Introduction

4-Butylresorcinol is a whitening and skin lightening agent with unique characteristics in terms of efficacy and safety on the skin.

Function

It is an antioxidant that is considered effective in influencing the formation of pigmentation, and therefore able to lighten the skin. It is a synthetic compound that is partially derived from natural lightening compounds found in scotch pine bark, and is considered a reliable whitening agent.
According to studies when directly compared to B-Arbutin, Phenylethyl Resorcinol was shown to be over one hundred times as effective at lightening hair, and when tested in vivo on skin that had not been exposed to light, 0.5% concentrations of Phenylethyl Resorcinol proved to be more effective than 1.0% kojic acid.