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"Kojic acid is a more recent remedy for the treatment of pigment problems and age spots. Discovered in 1989, kojic acid has a similar effect as hydroquinone. Kojic acid is derived from a fungus, and studies have shown that it is effective as a lightening agent, inhibiting production of melanin (brown pigment)."

http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/cosmetic-procedures-products-2

"Kojic acid was discovered as a natural product derived form a mushroom in Japan in 1989. It has been successfully used to lighten pigment spots and skin discoloration and considered as a kind of popularly specialized inhibitor for melanin. At present, it is assigned into various kinds of cosmetics for curing freckles, spots on the skin of elder men, pigmentation and acne."

http://www.aurasnaturebeauty.org/kojicacid.htm#1

"All patients showed improvement in melasma on both sides of the face. The side receiving the kojic acid did better. More than half of the melasma cleared in 24/40 (60%) patients receiving kojic acid compared to 19/40 (47.5%) patients receiving the gel without kojic acid. In 2 patients, there was complete clearance of melasma, and this was on the side where kojic acid was used."

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119097781/abstract

"Hydroquinone, which is a hydroxyphenolic chemical, has been the gold standard for treatment of hyperpigmentation for over 50 years. It acts by inhibiting the enzyme tyrosinase, thereby reducing the conversion of DOPA to melanin."

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/482649_2

"Hydroquinone works by decreasing the production and increasing the breakdown of melanosomes (melanin pigment granules) in the skin's pigment cells (melanocytes). It does this by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme needed to make melanin."

http://www.dermnet.org.nz/treatments/hydroquinone.html

"The effect of the skin-depigmenting agent hydroquinone (HQ) on 2 melanotic and 3 nonmelanotic cell lines was studied. Significant differences in its effect on DNA and RNA synthesis were observed between cell lines."

Depigmenting Action of Hydroquinone Depends on Disruption of Fundamental Cell Processes, Research Department, North East Wales Institute, http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v82/n4/abs/5614881a.html

"The first retinoid developed for topical use, tretinoin is a natural retinoid. It works to gradually unclog pores and keep them unplugged."

http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/prescriptmeds.html

"Tretinoin has been shown to enhance cell and vascular proliferation. It is commonly referred to as a great exfoliator for the skin. Technically speaking, it works by altering the follicular epithelium (the outer layer of skin) so that it doesn't keratinize (form a hard compact layer)."

http://www.farrellmanual.com/topical/retina.htm

"All 30 patients who completed the study showed statistically significant improvement in photoaging on the tretinoin-treated forearms, but not on the vehicle-treated forearms. Fourteen of the 15 patients who received tretinoin to the face had improvement in photoaging, whereas none of the vehicle-treated patients' faces improved, a statistically significant difference in response between the two groups."

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/259/4/527

"Azelaic acid belongs to a class of drugs known as dicarboxylic acids. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria on the skin and by reducing the amount of a natural skin substance (keratin) that can cause acne."

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-7039-AZELAIC+ACID+CREAM+-+TOPICAL.aspx

"After 15 weeks of treatment, both azelaic acid and metronidazole induced significant, albeit equal reductions in the number of inflammatory lesions (pustules and papules). A significantly higher physician rating of global improvement was achieved with azelaic acid."

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1836519

"It (azelaic acid) is of benefit in reducing pigment formation in the skin by its anti-tyrosinase action in hyperactive melanocytes. It therefore is useful in the treatment of melasma. The activity against Proprionibacteria acnes and Staphyloccocus epidermidis makes it active in the treatment of acne and rosacea. It appears to inhibit bacterial protein synthesis, and it has mild anti-comodone action. The anti-inflammatory properties are a result of its oxy radical scavenging action."

http://www.rosaceaguide.com/rs_treat/topical/azelaic_acid.html

"The TCA Blue Peel was found to be a simple and consistent treatment approach for problems related to the epidermis, papillary dermis, and immediate upper reticular dermis. An unexpected benefit was the appearance of skin tightening and a reduction of skin laxity in many cases. This suggests that the papillary dermis and the immediate upper reticular dermis play a significant role in skin tightness."

http://blogs.webmd.com/cosmetic-surgery/2008/03/peels-lasers-and-microdermabrasion.html

"The Jessner's + TCA peel, a method of chemexfoliation, is a combination of two acidic compounds. It has been found to be an effective peeling procedure that produces a medium-depth peel for photoaging skin, actinic keratoses, and rhytides."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2778184