Glutathione is a tripeptide (a peptide consisting of three amino acids - in this case, Cysteine, Glycine and Glutamic Acid.) Glutathione acts as an antioxidant. What this means is that it helps protect against the damaging effects of oxidation, the process that creates free radicals that damage cells in living tissue.

Glutathione is considered to be the body's "Master Antioxidant", a great detoxifier and a Tyrosinase inhibitor. What does this mean for you, the average person? Well, for one, is better, more evenly colored skin. An interesting effect of taking extra glutathione is skin whitening.

What? Skin whitening? Like Michael Jackson? Are you crazy?

While it's been rumored on the Internet (and obvious if you look at pictures) that Michael Jackson had his skin whitened, probably more than once, there are other, less creepy reasons to want help from glutathione, though.

Acne, uneven skin tone, red blotches, dark blotches, dark colored moles - there are a lot of skin conditions out there that cause a lot of people a lot of grief day after day. While they might not be life threatening breakdowns in the body, they are things that have a negative effect on some people's self-esteem. And a low self-esteem can lead to a lot of other problems.

Taking a glutathione supplement isn't like taking a magic pill that will cure all your skin woes. When taken in the right doses, though, it has been shown to help with various skin conditions and also acts as a natural skin whitener.

Glutathione can help your body repair and correct all sorts of damage, whether it's caused by stress, pollution, radiation, a poor diet, injury, and the natural effects of aging.

Again, it's not a super supplement or a magic pill, but it's one small way to fight the battle with aging and the effects of the environment we live in.

Glutathione is different than other antioxidants (like Vitamin C and Vitamin E) in that it actually resides in the cells, making it more useful.

Glutathione can be found in fresh fruits and vegetables, so if you follow a normal, healthy diet, you should be producing enough Glutathione. Let's be honest, though. A lot of us don't have the time for a 100% healthy diet. If you're one of these people, a glutathione supplement might be a good idea.

L-glutathione, a reduced form of glutathione, is what is generally used for skin whitening.

Whatever type of glutathione you take, it's a good idea to find a supplement that includes other antioxidants that work well with glutathione, like Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Glutathione isn't a cure all super drug when it comes to skin care, but it's a natural way to help with your skin and as an added benefit is a skin whitener.