Tranexamic Acid Sunscreen: What the TXA Studies Actually Tested
On 30 September 2026, the fifth best-selling product in Olive Young Korea’s sun care ranking was a tranexamic acid sunscreen from celimax.[1] Tranexamic acid, or TXA, is also a drug. A 2023 review describes it as “a synthetic derivative of the amino acid lysine” that the FDA approved for heavy periods and for preventing bleeding when people with hemophilia have a tooth pulled.[2] It’s also used for melasma, which another 2023 review describes as off-label use, meaning a use the drug wasn’t approved for.[3] So what does TXA add when it’s mixed into a sunscreen? We read celimax’s Korean product page and the TXA research to see what these sunscreens can and can’t promise.
The short version: celimax’s Korean page prints its formula, 5% niacinamide, 1% tranexamic acid and 0.1% panthenol, and the footnote names niacinamide, not TXA, as the whitening functional ingredient.[4] The TXA studies we read used 0.75% to 5% TXA, mostly in gels, creams and serums.[5-9] The only test of a TXA sunscreen we found, searching PubMed and Google, was done on human skin samples in a lab, against samples that got nothing.[9] Reviews disagree about how much TXA on the skin adds,[11-13] while a 2026 expert consensus calls broad-spectrum sunscreen essential for melasma.[15]
What the celimax TXA sunscreen’s Korean page says
The product information panel on celimax’s Korean store lists the 50 ml sunscreen as the celimax Brightening Pore Blemish Sun Cream, made in Korea, and describes it as a triple functional cosmetic: whitening, wrinkle improvement and UV protection.[4] Higher up, the brand gives its formula as niacinamide 5%, tranexamic acid 1% and panthenol 0.1%. The footnotes under that line call niacinamide the whitening functional ingredient and give TXA only its ingredient-list name.[4] Further down, a claim that the combination is excellent for pore and spot care comes with a footnote limiting it to the raw ingredients’ properties.[4]
The full ingredient list has 38 entries. Niacinamide is third, the four UV filters (diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate, ethylhexyl triazone, methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol and diethylhexyl butamido triazone) are listed between 7th and 11th, and tranexamic acid is 15th.[4] The page also states that the sunscreen isn’t a drug for preventing or removing melasma.[4]
celimax reports its own results as well: a 3.54% reduction in the number of melasma spots, dark spots and pigmented spots in a human application test that a Korean skin research institute ran on 21 adults from 11 to 25 June 2024, with the note that results vary by person.[4] That’s two weeks, 21 people and the brand’s own test, reported for the whole product.
What the TXA studies actually tested
Here’s what the studies we read put on skin, or on skin samples in a lab, and what they compared it with.
| Study | What was applied | Compared with | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 trial, 23 women with melasma, 12 weeks[5] | 5% TXA gel on one side of the face, twice a day, plus sunscreen every morning | The same gel without TXA on the other side | Both sides improved. The TXA side was “neither superior nor different” and got redder |
| 2014 trial, 42 Korean women, 8 weeks[6] | Moisturizer with 2% niacinamide and 2% TXA, twice a day, plus sunscreen every morning | The same cream without the two actives | The niacinamide and TXA cream reduced the look of pigmentation more |
| 2025 trial, 60 women with melasma[7] | Serum with 5% niacinamide, 1% TXA, 0.2% stabilized vitamin C and hydroxy acids, for 5 months | Hydroquinone 4% for 3 months, then the serum | Similar results, and the serum was better tolerated |
| 2025 trial, one group of 11 women[8] | 1% TXA microemulsion on the whole face, daily, for five months | Laser or microneedling sessions with 3% TXA gel | “outcomes comparable” to the procedure groups |
| 2024 lab study, conference abstract[9] | Tinted sunscreen with 7% niacinamide, 0.75% TXA and 10% pigments, on human skin samples | Skin samples with no treatment | Less melanin after exposure to infrared, visible and UV light |
A few things stand out. The two trials that compared a TXA product with the same base minus its actives gave everyone sunscreen every morning.[5][6] In the 2012 one, the melasma severity score (MASI) fell on the plain-gel side too: “The MASI scores were also significantly reduced on both tested sides.” The TXA gel did no better than the gel without it.[5] The 2014 cream did beat the plain cream, but it paired TXA with niacinamide, and the authors described the result as “an effect beyond that achieved with sunscreen.”[6]
