Type: Ingredient entity — regulatory boundary record (reduced-scope page)
Topic: Reduced Glutathione (글루타티온(환원형)) — OTC pharmaceutical boundary; cosmetic naming, functional-cosmetic claim basis, and health functional food ingredient status unverified
Evidence basis: MFDS/NEDRUG OTC drug item listings (Tachion 50 mg / 100 mg); manufacturer product pages (product context only)
Last Verified: 2026-07-23 (NEDRUG current-license status re-verified on the item records)
This page does not make treatment, disease prevention, or efficacy claims. See the Evidence Boundaries section. This is deliberately a boundary record, not a full ingredient profile: what is verified here is narrower than what is commonly claimed about this ingredient.
Reduced glutathione (글루타티온(환원형)) is widely discussed in Korean beauty and supplement marketing, most often around whitening (미백), antioxidant, and “detox” language. This record documents what is directly verifiable about its regulatory position in Korea.
The directly confirmed records reviewed for this page are two over-the-counter pharmaceutical products listed in MFDS’s NEDRUG database: Tachion tablets 50 mg and 100 mg. In both products, reduced glutathione is identified as the active ingredient, and both items are classified as 일반의약품 (non-prescription drugs).
Two separate questions remain unresolved in this record.
First, this page has not independently confirmed the Korean cosmetic ingredient naming or identity record for reduced glutathione in the sources used here. It has also not confirmed any MFDS functional-cosmetic basis allowing reduced glutathione itself to support a whitening claim.
Second, this page has not confirmed reduced glutathione itself as a notified-type or individually recognized functional ingredient under Korea’s Health Functional Food framework.
Unverified does not mean prohibited. It means that this record does not contain a directly confirmed regulatory basis for a cosmetic functional claim or a glutathione-specific health functional food claim.
Why publish a page like this at all? Because the OTC listings create a claim boundary that matters in both directions. Indication wording belonging to specific drug items cannot be transferred to cosmetics or supplements. Likewise, marketing language common in beauty and supplement contexts, including whitening, detox, antioxidant, liver-support, or fatigue-recovery wording, has no verified regulatory anchor in this record.
Ingredient Snapshot
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Ingredient Name | Reduced Glutathione |
| Korean Name | 글루타티온(환원형) |
| INCI Name | Unknown — direct cosmetic naming confirmation pending |
| Synonyms | Glutathione (reduced form); as labeled in NEDRUG items: 글루타티온(환원형) |
| CAS No. | Unknown — direct confirmation pending |
| Ingredient Type | Other — OTC pharmaceutical active ingredient in the verified records |
| Cosmetic Role | Unknown — cosmetic naming and functional-cosmetic claim status not verified in this record |
| Supplement Function | Not verified as a notified-type or individually recognized health functional food ingredient |
| Status | To Review |
Regulatory Records
| Record Type | Jurisdiction | Issuing Body | Record Number | Scope | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 기타 (OTC pharmaceutical boundary) | South Korea | MFDS (NEDRUG) | 품목기준코드 197100015 | Tachion tablet 50 mg — 일반의약품, active ingredient 글루타티온(환원형) 50 mg/tablet; licensed 1971-11-23 | License current as of 2026-07-23 — no cancellation or withdrawal on the NEDRUG item record | NEDRUG item detail, itemSeq=197100015 |
| 기타 (OTC pharmaceutical boundary) | South Korea | MFDS (NEDRUG) | 품목기준코드 202401710 | Tachion tablet 100 mg — 일반의약품, active ingredient 글루타티온(환원형) 100 mg/tablet; licensed 2024-07-11 | License current as of 2026-07-23 — no cancellation or withdrawal on the NEDRUG item record | NEDRUG item detail, itemSeq=202401710 |
Original wording captured from the NEDRUG item entries: “전문/일반: 일반의약품”; “글루타티온(환원형) 50 밀리그램”; “글루타티온(환원형) 100.0 밀리그램”.
The indication wording differs by item. The 50 mg item includes “약물중독, 자가중독,” while the 100 mg item includes “약물중독.” These indications belong only to the corresponding drug item records.
Claim Safety Matrix
| Claim Text | Claim Type | Why It Matters | Safer Alternative Wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Reduced glutathione is the active ingredient of OTC drug products in Korea, including Tachion 50 mg and 100 mg tablets.” | Caution | This is a verified drug-domain fact, and stating the listing fact itself is acceptable. It is classified Caution because the risk arises when the fact is used in non-drug marketing to imply pharmaceutical efficacy for a cosmetic or supplement product. | “Reduced glutathione is listed in Korea’s NEDRUG database as the active ingredient of OTC tablet products. Its cosmetic and health functional food statuses are separate regulatory questions.” | NEDRUG itemSeq 197100015 / 202401710 |
| OTC indication wording reused outside the drug domain | Avoid | Indication language belongs to the specific OTC drug item. Transferring it to cosmetics or supplements presents drug efficacy as if it applied to a non-drug product. | Do not reuse the indication. If the drug listing must be referenced, state only the listing and ingredient-identification facts. | NEDRUG item entries; boundary rule in this record |
| “Detox / 해독” wording | Avoid | In the sources reviewed, this wording appears in manufacturer or marketing material rather than in a directly confirmed cosmetic or health functional food regulatory basis. | No supported alternative from this record. | Manufacturer product and news pages; Brand-tier sources only |
| Whitening wording for cosmetics | Avoid | This record has not verified reduced glutathione as an MFDS-recognized functional ingredient supporting a whitening functional-cosmetic claim. | “No Korean functional-cosmetic claim basis for reduced glutathione was verified in this record.” | Verification status of this record |
| Antioxidant, liver-support, or fatigue-recovery wording for supplements | Avoid | This record has not verified reduced glutathione itself as a notified-type or individually recognized health functional food ingredient. | “No glutathione-specific health functional food claim basis was verified in this record.” | Verification status of this record |
Evidence Boundaries: What This Page Does Not Claim
The following claims are outside the scope of this ingredient record.
