Kojic acid, antimelanogenic agent, has been widely used in cosmetics to lighten the skin color. However, it has skin irritancy and instability against pH, temperature and light. To overcome these problems and optimize the molecular structure of kojic acid (KA), a prodrug, kojic acid monostearate(KMS), has been synthesized to modify the topical drug delivery in the point of sustained release of the parent drug via enzymatic hydrolysis during skin absorption. The prodrug was tested for enzymatic hydrolysis with cytosolic fraction of hairless mouse, skin. From the in vitro skin permeation study through hairless mouse skin, we found that KMS was retained in the skin and generated KA continuously by the skin esterase cleavage. In addition, topical formulations of o/w type creams and polyolprepolymer-containing cream were further tested for whitening effects using in vivo yellow skin guinea pig model.