Depigmenting compositions having improved effectiveness in the dermatological or cosmetic treatment of pigmentation contain, in a physiologically acceptable medium, at least one compound selected from among rucinol and salts thereof, and at least one retinoid; such compositions are also useful in the prevention and/or dermatological treatment of skin hyperpigmentation, and also for the cosmetic treatment of photoinduced or chronological aging of the skin or of the skin appendages.