ZO Skin Health Pigment Control plus Brightening Creme Hydroquinone plus Vitamin C .04 mg/mL Emulsion
by ZO Skin Health, Inc. · 1 BOTTLE, PLASTIC in 1 CARTON (42851-035-81) / 81 mL in 1 BOTTLE, PLASTIC
NDC 42851-0035-81
🏷️ FDA NDC (as labeled)
42851-035-81
billing pads the product segment with a zero
Rx only
On market
Non-controlled
🗂️ Data synced Jul 24, 2026 · sources: openFDA · FDA label (DailyMed) · FDA Orange & Purple Book · First Databank · CMS NADAC, ASP, Medicare & Medicaid · RxNorm
📋 All sources & update times →
🆔 Identity & classification
FDA NDC (as labeled)
42851-035-81
Product NDC
42851-035
11-digit billing NDC
42851003581
UNII
XV74C1N1AE
SPL Set ID
d7bfa71b-ddce-437e-abf9-2837af82c54d
Established class (EPC)
Melanin Synthesis Inhibitor
Mechanism of action
Melanin Synthesis Inhibitors
Physiologic effect
Depigmenting Activity
DEA schedule
Non-controlled
Marketing category
UNAPPROVED DRUG OTHER
Marketing status
On market
FDA listing status
Listed (active directory)
Marketing start
2018-05-01
Route
TOPICAL
Dosage form
EMULSION
Substance
HYDROQUINONE
Why two NDCs?
The FDA registers this code as 42851-035-81 — a 5-3-2 layout, and that's what's printed on the package and shown on DailyMed. For insurance claims, every NDC is standardized to a uniform 11-digit 5-4-2 format by adding a zero to the product segment → 42851-0035-81. Same drug, same package — only the format differs.
Where does this data come from?
Identifiers from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Structured Product Labeling; RxCUI from RxNorm (NLM); GPI from Medi-Span; GCN / HIC / AHFS / legend from First Databank.
🏭 Manufacturer & labeler
LabelerZO Skin Health, Inc.
Labeler code42851
First marketedMay 2018
Product typeHuman Prescription Drug
Portfolio23 products on file
The labeler markets the product; the application holder owns the FDA approval. They’re often the same company but can differ (e.g. a repackager or an authorized generic). A mailing address / phone appears here when the manufacturer includes it in the product’s FDA label (not all do).
Where does this data come from?
Labeler, application holder and registered establishment from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Drugs@FDA; address/contact from the product’s FDA label.
🩺 Clinical
🧪 What is this product?
This is a topical emulsion cream containing hydroquinone, a melanin synthesis inhibitor. Hydroquinone is typically used in skincare products to address hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone by reducing melanin production in the skin. The product also includes vitamin C, which is commonly included in brightening formulations. This product is marketed without an approved FDA application.
Patient education
Supplement & herbal interactions
Where does this data come from?
Plain-language summary from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine); supplement & herbal interactions and nutrient depletion data from the Natural Medicines database; our full guide is HelloPharmacist editorial content.
💬 Questions about Hydroquinone?
Ask a pharmacist →
Ask a licensed pharmacist directly — free, answered by our team.
🧪 Inactive Ingredients / Excipients
Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.
💡 Tap an ingredient (hover on desktop) to see what it is and why it’s used.
-
UNII 9E8X80D2L0
A synthetic form of vitamin E used as an antioxidant and preservative in medications. It helps prevent the active ingredients from degrading when exposed to oxygen or light.
-
UNII PQ6CK8PD0R
Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is a white crystalline powder. It serves as an antioxidant to prevent degradation of other ingredients and may also function as a preservative in the formulation.
-
UNII QN83US2B0N
Ascorbyl palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C used as an antioxidant in medicines. It prevents oils and fats in the product from breaking down and becoming less stable over time.
-
UNII Q95M2P1KJL
A silicone-based ingredient that acts as a lubricant and glidant. It helps the tablet or capsule move smoothly through manufacturing equipment and improves powder flow during production.
