This 2024 review looked at 15 years of hydroquinone safety research and found enough concerns that the U.S. banned it from over-the-counter products. While hydroquinone is very effective at treating dark spots and melasma, the research raised serious safety questions that warranted regulatory action.

Researchers reviewed published studies from the past 15 years on hydroquinone's safety profile to provide an updated assessment of this widely-used skin lightening ingredient.

Funding not disclosed in abstract