Kj
Moderate evidenceKojic Acid for Melasma
A brightening ingredient derived from fungi that fades dark spots and evens skin tone.
Why it works for Melasma
Fades patches by slowing pigment production. Most of the evidence comes from Asian skin, where 2% kojic acid combined with glycolic acid and hydroquinone works better than hydroquinone alone. It causes allergic skin reactions more often than the alternatives, so use it carefully on sensitive skin.
How Kojic Acid works
Fungal metabolite that chelates copper at tyrosinase’s active site to slow melanin synthesis.
Evidence
4 citations from our ingredient database. Full citation list on the Kojic Acid ingredient page.
Products with Kojic Acid in our catalog
These are the catalog products that list Kojic Acid as a tracked ingredient.