-
UNII V2W71V8T0X
A silicone-based compound that mixes oil and water together. Used in formulations as an emulsifier to help blend ingredients and improve texture and stability of creams, lotions, and other topical products.
-
UNII A1A1I8X02B
A clear liquid solvent derived from ethylene glycol. It helps dissolve active ingredients and improve how the medicine flows and mixes in liquid formulations.
-
UNII 92RU3N3Y1O
Dimethicone is a silicone-based oil that acts as an anti-foaming agent and lubricant in medicines. It reduces gas bubbles in liquid formulations and helps coat and protect the stomach lining when ingested.
-
UNII UF7620L1W6
A synthetic silicone polymer that acts as a thickener and absorbent in medicines. It helps create the right texture, improves how the product feels on skin or in the mouth, and can absorb excess moisture or oil in formulations.
-
UNII C9H2L21V7U
A fat derived from coconut or palm oil containing shorter fatty acid chains. It serves as a solvent and carrier to help dissolve or suspend active ingredients, improving absorption and stability in liquid formulations.
-
UNII 172F2WN8DV
A fatty alcohol derived from animal or plant oils. It acts as an emollient and helps stabilize emulsions, allowing oil and water to mix evenly in the medication.
-
UNII 8ED72Z8J1Z
A plant-based oil extracted from Plukenetia volubilis seeds, commonly called sacha inchi oil. It's used in formulations as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent to improve texture and spreadability.
-
UNII IJ67X351P9
A natural plant extract from rosemary leaves used as a preservative to help prevent oils and fats in the medicine from spoiling or becoming rancid during storage.
-
UNII GW89575KF9
Squalane is a lightweight oil derived from plant sources or synthesized. It acts as an emollient and lubricant in formulations, helping ingredients blend smoothly and improving product texture and spreadability.
-
UNII 3W1JG795YI
Sunflower oil is a natural vegetable oil derived from sunflower seeds. It serves as a solvent, lubricant, and carrier in medicines, helping dissolve active ingredients and improve how the medication flows and absorbs in the body.
-
UNII R0ZB2556P8
Tocopherol is a form of vitamin E derived from plant oils. It acts as an antioxidant in medicines to prevent oils and fats from breaking down and spoiling during storage.
-
UNII 1D1K0N0VVC
A fat-soluble form of vitamin A used as a colorant and nutritional fortification ingredient. It gives products a yellow or orange tint and increases vitamin A content in the formula.
-
UNII 3CIP16A418
A plant extract from Sichuan pepper fruit used as a flavoring agent and natural fragrance component in medicines. It adds taste and aroma to make medications more palatable.
17 inactive ingredients listed in the exact product block matched to this NDC.
Where does this data come from?
Data sourced from official FDA Structured Product Labeling (SPL) via DailyMed —
ingredient classCode="IACT" elements from the exact product block matched by this NDC. Label-section narrative from DailyMed / the openFDA label index is shown separately when available.Inactive ingredient FAQ
Are inactive ingredients the same for every manufacturer?
No. Inactive ingredients can differ by manufacturer, dosage form, strength, and package / product version.
Why might an inactive ingredient be missing?
Some SPLs do not provide a complete structured inactive-ingredient list, and older or unusual labels may only include the information in narrative text.
Can inactive ingredients matter?
Yes. They can matter for allergies, intolerances, dyes, gluten / lactose concerns, preservatives, and formulation differences — but confirm with a pharmacist or the manufacturer when it’s clinically important.
💲 Pricing
A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.
| Price system | Per mL | Per package |
|---|---|---|
| Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly | Not in the retail survey — common for institutional, discontinued, or low-volume packs. | |
| Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo | No recent Medicaid claims on file for this NDC — rare and low-volume NDCs are suppressed in the public data. | |
| Medicare drug plans payPart D · quarterly | No Part D plan price is available for this NDC in our data. | |
ℹ️
No price is published for this exact package yet. CMS surveys NADAC per package size, so a different pack of the same drug often has one.
