Value (Brightening Cream)
Glutathione Brightening Cream
Glutathione, niacinamide, and alpha-arbutin deliver daily moisture with continuous brightening. Its lightweight, non-clogging texture suits tropical climates.
Product Overview
| MOQ | 2,000–3,000 jars / SKU |
| Lead Time | 45–55 days |
| Sizes | 50g |
| Packaging | Frosted glass jar or PP cream bottle; customizable gel cream lightweight version |
| Mini Pack | No - Not ideal for very small packs, but available as 5g sample size |
| Suitable For | All skin types, especially dull, uneven skin tone (oily skin: choose gel cream version) |
Response within 24 hours · Free samples available
Key Active Ingredients
How the Active Ingredients Work
A cream is the leave-on step where the same actives stay on the skin the longest, and it is also the hardest format to keep light in a humid market. That tension — an emulsion rich enough to hold actives in place, light enough for daily tropical use — is what this base is built around. The notes below focus on how each active behaves inside an emulsion, which is a different problem from dosing it into a water-based serum. Concentrations are our standard ODM baseline, adjustable for your target market and price point.
Glutathionebaseline 1.0% · range 0.5–2.0%
The anchor active of the Southeast Asian brightening category and the ingredient buyers search for by name. What makes a cream the interesting format for it is that the published topical work was itself done on one: the closest study using the same form of the molecule tested a cleanser-and-cream regimen, effective at both 0.1% and 0.5%. Only two concentrations were tested, so it does not establish a dose-response curve, and our 1.0% baseline is a commercial standard rather than a figure derived from the literature. An emulsion also gives the sulfur note more places to hide than a clear serum does, which is part of why the range stops at 2%, and it is one of the things to judge on a real sample rather than on paper. For topical use only — not the injectable form, which is not approved for skin lightening in the Philippines.
Alpha-Arbutinbaseline 1.0% · range 0.5–2.0% (EU face-cream cap 2.0%)
In an emulsion this active raises a question a serum never has to answer: it wants the water phase and it wants to stay away from heat, but a cream is built by heating an oil phase and a water phase together. So it goes in during cool-down, below 40 °C, after the emulsion has already formed — which is why the order of addition matters more here than the number on the spec sheet. Regulation (EU) 2024/996 sets the face-cream ceiling at 2.0%; note that the same regulation holds body lotion to 0.5%, so a face cream and a body version of one brightening range are not the same formula. Hydroquinone is not used as an ingredient in this formula, and under that regulation any residue carried over from the raw material must stay at unavoidable trace levels.
Niacinamidebaseline 3.0% · range 2.0–5.0%
Vitamin B3 works on a different pathway from the other two, reducing the transfer of pigment to surface skin cells. The published evidence most often cited is an eight-week split-face trial in 27 melasma patients, where the 4% side showed significant improvement; we set our baseline one point lower at 3% as a tolerability and cost decision, and brands can move up to 4–5% within the range. Korea caps niacinamide at 5% in its functional-cosmetic framework, so the top of this range is also the ceiling for a Korean filing. In a leave-on cream it also carries a formulation job beyond brightening, since it holds water in the upper layers and takes some of the load off the emollient phase — useful when the brief asks for a light finish. A 2% version is available for brands whose promise is tolerability.
Squalaneemollient, level set by finish
Squalane is the main lever for how the cream feels. It gives the cushioned after-feel buyers associate with a cream, and it is also where a tropical brief pulls in the opposite direction, so we set the level against the finish you want rather than to a fixed number. A gel-cream version drops it substantially for oilier skin and hotter markets.
Hyaluronic Acid0.1–0.5% (total)
A supporting humectant rather than a brightening active. Its role in a cream is different from its role in a serum: here the emollient phase already handles the after-feel, so the hyaluronic acid is doing surface water-binding underneath it rather than carrying the skin-feel on its own.
Formulation & Customization Options
| Service model | ODM (adjust our existing base) or full OEM custom development |
| Adjustable actives | Glutathione grade & concentration; alpha-arbutin / niacinamide ratio; added actives on request |
| Target pH | Set inside alpha-arbutin’s stable window of pH 4.5–7.5 (SCCS). In an emulsion the pH also has to keep the emulsifier system stable, so the final figure is confirmed per project. |
| Texture & base | Lightweight cream (default), gel-cream for oily skin, or richer night-cream version |
| Sizes | 50g standard, plus a 5g sample size for trial and sampling campaigns |
| Fragrance | Fragrance-free (default) or custom scent |
| Packaging | Frosted glass jar or PP cream bottle; airless format recommended where the glutathione level is set high |
| Certifications | ISO 22716, GMPC; SGS testing supported upon request |
Who This Product Is Built For
Brands wanting one leave-on hero product
For a brand launching a single brightening SKU, a cream is often the better choice than a serum because it carries the moisturising job as well. Brands that want a lighter layered routine instead usually start with our Glutathione Brightening Serum and add the cream as the second step.
Night-care positioning
A richer version of this base is straightforward, and overnight use suits brands that want to avoid the heavy feel in daytime humidity.
Oily and combination skin markets
The gel-cream route keeps the same actives with a much lighter finish, which is the version most requested for Southeast Asia.
Brands scaling a brightening range
Cleanser, serum, and cream can be produced under one certified roof with a matched active story across all three.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum order quantity?
MOQ is 2,000–3,000 jars per SKU at the 50g size. The standard cream and the gel-cream version are separate SKUs with separate minimums, so if you want both for different climates, plan for two minimums rather than one — this is the most common surprise on a cream brief.
Should I choose the serum or the cream?
A serum layers under other products and suits routines with several steps; a cream does the brightening and the moisturising in one, which suits a single-SKU launch. Many brands eventually run both, with the serum first and the cream on top.
Can you make it lighter for humid markets?
Yes. The gel-cream version keeps the same actives and drops the emollient level substantially. This is the most requested adjustment on this base.
How long does sampling and production take?
Custom sample rounds take 2–3 weeks and bulk production runs 45–55 days after sample approval. Allow for one extra round if you are comparing the standard cream against the gel-cream version, since judging the after-feel difference in a humid climate is something you want to do on real samples rather than on paper.
Is it certified for export?
Manufacturing is ISO 22716 and GMPC compliant, with SGS testing on request, and ingredient compliance is confirmed against your destination market before sampling. Two things to settle early on a brightening cream: the claim wording, since brightening is a regulated functional claim requiring evaluation and filing in some markets while others accept an appearance claim, and the Philippines requirement to keep topical glutathione clearly separate from injectable glutathione in all copy.
Customization
OEM/ODM supported; glutathione concentration and texture adjustable
Target Markets
Certifications
ISO 22716 & GMPC certified; SGS testing supported upon request
Need a Custom Glutathione Brightening Cream Formula?
Tell us your requirements — target actives, texture, packaging, quantity, and target market. We will respond with a custom formulation proposal within 48 hours.
Response within 24 hours · WhatsApp available · Factory visits welcome