“Kojic acid is made up of several different mushrooms,” says Jeannette Graf, Registered Dermatologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “It’s a by-product of certain types of mushrooms and fermented foods like rice wine, kimchi, and Japanese sake. Kojic acid inhibits tyrosinase, the melanin-forming enzyme. ”
In beauty products, kojic acid acts as a lightening agent. “Because kojic acid inhibits tyrosinase, it can be used to lighten unwanted hyperpigmentation,” says Karen Chinonso Kagha, MD, a certified dermatologist and Harvard-trained cosmetics and laser specialist.
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