Progress in research work on skin-whitening effect of essential oils

The defects in application of conventional skin-whitening agents were introduced. Research work in the field of skin-whitening effect of various plant essential oils,such as in-vitro test for inhibition of tyrosinase activity,test for survival and growing of melanin cells,test for formation of melanin as well as determination of intracellular tyrosinase activity were focused. Potential applications of the plant essential oils in the skin-whitening field were prospected by comparison of the results obtained in the above mentioned tests with that of arbutin or kojic acid. Current existing problems,development trends and application outlooks of the essential oils in the skin-whitening field were put forward.