ABSTRACT
Skin-whitening products have been widely used in the cosmetic field and clinic therapy. They are supposed to either lighten skin (individuals who wish to change or modify their skin color) or depigment skin (treatment for abnormal-hyperpigmentation skin such as melasma, freckles, and senile lentigines). Whitening agents, such as hydroquinone, kojic acid, and ascorbic acid derivatives have shown efficacy in a variety of hyperpigmentary disorders [1-14] but with varying success [1,2,7-9]. Their mechanism of action has been studied in vitro and in vivo [3,10-17]. Recently, their safety of application have been extensively investigated [18-32]. This chapter includes the most popular active ingredients of whitening agents and emphasizes their efficacy and safety.