Disease treatment or prevention. The OTC listings documented here are item-level regulatory records. This page does not endorse treatment or prevention claims for any condition.
Pharmaceutical efficacy for non-drug products. Nothing here supports transferring drug-domain indications or efficacy wording to cosmetics, ordinary foods, supplements, or health functional foods.
General cosmetic legality or prohibition. This record does not conclude that reduced glutathione is prohibited as a cosmetic ingredient. It records only that cosmetic naming and identity were not independently confirmed here, and that no Korean functional-cosmetic whitening basis for reduced glutathione was verified.
Health functional food functionality. This record does not confirm reduced glutathione itself as a notified-type or individually recognized functional ingredient. The existence of products that contain or name glutathione does not establish a functional claim for glutathione itself; a product’s registered functionality may come from other ingredients.
Individual outcomes and product performance. This record verifies regulatory listings and boundaries, not what any product or dose will do for an individual. It does not endorse any specific product, including the products named for identification.
Related Entities
Related Ingredients
- Hydroquinone — OTC drug status and cosmetic claim boundaries
- Sodium DNA (PDRN) — ingredient identity and claim boundaries
Related Product Types
- OTC (일반의약품) tablet products — verified domain in this record
- Whitening ampoules and glutathione-containing supplement products — market categories discussed separately; no claim basis verified here for reduced glutathione itself
Related Claims
- OTC listing fact — Caution: acceptable as a stated regulatory fact; the risk arises in non-drug marketing contexts
- Whitening wording — Avoid; no functional-cosmetic basis verified in this record
- Detox, antioxidant, liver-support, or fatigue-recovery wording — Avoid; no glutathione-specific health functional food basis verified in this record
Related Regulatory Concepts
- OTC pharmaceutical boundary: 의약품–화장품–건강기능식품 domain separation
- Cosmetic ingredient use versus functional-cosmetic claim authorization
- Product naming or inclusion versus health functional food ingredient functionality
- “Unverified” versus “prohibited”: absence of a confirmed basis is not a prohibition finding
Source Transparency Note
This page uses the following source classification:
| Source | Role | Authority Scope | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| MFDS / NEDRUG item details, itemSeq 197100015 and 202401710 | Regulatory | OTC item classification, active ingredient identity, strength, item-specific indication text, license currency | Drug domain only; license currency re-verified 2026-07-23 on the item records |
| Manufacturer product pages, including Tachion 50 mg and 100 mg | Product context | Official manufacturer presentation of named products | Brand tier only; not a regulatory or cross-domain claim authority |
| KCIA | Naming and synonym reference only | Cosmetic naming reference | Direct confirmation was not completed for this record |
| Health Functional Food Code and functional ingredient sources | Functional ingredient verification framework | Notified-type and individually recognized functional ingredients | No reduced-glutathione-specific functional ingredient basis was confirmed in this record |
No source on this page supports cosmetic whitening, supplement antioxidant, detox, liver-support, fatigue-recovery, disease-treatment, or disease-prevention claims for reduced glutathione.
FAQ
Is reduced glutathione recognized as a whitening functional ingredient in Korean cosmetics?
This record has not verified reduced glutathione as an MFDS-recognized functional ingredient supporting a whitening claim. It also does not make a general prohibition finding about its use as a cosmetic ingredient.
Is reduced glutathione a registered health functional food ingredient in Korea?
This record has not verified reduced glutathione itself as a notified-type or individually recognized functional ingredient under Korea’s Health Functional Food framework. Products that contain or name glutathione may exist, but that alone does not establish a glutathione-specific functional claim. Their registered functionality may come from other ingredients.
What is actually verified about reduced glutathione’s status in Korea?
The directly verified records reviewed for this page are pharmaceutical. Reduced glutathione is identified as the active ingredient of OTC Tachion tablet products listed in MFDS’s NEDRUG database: 50 mg under item code 197100015 (licensed 1971-11-23) and 100 mg under item code 202401710 (licensed 2024-07-11), both with license current as of 2026-07-23.
Can the OTC drug indications be used for glutathione cosmetics or supplements?
No. Indication wording belongs to the specific OTC drug item listing. Reusing it for a cosmetic, ordinary food, supplement, or health functional food would present drug-domain efficacy as if it applied to a non-drug product.
Does “unverified” mean reduced glutathione is prohibited in cosmetics or supplements?
No. “Unverified” means that this record did not directly confirm the relevant naming, ingredient-status, or claim basis. It is not a prohibition finding.