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Brightening

Tranexamic Acid

SoothingBrightening
INCI: Tranexamic Acid
In short · TL;DR
Category
Brightening
Effect
Inhibits melanin production; anti-inflammatory. Used as an active ingredient in quasi-drugs (brightening) in Japan; approval is granted per product.
Concentration
The approved concentration is not listed in Japan's MHLW list of active ingredients (other public sources unchecked). The topical clinical study used 3% (50 women with melasma, twice daily, 12 weeks, split-face; improvement comparable to 3% hydroquinone + dexamethasone). The source of a 1.5% figure is unconfirmed.
Effect
Inhibits melanin production; anti-inflammatory. Used as an active ingredient in quasi-drugs (brightening) in Japan; approval is granted per product.
Mechanism
Inhibits plasmin activity → Blocks melanocyte activation signals. Controls upstream UV-induced inflammatory melanin production. Anti-inflammatory effect through anti-plasmin action
Typical concentration
The approved concentration is not listed in Japan's MHLW list of active ingredients (other public sources unchecked). The topical clinical study used 3% (50 women with melasma, twice daily, 12 weeks, split-face; improvement comparable to 3% hydroquinone + dexamethasone). The source of a 1.5% figure is unconfirmed.
Onset
12 weeks at 3% twice daily (Ebrahimi & Naeini 2014). A meta-analysis of 28 trials found no clear difference between topical use and comparison treatments at either 8 or 12 weeks (Panchal 2023).
Cautions
Different mechanisms for oral and topical use. Topical use is mainly for local anti-inflammatory and brightening. High safety
Evidence & references
Ebrahimi B, Naeini FF. Topical tranexamic acid as a promising treatment for melasma. J Res Med Sci 2014;19(8):753-7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25422661/ / Panchal 2023 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38283017/ / MHLW active-ingredient list (tranexamic acid not listed) (checked 2026-10-20)
Journal

Related Journal

4
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This page is reference information and does not guarantee efficacy. Figures vary by test conditions (in vitro / manufacturer / concentration). It does not indicate pharmaceutical efficacy.
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