The 1% results come from a serum that also had 5% niacinamide, vitamin C and hydroxy acids,[7] and from a nanotechnology-based microemulsion, a kind of formula the authors note can enhance drug penetration.[8] The one TXA sunscreen on the list was tested on skin samples against samples that got no treatment at all, so it shows what the whole sunscreen did, not what the 0.75% TXA added.[9] A 2026 trial of a different sunscreen with added actives, sclareolide and niacinamide, four of whose six authors work for ISDIN, ended on the same gap: “Comparative studies with and without these ingredients are warranted.”[10]
What the reviews say about TXA on the skin
Reviews that pool the trials reach different answers:
- A 2023 meta-analysis of topical melasma treatments found that TXA’s before-and-after improvement was comparable to hydroquinone’s. Irritation was reported in 0.8% of people using TXA, against 50.9% for combinations containing hydroquinone.[11]
- A 2024 meta-analysis of 28 randomized trials found that topical TXA “did not show a significant change” compared to adjuvant treatment at either 8 or 12 weeks, and concluded: “Data are still required for topical and intradermal routes.”[12]
- A 2024 network meta-analysis, which compares several ways of giving TXA across trials at once, found that topical TXA did separate from placebo, starting at week 8, while TXA taken by mouth separated at week 4.[13]
A 2022 review of self-applied melasma treatments in the British Journal of Dermatology gives one reason the answers vary: “However, with mostly small RCTs comparing treatments directly using a broad range of outcomes, further research is needed to draw conclusions about which treatment is most effective.”[14] RCTs are randomized controlled trials. So TXA on the skin looks promising in some analyses and unproven in others.
The part the experts agree on is the sunscreen
A 2026 consensus on melasma drew on a panel of 38 dermatologists from 11 countries, South Korea among them. Its key recommendations “highlighted photoprotection with broad-spectrum sunscreens as essential, regulated and supervised use of hydroquinone-based triple combination creams as the gold standard, and alternatives such as topical azelaic acid, kojic acid and oral tranexamic acid.”[15] The TXA on that list is taken by mouth. Topical TXA isn’t among the alternatives named in the summary.
The 2022 review adds a detail about which sunscreen, where HQ means hydroquinone: “evidence suggests that using broad-spectrum sunscreen covering both the visible and ultraviolet-light spectrum enhances the treatment efficacy of HQ.”[14] Our guide to Korean sunscreen for hyperpigmentation covers what visible light has to do with dark spots, and our Korean tinted sunscreen guide lists tinted options.
How to read a tranexamic acid sunscreen label
- Look for a percentage. celimax prints 1% TXA next to 5% niacinamide.[4] The studies above used 0.75% to 5% TXA, so a printed number tells you which of them come closest.[5-9]
- Check which ingredient carries the brightening claim. On the celimax page, the footnote gives that role to niacinamide.[4] If niacinamide suits you, our guide to sunscreen with niacinamide and other actives covers that category. If it doesn’t, see Korean sunscreens without niacinamide.
- Count the applications. In the 2012 and 2014 trials, the TXA product went on twice a day, on top of a morning sunscreen.[5][6] A sunscreen gets one application a day unless you reapply it. That comparison is ours, not a finding from either study.
- Watch for redness. The 5% TXA gel in 2012 caused more redness than the same gel without TXA.[5] The 2023 meta-analysis put TXA’s irritation rate at 0.8%.[11]
- Think about visible light. The 2022 review says evidence suggests that sunscreen covering visible light as well as UV helps hydroquinone work better.[14] That’s a question about the sunscreen, not the TXA.
- Stubborn melasma is a job for a dermatologist. The consensus treatments include hydroquinone-based triple creams used under supervision,[15] and celimax’s own page says its sunscreen isn’t a drug for preventing or removing melasma.[4]
FAQ
Does tranexamic acid in sunscreen work?
We didn’t find a study in PubMed that tested a TXA sunscreen on people. Trials of TXA gels, creams and serums have mixed results, and the one lab test of a TXA sunscreen compared it with untreated skin, so it can’t show what the TXA added. What melasma experts agree on is the sunscreen itself.
How much tranexamic acid is in a Korean TXA sunscreen?
celimax’s Korean page lists 1% tranexamic acid alongside 5% niacinamide and 0.1% panthenol. The TXA studies we read used between 0.75% and 5%.
Does tranexamic acid irritate skin?
Sometimes. In a 2012 trial, a 5% TXA gel caused more redness than the same gel without TXA. A 2023 review of topical melasma treatments reported irritation in 0.8% of people using TXA, the lowest of the treatments it listed.
Is a TXA sunscreen enough for melasma?
