Abstract: Disclosed are coumarin derived compounds of formula I as skin lightening agents alone or in combination with other skin benefit agents and together with a cosmetic vehicle: Where each or both R1 and/or R2 represents hydrogen (H); linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-C12 alkyl, alkenyl, acyl, or heteroalkyl (preferably, alkoxy) groups; and R3 represents linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated C1-C12 alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, or heteroalkyl group; and R4 represents a hydrogen atom (H); straight or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated, containing or not containing a heteroatom C1-C22 alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl group.

Abstract: Compounds useful as agonists of A2A adenosine receptors are described. Also described is a cosmetically acceptable composition having an agonists of A2A adenosine receptors where the composition is suitable to apply to human skin to reduce the effects of melanin, resulting in skin whitening.

Abstract: Disclosed are extracts of Nigrospora sphaerica as cosmetic skin benefit agents, preferably as skin lightening agents alone or in combination with other skin benefit agents and together with a cosmetic vehicle. The inventive extracts, compositions and methods have effective skin lightening properties, may be easier to deliver to the skin, and are commercially available or cost-effective and available in nature.

Abstract: Disclosed are coumarin derived compounds of formula I as skin lightening agents alone or in combination with other skin benefit agents and together with a cosmetic vehicle: Where each or both R1 and/or R2 represents hydrogen (H); linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-C12 alkyl, alkenyl, acyl, or heteroalkyl (preferably, alkoxy) groups; and R3 represents linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated C1-C12 alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, or heteroalkyl group; and R4 represents a hydrogen atom (H); straight or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated, containing or not containing a heteroatom C1-C22 alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl group.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method for treating and/or evaluating photodamage and/or photoaging of skin caused by exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The method employs a unique set of marker genes whose expression was newly found to be altered following exposure of skin to UV radiation. The invention provides an advantageous system of identifying and assessing substances that are capable of modulating, e.g., via attenuation, UV radiation induced alteration or change in the expression of at least one of the newly provided marker genes in skin relative to the gene expression level in skin not exposed to UV radiation. Also provided are compositions comprising materials that upon application to skin can modulate the gene expression of at least one gene of the marker gene set after exposure of skin to UV radiation, thereby affording protective and therapeutic effects and treatments for photodamage and photoaging. The potential benefit of, e.g.

Abstract: Organic chick pea extracts are phytoestrogens, if present in an amount such as to provide an estrogenic activity equivalent to at least 1 nM of estradiol. Cosmetic compositions containing organic chick pea extracts are useful in improving the appearance of wrinkled, lined, dry, flaky, aged or photodamaged skin and improving skin thickness, elasticity, flexibility and plumpness.