Glutathione

What it is

Glutathione is a small peptide of three amino acids that every human cell makes and uses as its primary internal antioxidant. It also nudges pigment cells toward producing lighter pheomelanin instead of darker eumelanin, which is the basis of its skin-lightening reputation. As a large, water-loving and easily oxidised molecule it penetrates skin poorly, so topical results are modest.

What it does well

• May produce a mild, gradual lightening of overall skin tone

  Systematic reviews find some randomised trials reporting small reductions in melanin index, but studies are small, short and heterogeneous, and the effect reverses when use stops.

  Limited evidence

Worth knowing

• Injectable glutathione is a genuine safety problem

  Intravenous glutathione for skin whitening has been linked to serious adverse events including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, kidney and thyroid dysfunction, and several national medicines regulators have warned against it. This concerns injections, not the glutathione in a face mask.

  Matters most toAnyone considering glutathione drips or injections for skin lightening.

Where the EU stands

Sources (2)

Every link goes to the original: a journal, a PubMed record or an EU document.

1. [1]
   Glutathione as a skin-lightening agent and in melasma: a systematic review

   International Journal of Dermatology · 2025 · doi:10.1111/ijd.17535

   Found limited and low-certainty evidence for glutathione as a skin-lightening agent, with effects that are small and not sustained after stopping.

2. [2]
   Glutathione as a skin whitening agent: Facts, myths, evidence and controversies

   Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology · 2016 · doi:10.4103/0378-6323.179088

   Reviews the mechanism and concludes that evidence for topical and oral use is weak while intravenous use carries documented serious risks.