Glutathione’s Skin Benefits: Brightening, Firming & More

Glutathione for skin has been under the radar until recently, but word is catching on about its miraculous brightening and anti-aging benefits. Keep reading to see what this buzzy ingredient can do for your skin.

While skincare can be a portal to mindfulness and relaxation, it is pure science. Ingredients, their potency, and how they’re blended together to create a product is a matter of chemistry, physics, and scientific expertise. All skincare ingredients are worth their salt, but some ingredients are found in nature and easy to conjure up images of: wild rose, silk extract, green tea, and colloidal oatmeal, for example. Other ingredients are discovered in labs and are highly technical, like ferulic acid and – today’s topic of discussion – glutathione. There are a lot of impressive benefits to using high-tech ingredients like glutathione for skin — no wonder it’s one of the most promising up-and-coming ingredients. From brightening to skin strengthening, let’s discover all the glutathione benefits for skin and the best glutathione serum to achieve these results. Grab your pencils because skincare science class is in session!

What Is Glutathione?

While the glutathione in your serum is made in a lab for ultimate potency, the antioxidant is naturally found in our skin, which is exactly why most skin types handle the ingredient so well. In fact, glutathione is actually found in every cell in the body — that’s how prevalent the antioxidant is and how vital it is for so many important functions, including making DNA, breaking down free radicals, and supporting regular immune function. While that all affects the skin, there are a few specific benefits that occur when a glutathione serum is applied to the face, which brings us to…

Benefits of Glutathione for Skin

While glutathione skin benefits are still being studied for this relative newcomer, there are a handful of proven and notable advantages to using a glutathione face serum.

Helps Reduce Accelerated Aging

A powerful antioxidant, glutathione helps fight against free radicals. This is important because free radicals are dangerous unstable molecules that are triggered by external factors, like excessive UV exposure and sunburn, pollution, smoking, and ultra-processed foods. When free radicals enter our skin, they begin cellular damage, which results in inflammation, wrinkles, sun spots, and more. Antioxidants, like glutathione, are beneficial because they stop free radicals from cellular damage and death, preventing the chain reaction before the damage begins.

As we age, glutathione levels in the skin gradually decline, contributing to visible signs of aging—a perfectly normal part of the aging process. But using a glutathione serum can help boost the gradual decline, helping to fend off visual signs of accelerated aging. 

Brightens and Evens Skin Tone

Glutathione is often seen in brightening serums and other skincare formulas, thanks to the antioxidant’s ability to even skin tones. Studies show that glutathione prevents hyperpigmentation at the cellular level by interrupting melanin enzymes at the skin’s surface so they don’t develop into dark spots. However, you’re not out of luck if you already have hyperpigmentation. A 2019 study found that when glutathione was applied topically on the skin, it lessened the appearance of dark spots.

Boosts Elasticity and Collagen

In that same 2019 study, researchers found that glutathione can boost skin’s elasticity. Skin elasticity is the ability to stretch skin and have it bounce back into place. As we age, skin naturally loses elasticity – basically meaning it won’t snap back into shape – but skincare, like glutathione, can help boost the elastin levels we naturally lose. In addition to losing elasticity, skin also naturally begins to lose collagen, a protein that gives skin its structure, support, and strength. Glutathione has also been linked to promoting the production of collagen, which potentially can lead to smoother and firmer-looking skin. The ability to encourage the growth of collagen and elastin is exactly why glutathione is linked to a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles, too.

Reduces Inflammation

While glutathione is becoming increasingly popular for brightening, it’s also impressively anti-inflammatory. While harsh brightening formulas need to be applied carefully, glutathione can be used daily, even on sensitive skin. This ability to reduce inflammation is helpful for all, but especially chronic skin conditions, like acne and eczema.

Best Glutathione Serum

As we’ve showcased here, glutathione for skin is endlessly impressive. Not only are its benefits multifaceted, but its usage couldn’t be easier. Consult with your glutathione serum’s packaging for exact dosage, but, in general, glutathione can be used once or twice a day — no confusing skin cycling routines here. And it’s additionally easy to use because it doesn’t counteract any other ingredients found in skincare. Actually, it’s been shown to help stabilize and even enhance the performance of other brightening ingredients, like vitamin C. Here’s our favorite glutathione serum.

The Brightening Serum

When we created The Brightening Serum, we wanted a formula that could do it all, which means it addresses dullness, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, post acne marks, uneven skin, texture, and tone. Skin is clinically proven to be brighter and visibly firmer in just a single week*, and elasticity is boosted with this clever formula, featuring 12-hour time-release vitamin C, Japanese plum, ferulic acid, and, of course, glutathione.

The time-release vitamin C slowly releases the potent antioxidant over the course of 12 hours, so it can brighten and visibly even tone while reducing the potential for irritation, which can occur easily with other formulas due to the sudden flood of active ingredients. The Japanese plum, known as nanko ume in Japan, is the queen of plum and has been used in at-home beauty rituals for centuries to help brighten skin. Also present is ferulic acid, which helps to support the stability of the other antioxidants, while also addressing hyperpigmentation, inflammation, and sun damage. And it wouldn’t be our brightening serum without the addition of the pro-glutathione antioxidant booster, which is a super-powered version of glutathione and provides a superdose of antioxidants — precisely 13 times more antioxidant power than pure ascorbic acid.*

*Based on in vitro testing of Ascorbic Acid vs. Pro-Glutathione Antioxidant Booster on oxidative stress.

Immediately skin feels more hydrated and brighter, and after just a single week, post-acne marks look less noticeable and skin feels softer and more supple.* Skin that has all-day brightening power and both instant and long-term results? Consider us a glutathione fan.

*Based on a clinical study of 18 panelists.