Hydroquinone is a skin-bleaching agent that is used to lighten areas of darkened skin such as freckles, melasma, age spots, and acne scars. Hydroquinone works by decreasing the production and increasing the breakdown of melanosomes in melanocytes. It does this by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme needed to make melanin.

Common side effects of hydroquinone include Mild skin irritation and sensitization (burning, stinging), Dermatitis, Dryness, Redness.

Currently, the use of hydroquinone is prohibited in skin lightening cream cosmetics in Europe and in many countries such as Japan, Australia, and several African states.  In Indonesia, hydroquinone is only limited to certain types of cosmetics as described in PerKa BPOM No.  23/2019, which can only be used in cosmetics for artificial nails at 0.02 after mixing before use.

How SIG can help

SIG Laboratory can perform hydroquinone analysis on a wide variety of cosmetics. We also ascertain that your cosmetics products are free form hydroquinone or whether the hydroquinone are at the appropriate levels, as specified by national and international regulations.

Method of Analysis

HPLC is the technique we can offer to you for analysis of hydroquinone with  UV-Vis detectors.