Patent ID: 7803354

Claim:
A method for lightening and/or depigmenting the skin and/or hair comprising applying thereto a composition comprising at least one oxidation-sensitive hydrophilic active principle selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, 5,6-di-O-dimethylsilylascorbate, the dl-α-tocopheryl dl-ascorbyl phosphate potassium salt, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl glucoside, and mixtures thereof, and at least one water-soluble maleic anhydride copolymer comprising one or more hydrolyzed maleic anhydride comonomer units and one or more comonomer units selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, vinyl alcohol, vinylpyrrolidone, olefins comprising from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and styrene, said composition further comprising a physiologically acceptable medium comprising an aqueous phase, wherein the oxidation-sensitive active principle and the copolymer are in the same aqueous phase.