A 16‑week open‑label study in 33 Hispanic women with mild‑to‑moderate melasma found that a skin‑brightening routine containing a 0.01% decapeptide‑12 cream, an antioxidant cleanser, a 20% buffered glycolic‑acid lotion, and SPF 30 sunscreen was safe and cut the melasma severity score by about 60%.

Melasma is a cutaneous disorder that primarily affects females of Hispanic and Asian descent. Previous studies have shown that use of a brightening system comprised of 0.01% decapeptide-12 cream, an antioxidant cleanser, a 20% buffered glycolic acid lotion, and a broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen yields good clearance of mild-to-moderate melasma in Caucasian and Asian volunteers. The present open-label, prospective, and multicenter study sought to determine the tolerability and efficacy of the above-mentioned brightening system on mild-to-moderate melasma in 33 Hispanic females over 16 weeks. Clinical measures included self-assessment of tolerability, clinical grading, determination of Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) scores, and standardized clinical photography. Results showed that the system was well tolerated with no adverse events reported. Mean decreases of 36%, 46%, 54%, and 60% in MASI scores were observed at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16, respectively, which were further corroborated by standardized photography showing visible reduction in the appearance of melasma. Results suggest that the brightening system consisting of 0.01% decapeptide-12 cream, an antioxidant cleanser, 20% buffered glycolic acid lotion, and broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen is safe and efficacious for the treatment of mild-to-moderate melasma in Hispanic females.