Kojic acid, the skin-lightening and brightening ingredient which is derived naturally and is a byproduct of certain fermented foods, including Japanese sake, soy sauce, and rice wine, has amassed many fans. Its melanin-inhibiting capabilities make it a natural replacement for the synthetic skin lightener hydroquinone. First discovered in Japan in 1989, it has since been widely used in cosmetics, particularly in skin-lightening products. This increasingly popular ingredient has already made its way to many skincare routines. As a skin-lightening agent that's pretty strong, kojic acid's approved concentration to use for cosmetic products is only 1 per cent or less in countries like the UK and EU. Despite its miraculous benefits for the skin, there is strong evidence that a high concentration of this ingredient makes it an endocrine-disrupting chemical. In simple words – a high concentration of kojic acid may start to interfere with the body's hormones, so it must be wisely. Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, an aesthetic doctor and skin expert with over 10 years of experience, shares, "India also allows a maximum concentration of 1% in face and hand products, as stipulated in the Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) (No. 2) Regulations 2024." Dr. Manjot Marwah, board-certified dermatologist and a renowned aesthetic injector in Jalandhar notes " In most skincare formulations, kojic acid can be found in its derivative forms like Kojic acid palmitate or isopalmitate. These are comparatively safer".
