing images captured throughout the study, there were progressive improvements in the appearance of visible pigmentation over time.

Overall Assessment

• Brown spots: ⬇️ 27.0% at 90 days, ⬇️ 47.7% at 180 days

Fading Acne Marks & Improving Dullness

Acne marks are a common aftereffect of inflammatory breakouts and can result from changes in pigmentation, blood vessels, or the skin's natural repair process. After a breakout resolves, visible red or dark marks may remain and can persist for weeks or months if left untreated. The darker the mark, the harder it is to fade, so intervening early when the mark first forms leads to better results.

Below are before-and-after photos of participants in the Brightening & Dark Spot Study, focusing on changes in acne marks and skin dullness.

Meet @Zoey  

This participant had several noticeable dark and red acne marks around the corners of her mouth, which resulted from not following up with proper brightening care after her breakouts cleared. After 180 days of using the product, even the dark marks had completely faded away.

Overall Assessment

• Melanin levels: ⬇️ 39.9%

Meet @ai

This participant had both visible pigmentation and post-acne marks, resulting in an uneven complexion. After using the product, melanin levels decreased, overall skin tone appeared brighter, and the complexion became more even-looking.

Overall Assessment

• Melanin levels: ⬇️ 39.9%

• Skin tone (ITA°): ⬆️ 26.3%

• Skin brightness (L*): ⬆️ 7.9%

Meet @Wang

This participant had a concentrated cluster of dark spots under the inner corners of her eyes, along with a dull, sallow complexion.

After six months of use, the cluster of spots appeared significantly lighter and less noticeable, with only a small number of darker spots remaining. Overall skin brightness also improved, contributing to a more even-looking complexion.

Overall Assessment

• Melanin levels: ⬇️ 39.9%

• Skin tone (ITA°): ⬆️ 26.7%

• Skin brightness (L*): ⬆️ 7.7%

Participant Self-Assessments

After 180 days, the 18 participants who completed the full study were asked to evaluate changes in four areas: acne marks, dark spots, skin brightness, and improvement in their primary skin concerns.

All participants reported improvement in their original concerns. Specifically, 100% reported improvement in the appearance of facial dark spots, over 72% reported improvement in acne marks, and over 88% reported improvement in overall skin tone.

Why Conduct a Brightening & Dark Spot Study?

More than 95% of mainstream brightening products on the market rely on ingredients such as 377 derivatives, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid. While these ingredients primarily focus on inhibiting melanin production, they may be less effective at addressing existing visible pigmentation and dark spots that have already formed.

In recent years, targeted siRNA technology — already used to treat hard-to-manage diseases — has been adapted to precisely target melanin genes and sustain its effects within melanocytes.

The UNILIPO R&D team has conducted in-depth research on this technology, leading to the development of the patented ingredient UNISOUL® RNAiW—a novel small-molecule RNAi compound for skin brightening. Their findings were published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. Clinical trials showed that even at extremely low concentrations, UNISOUL® RNAiW significantly outperformed kojic acid in inhibiting melanin.

As for pterostilbene—one of the world's most sought-after anti-aging ingredients—the UNILIPO team encapsulated it in nano-liposomes and published their findings in the Journal of Molecular Liquids. Clinical trials show that liposome-encapsulated pterostilbene significantly enhances transdermal penetration and bioactivity, helping promote the rapid fading of visible dark spots.

When combined with high concentrations of diglucosyl gallic acid and tranexamic acid, the formula delivers results and speed that traditional brightening products cannot match.

Based on the above, the UNILIPO Research & Insight Lab conducted this real-world Brightening & Dark Spot Study to more comprehensively validate the effectiveness of gene-silencing technology in improving various types of facial pigmentation and melanin accumulation.