Where does this data come from?
NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) is the CMS weekly pharmacy-acquisition-cost survey — what pharmacies pay. ASP (Average Sales Price) is the CMS Medicare Part B drug-payment file, published quarterly. Medicaid pays is computed by us from CMS State Drug Utilization Data (total reimbursed ÷ units, trailing 12 months) — gross of rebates and inclusive of dispensing fees, so it reflects what Medicaid paid, not an acquisition cost. Medicare drug plans pay is the median negotiated point-of-sale unit cost across plans listing this NDC in the CMS quarterly Prescription Drug Plan pricing files, before rebates. The VA pays is the federal contract price (FSS, and the statutory Big 4 ceiling where listed) from the VA National Acquisition Center pharmaceutical price file. All are free public government data; each measures a different payer, so the figures are not directly comparable.
🔁 Therapeutic equivalents
| Product | Labeler | Pack | NADAC/unit | TE | Status | Price vs. this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZO Skin Health Pigment Control plus Brightening Creme Hydroquinone plus Vitamin C .04 mg/mLthis 42851-0035-81 | ZO | 1 bottle | — | — | FDA listed | — |
About this product: other versions of the same ingredient, strength and form are listed above, least expensive first, with FDA equivalence ratings where available.
Where does this data come from?
Equivalents are other NDCs of the same ingredient, form and route from the openFDA NDC Directory, ranked least-expensive-first by NADAC. Therapeutic-equivalence (AB) ratings come from the FDA Orange Book; biologics use the FDA Purple Book for biosimilar & interchangeable status.
⏳ Availability & generic status
🏛️
2018
On the market since
May 2018
📍
2026
Currently FDA-listed
8 years listed
🔒
·
No generic listed yet
brand only
ℹ️No FDA-approved generic found
We did not find an FDA-approved generic match for this exact strength, form and route.
Where does this data come from?
Patents and exclusivity from the FDA Orange Book (small-molecule drugs), refreshed from public FDA data. Generic launch timing is an estimate, not a guarantee.
🔬 Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Read carefully: FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified. Counts are not incidence, do not establish causation, are subject to reporting bias, and cannot be used to compare one drug to another. Shown for signal context only. Reports for Hydroquinone — the ingredient across all brands.
Top reported reactions
Age at onset
Reporter sex
Serious outcomes
Reports over time (by year) — tap or hover for the count & year
Most recent year is provisional (FAERS lags ~3 months).
Where does this data come from?
Adverse-event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA. FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified — counts are not incidence and don’t establish causation.
📦 Packaging — all sizes for this product
| Package NDC | Description | Marketing start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42851-0035-81 You're viewing this | 1 BOTTLE, PLASTIC in 1 CARTON (42851-035-81) / 81 mL in 1 BOTTLE, PLASTIC | 2018-05-01 | Active |
🧭 About this NDC listing & data coverage
Finished prescription product
Marketed without an FDA application
Listed without an FDA application
This product's marketing category indicates it is marketed without an approved FDA application (no NDA, ANDA, or BLA on file). Having an NDC does not by itself establish FDA approval — the NDC Directory is a listing system, not an approval decision. Approval-linked data such as Orange Book therapeutic-equivalence ratings therefore does not apply.
What data is (and isn’t) available for this NDC — tap to expand
| NDC identity (package / product / labeler codes) | ✓ Available |
| Labeler | ✓ Available |
| Product & package description | ✓ Available |
| Marketing category & status | ✓ Available |
| Active ingredient / dosage form / route | ✓ Available |
| FDA label (SPL via DailyMed) | ✓ Available |
| Package photos | ✓ Available |
| Inactive ingredients (structured) | ✓ Available |
| NADAC pharmacy acquisition price (CMS) | — Not published for this NDC CMS publishes NADAC only for NDCs reported in its retail-pharmacy survey. |
| Orange Book / therapeutic-equivalence data | — Not published for this NDC Applies only to products approved under an NDA/ANDA; many listings are out of scope. |
| HCPCS J-code billing crosswalk | — Not published for this NDC Most self-administered / retail products have no J-code — that is normal. |
| Medicaid utilization (CMS SDUD) | — Not published for this NDC CMS reports utilization only for NDCs with Medicaid claims above its privacy threshold. |
“Not published” reflects what the public FDA / CMS / NLM sources provide for this exact package code — it is a property of the data feeds, not a judgment about the product.
