Heliocare is an oral antioxidant derived from the fern plant. It has several uses in  dermatology including treatment for melasma. Heliocare provides a sun  protection factor of 4 (mildly protective against UV) but it also protects the skin  against visible light which is a newly recognize trigger of melasma. Recall that  traditional sunscreens do not block visible light unless they contain iron oxide. A well-done study examined patients with melasma who were being treated with  hydroquinone and sunscreen. Half of these patients were also given Heliocare 480  mg a day and half were given placebo. The Heliocare treated side showed  significant improvement against the untreated side.  Therefore, 480 mg a day of hydroquinone is a great adjunctive therapy for melasma. Side effects are rare and mild.