Brightening cosmetic composition, pigmentation treatment pharmaceutical composition, and pigmentation treatment skin external preparation composition, brightening method and pigmentation treatment method

The present invention relates to a whitening use of a composition that comprises: as active ingredients, sodium pyruvate, sodium pyruvate and hydroquinone, sodium pyruvate and arbutin, or sodium pyruvate, hydroquinone and arbutin. The whitening effect of sodium pyruvate was confirmed, and the disadvantages associated with skin safety, including apoptosis from hydroquinone and arbutin as compounds for skin whitening, can be overcome when applied together with sodium pyruvate, thereby providing an improved whitening effect. Therefore, the composition can be effectively used in cosmetics, medicines, external preparations, and the like.