Questions about this listing
Is this NDC FDA-approved?
An NDC listing does not by itself establish FDA approval — the NDC Directory records that a product is listed with FDA, not that it was reviewed and approved. This listing's marketing category is "Unapproved Drug Other". Products approved under an application carry an NDA, ANDA, or BLA number.
Why is there no price listed?
The pricing shown on our NDC pages comes from CMS NADAC, a voluntary survey of retail community pharmacy invoices. CMS does not publish a NADAC for every NDC — packages outside the retail survey (institutional and hospital products, bulk packages, discontinued items, and many OTC items) may never receive one. A missing price reflects the survey's scope, not this product's actual cost, and does not mean the product is free or unavailable.
Is the NDC printed on the package the same as the 11-digit billing NDC?
Yes, they identify this exact package in different formats. The FDA registers it as 42851-035-81, which is what is printed on the packaging and shown on DailyMed. Insurance claims use a fixed 11-digit 5-4-2 format, so the short segment is padded with a leading zero: 42851-0035-81, written without dashes as 42851003581. The Identity section at the top of this page lists every form of this code.
What do the three segments of this NDC mean?
In 42851-0035-81, the first segment (42851) is the labeler code FDA assigned to ZO Skin Health, Inc.; the middle segment (0035) identifies this specific product — its ingredient, strength, and dosage form; and the last segment (81) identifies this exact package size and type. Together they name one specific package of one specific product.
Is this package still being marketed?
Yes, per the latest FDA NDC Directory data on this page: this package is listed as actively marketed, with no marketing end date reported by ZO Skin Health, Inc.. Listing status can change — the directory data on this page refreshes weekly.
Who lists this product with the FDA?
ZO Skin Health, Inc. is the labeler of record for this NDC — the company under whose FDA-assigned code the package is listed. The labeler may be the manufacturer itself or a distributor marketing the product under its own code.
Do I need a prescription for this product?
This NDC is listed with FDA as a prescription product, so it is dispensed under a prescriber's order. Your pharmacist can tell you whether any over-the-counter forms of the same medication exist.
This page identifies an FDA-listed package (the NDC) and reports public regulatory and pricing data about the listing. It is reference information, not a medical recommendation — talk to your pharmacist or prescriber about your own medication.
Where does this data come from?
Listing facts (marketing category, packager status, marketing dates) from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory; label availability from DailyMed; pricing coverage from CMS NADAC; equivalence scope from the FDA Orange Book.
📄 Full prescribing information FDA SPL
The complete FDA label for this product — the official prescribing information, verbatim, section by section. Jump with a chip, search within the label, or expand everything.
⏱️ Dosage and Administration ▾
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Apply 2 pumps (1g) to affected areas twice a day or as directed by a physician. Always use sunscreen protection. (See enclosed package insert for full prescribing information.)
⚠️ Warnings ▾
WARNINGS Keep out of reach of children. For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes. Some users may experience a mild skin irritation. If skin irritation becomes severe, stop use and consult a physician. Do not use on children under 12 years of age unless directed by a physician. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.
📦 Storage and Handling ▾
STORAGE Store at controlled room temperature: 15°-30°C (59°-86°F), away from direct sunlight.
No label section mentions that — try another word, or open the full label on DailyMed below.
Source: FDA Structured Product Labeling, mirrored from DailyMed / openFDA.
Prefer the government’s original formatting? View this label on DailyMed ↗
For educational and professional reference only — not medical advice. Pricing reflects published
NADAC and CMS ASP (free public data) and may differ from your acquisition cost; always verify before billing or dispensing.