| dc.description.abstract | Skin lightening practice refers to the use of skin lightening products to achieve a fairer skin complexion. This is common practice among people of several Asian, North American, South American countries. On the African continent, the practice is popular in countries such as Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Mali and South Africa. It has been reported that skin lightening products contain dangerous chemicals such as hydroquinone, mercury and steroids. The chronic use of these chemicals can lead to severe adverse effects such as skin irritations, skin infections and skin damage. Despite the health risks associated with this practice, demand and prevalence is on the rise as the global skin lightening industry is estimated to be worth USD 24 billion by 2027 and, thus, arises the need to identify less toxic alternatives. Africa`s forests are known as the world`s second largest tropical reservoir and holds significant biodiversity resources in which only 10.8% of its flora is known to be applied in traditional medicine. As the use of skin lightening agents are accompanied with the emergence of several complications, several studies have shown the use of natural plant extracts as a potential alternative with limited side effects to current synthesized skin lightening products. Plants are well known as an alternate treatment option for various ailments and the diversity of plants used in traditional medicine globally has been estimated between approximately 10 000 to 53 000 species. Considering the growing demand of skin lighteners which lead to an increase in the emergence of side effects and the alternative prospects presented by plant extracts, the overall aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions, knowledge and practice of skin lightening among young adults ata university within the Western Cape, South Africa. In addition, the study aims to evaluate the potential effect of plant extracts on melanin and enzyme tyrosinase activity on skin cells. The objectives were as follows: 1) to conduct a cross-sectional survey among male and female young adults aged 18 to 30 to explore their perceptions on skin lightening, 2) to conduct a comprehensive literature search on in vitro and in vivo studies to identify plant extracts capable of inhibiting melanogenesis and enzyme tyrosinase activity and 3) to assess the in vitro bio-activity of selected plant extracts on melanocytes. | en_US |
