PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a whitening agent including a novel action mechanism that is hardly attainable by whitening actions based on an existing action mechanism, more specifically, a whitening agent including lipidation melanogenesis depressant action.SOLUTION: A screening method of a whitening agent using lipidation melanogenesis depressant action as an index can provide a whitening agent including a novel action mechanism, noting lipidation melanogenesis depressant action, by comparing lipidation melanogenesis depressant action when a target substance is added and when the target substance is not added, and by selecting a whitening agent using the effect as an index.