A 2026 expert consensus treats broad-spectrum sunscreen as essential and names supervised use of hydroquinone-based triple creams as the gold standard, with oral TXA among the alternatives. celimax’s own page says its sunscreen isn’t a drug for preventing or removing melasma.
Sources
Korean store and brand pages (read on 2026-09-30):
[1] Olive Young Korea, sales ranking, sun care tab, read 10:05 KST; 5th: celimax tranexamic acid brightening dark spot sun cream 50ml, double set: link
[4] celimax Korea official store, Tranexamic Acid Brightening Sun Cream 50ml (product 65): product information panel (functional cosmetic line, full ingredient list), formula percentages and footnotes, human application test notes, read 17:18 KST: link
Research (PubMed abstracts, read on 2026-09-30):
[2] Mahjoub TT, Milibary HH. Oral tranexamic acid in the treatment of hyperpigmentation disorder beyond melasma: A review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22(4):1157-1162. PMID 36575866. doi:10.1111/jocd.15561: link
[3] Konisky H, Balazic E, Jaller JA, et al. Tranexamic acid in melasma: A focused review on drug administration routes. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22(4):1197-1206. PMID 36606378. doi:10.1111/jocd.15589: link
[5] Kanechorn Na Ayuthaya P, Niumphradit N, Manosroi A, Nakakes A. Topical 5% tranexamic acid for the treatment of melasma in Asians: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy. 2012;14(3):150-4. PMID 22506692. doi:10.3109/14764172.2012.685478: link
[6] Lee DH, Oh IY, Koo KT, et al. Reduction in facial hyperpigmentation after treatment with a combination of topical niacinamide and tranexamic acid: a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial. Skin Research and Technology. 2014;20(2):208-12. PMID 24033822. doi:10.1111/srt.12107: link
[7] Rocio J, Pittet JC, Sachdev M, et al. Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Serum Containing Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Vitamin C, and Hydroxy Acid Compared to 4% Hydroquinone in the Management of Melasma. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2025;24(3):e70097. PMID 40062688. doi:10.1111/jocd.70097: link
[8] Hofny ERM, Younis AH, Badary DM, et al. Comparative study of different treatment modalities for melasma: introducing a novel nanotechnology-based tranexamic acid microemulsion. Archives of Dermatological Research. 2025;317(1):792. PMID 40455320. doi:10.1007/s00403-025-04294-9: link
[10] Passeron T, Brown A, Furmanczyk M, et al. An Investigator-Blinded, Randomized Trial of a Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen Containing Sclareolide and Niacinamide for the Prevention of Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation in Skin of Color. Dermatology and Therapy. 2026;16(1):405-421. PMID 41240206. doi:10.1007/s13555-025-01586-w (conflict of interest statement: four authors are employees of ISDIN): link
[11] Chang YF, Lee TL, Oyerinde O, et al. Efficacy and safety of topical agents in the treatment of melasma: What’s evidence? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22(4):1168-1176. PMID 36566490. doi:10.1111/jocd.15566: link
[12] Panchal VS, Patel YS, Dalal YD, et al. Efficacy of Oral, Topical, and Intradermal Tranexamic Acid in Patients with Melasma: A Meta-Analysis. Indian Dermatology Online Journal. 2024;15(1):55-63. PMID 38283017. doi:10.4103/idoj.idoj_495_22: link
[13] Liang R, Luo H, Pan W, et al. Comparative efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid for melasma by different administration methods: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2024;23(4):1150-1164. PMID 38059683. doi:10.1111/jocd.16104: link
[14] Pennitz A, Kinberger M, Avila Valle G, et al. Self-applied topical interventions for melasma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from randomized, investigator-blinded clinical trials. British Journal of Dermatology. 2022;187(3):309-317. PMID 35290681. doi:10.1111/bjd.21244: link
[15] Sarkar R, Desai SR, Sinha S, et al. Delphi consensus on melasma management by international experts and pigmentary disorders society. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2026;40(4):680-692. PMID 40996222. doi:10.1111/jdv.70066: link
Conference abstract (read on 2026-09-30):
[9] Espósito ACC, Correia P, Feiges M, Facchini G, Fernandes E. 53939 Effect of sunscreen containing 7% niacinamide, 0.75% tranexamic acid and 10% of mineral pigments in the skin alterations caused by subsequently exposed to infrared A, visible light and ultraviolet radiations. A ex-vivo study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2024;91(3 Suppl):AB191. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2024.07.761. Abstract only: link
