2026-08 — Based on official retailer listings and published test reports
What to check — 5 points
1Is the reduced form (GSH) stated? "Contains glutathione" alone tells you nothing.
2Is actual GSH content disclosed — not "yeast extract 00 mg"?
3Is there an absorption design (liposomal, sublingual, enteric coating)?
4Is a fermentation-derived brand such as Setria® or OPITAC™ named?
5For skin goals, is the price sustainable for 12+ weeks? (Check price per 100 mg.)
Glutathione is the body's principal endogenous antioxidant, involved in hepatic detoxification and oxidative-stress defence; oral supplementation raised blood and tissue GSH in human studies (250–1,000 mg over 6 months, Richie et al., 2015). Skin-related human research is accumulating but uses small samples over short periods. What matters when choosing: the reduced form (GSH) stated explicitly rather than oxidised (GSSG), actual GSH content rather than "yeast extract 00 mg", and an absorption design such as liposomal or sublingual. Glutathione is not an approved functional ingredient in Korea.
01Effects & latest research
What does Glutathione do, and what does recent research say?
What is established
Glutathione — the "master antioxidant" — is synthesised endogenously, participates in hepatic detoxification and oxidative-stress defence, and declines with age, UV exposure and alcohol. Oral supplementation raised blood and tissue GSH (250–1,000 mg over 6 months, Richie et al., 2015).
What is new
Human skin research has accumulated and underpins inner-beauty demand: 500 mg orally for 4 weeks lowered the melanin index (Arjinpathana & Asawanonda, 2012); 250 mg for 12 weeks showed a trend toward improved elasticity and reduced wrinkles (Weschawalit et al., 2017); and a liposomal formulation showed improved absorption (Sinha et al., 2018).
Limits — we stop here
The skin studies are small and short, so the findings should not be over-read. KNI applies "reported in a study" phrasing especially strictly here. Glutathione is also not an approved functional ingredient in Korea, so we avoid any wording implying skin-whitening or an alternative to injections.
Why does the ingredient brand matter for Glutathione?
The raw material decides quality more than the finished brand. Note the difference between a product that names its source and one that does not.
Setria®
Kyowa Hakko Bio (JP)
—Fermentation-derived reduced GSH
—Backed by human trial data — the raw material used in blood-GSH studies
—US GRAS; the reference raw material for global finished products
OPITAC™
Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences (JP)
—Fermentation-produced reduced GSH
—Global food and supplement supply record — one of Japan's two principal fermentation sources
Emothion®informational
Gnosis by Lesaffre (IT/FR)
—Patented crystalline S-acetyl glutathione
—Designed for oral stability and improved absorption, with safety documentation
—A "next-generation absorption" category — informational, not a scoring item
05Graded product matching
Which Glutathione products earn which grade?
Conflict-of-interest disclosure: KNI and EGA share ownership and management. EGA products are included in our NMN comparisons. We apply the same published criteria to all products; please review the evidence behind EGA's score.
Grade
Product
Total
Cost per active unit/100mg
Daily costWomen 250mg / Men 250mg
Days of supplyWomen / Men
S
Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione
Setria® raw material with a liposomal 250 mg design — sourcing, absorption and dose all covered
Strong liposomal liquid technology, but no ingredient brand named
Cost per active unit
Not calculable
Daily cost · Women 250mg
—
Daily cost · Men 250mg
—
Days of supply · Women / Men
—
Axis scores
Effective dose
26/30
Purity & impurity testing
18/25
Manufacturing & safety certification
15/20
Raw-material grade
5/15
Information transparency
8/10
Retailer link pending
A
72/100
Jarrow Reduced Glutathione 500 mg
Reduced form, high dose, sensible price; absorption design limited to an enteric capsule
Cost per active unit
Not calculable
Daily cost · Women 250mg
—
Daily cost · Men 250mg
—
Days of supply · Women / Men
—
Axis scores
Effective dose
30/30
Purity & impurity testing
16/25
Manufacturing & safety certification
13/20
Raw-material grade
5/15
Information transparency
8/10
Retailer link pending
B
55/100
Generic GSH tablets (unbranded import)
Dose is labelled, but there is no sourcing or absorption design
Cost per active unit
Not calculable
Daily cost · Women 250mg
—
Daily cost · Men 250mg
—
Days of supply · Women / Men
—
Axis scores
Effective dose
26/30
Purity & impurity testing
10/25
Manufacturing & safety certification
12/20
Raw-material grade
0/15
Information transparency
7/10
—C
13/100
"Contains glutathione" gummies, jellies and drinks
Actual GSH content undisclosed — marketing language only, cost not calculable
Cost per active unit
Not calculable
Daily cost · Women 250mg
—
Daily cost · Men 250mg
—
Days of supply · Women / Men
—
Axis scores
Effective dose
5/30
Purity & impurity testing
0/25
Manufacturing & safety certification
6/20
Raw-material grade
0/15
Information transparency
