The Receipt
- 01Effective and serious. Use it with a professional, and never from an unlabeled jar.
Education, not a diagnosis. If something changes quickly, hurts, bleeds, or worries you, see a dermatologist.
Ingredient Receipt · Tone & dark spots
Hydroquinone
INCI: Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is a long-used treatment for melasma and dark spots, now prescription-only in many places. What it does, why supervision matters, and the risks.
- Dark marks & tone
01 · In plain English
Hydroquinone has the longest track record of any pigment-fading ingredient, and the most complicated reputation.
02 · What it does
Hydroquinone inhibits tyrosinase, the enzyme that drives melanin production.
A Cochrane review of melasma treatments found hydroquinone, and especially triple-combination creams containing it, among the more effective options, though many studies were small and short.
Long-term or unsupervised use has been linked to exogenous ochronosis, a blue-grey darkening of the skin, which is more often reported in deeper skin tones and with high-strength or contaminated products. Rules vary by country; in the US it’s no longer sold over the counter.
03 · Who it’s for
- Melasma or stubborn hyperpigmentation, under a clinician’s supervision.
04 · What the evidence says
- Lightening melasma and hyperpigmentation over weeks to months, with medical supervision.well-supported
05 · Myths, checked
“Hydroquinone is banned everywhere because it causes cancer.”
Regulation varies by country and has been driven by safety concerns. Supervised, time-limited use is still part of dermatology practice.
limited evidence
06 · Insufficient evidence
- Unregulated “bleaching” creams. Some contain undisclosed high strengths, mercury or steroids.
07 · How to use it
- Only with a clinician, usually in cycles with breaks.
- Strict daily sunscreen is essential; without it, results don’t last.
08 · Pairs well / go carefully
Pairs well with
- Sunscreen (ideally tinted).
- Prescribed combinations, e.g. with a retinoid and a mild steroid.
Go carefully with
- Long-term continuous use without supervision.
- Peroxides at the same time (temporary staining).