2/10
See axis-level scores (5 axes, 100 points)
Product
① Effective dose/30
② Purity & impurity testing/25
③ Manufacturing & safety certification/20
④ Raw-material grade/15
⑤ Information transparency/10
Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione
28
22
17
15
9
Quicksilver Scientific Liposomal
26
18
15
5
8
Jarrow Reduced Glutathione 500 mg
30
16
13
5
8
Generic GSH tablets (unbranded import)
26
10
12
0
7
"Contains glutathione" gummies, jellies and drinks
5
0
6
0
2
Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione
① Effective dose
28/30
② Purity & impurity testing
22/25
③ Manufacturing & safety certification
17/20
④ Raw-material grade
15/15
⑤ Information transparency
9/10
Quicksilver Scientific Liposomal
① Effective dose
26/30
② Purity & impurity testing
18/25
③ Manufacturing & safety certification
15/20
④ Raw-material grade
5/15
⑤ Information transparency
8/10
Jarrow Reduced Glutathione 500 mg
① Effective dose
30/30
② Purity & impurity testing
16/25
③ Manufacturing & safety certification
13/20
④ Raw-material grade
5/15
⑤ Information transparency
8/10
Generic GSH tablets (unbranded import)
① Effective dose
26/30
② Purity & impurity testing
10/25
③ Manufacturing & safety certification
12/20
④ Raw-material grade
0/15
⑤ Information transparency
7/10
"Contains glutathione" gummies, jellies and drinks
① Effective dose
5/30
② Purity & impurity testing
0/25
③ Manufacturing & safety certification
6/20
④ Raw-material grade
0/15
⑤ Information transparency
2/10
How these are calculated
Cost per active unit = price ÷ total active content · Daily cost = cost per unit × daily dose · Days of supply = total active content ÷ daily dose
Unit costs are converted from the purchase option listed at the official retailer. Where the basis is not a single unit, that option is stated beneath the figure — costs on different bases are not directly comparable.
Days of supply is not how long an effect lasts — it is how many days one pack covers at the daily dose used here. Nor is it the number of sticks or tablets in a pack: when the daily dose exceeds one serving, a 30-stick pack lasts fewer than 30 days.
Daily dose used — Women 250mg · Men 250mg. 250 mg for both = the lower bound of the 250–500 mg range used in human studies. There is no evidence for a sex-based difference, so the same figure is used.
All named products in this table are made in the US and sold via cross-border purchase. Named listings are limited to overseas brands and to top-tier (S/A) domestic products whose evidence — ingredient brand, certifications and test reports — is publicly verifiable. All other domestic products appear as a category. Third-party product links earn no affiliate commission. KNI and EGA share ownership and management; purchases do not change the published scoring criteria. Based on official retailer listings and published test reports · Data as of 2026-08
So which one should you choose?
To summarise — the reduced form stated, GSH content itself rather than yeast extract, an absorption design, a named raw material, and a price you can sustain for 12 weeks.
If you want both absorption design and a documented source —
SPure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione
It names Setria® — the raw material used in blood-GSH studies — in a liposomal 250 mg design, the only combination here covering sourcing, absorption and dose at once. It is expensive, so work out the 12-week cost first.
It offers a high 500 mg reduced-form dose at the most accessible price. Absorption design stops at an enteric capsule and there is no named source, so it grades A — but since the skin studies all assume 12+ weeks, sustainability is itself a variable.
Glutathione is not an approved functional ingredient in Korea. The statements above report findings from individual studies and do not imply a whitening effect or a substitute for clinical procedures.
Conflict-of-interest disclosure: KNI and EGA share ownership and management. EGA products are included in our NMN comparisons. We apply the same published criteria to all products; please review the evidence behind EGA's score.
What is the difference between reduced glutathione and plain glutathione?
Human studies used the reduced form (GSH). A label that only says "contains glutathione" does not tell you whether it is oxidised (GSSG) or reduced, and a yeast-extract format does not tell you how many mg of GSH it holds. Look for "reduced" or "L-Glutathione (reduced)" together with the GSH figure in mg.
We cannot say that. A 2012 study reported a lower melanin index at 500 mg over 4 weeks and a 2017 study reported a trend toward better elasticity at 250 mg over 12 weeks, but both were small and short. Glutathione is also not an approved functional ingredient in Korea, so whitening claims or comparisons to injectable procedures are not permitted.
Oral glutathione can degrade during digestion, so absorption design matters; a liposomal formulation showed improved absorption (Sinha 2018). Even without it, a product with the reduced form, disclosed content and a named supplier can reach A grade. Also check whether the price is sustainable for 12 weeks or more.
