PURPOSE: An external preparation for the skin useful in the fields such as cosmet ic, drug, quasi-drug, etc., having improved shelf stability, obtained by blending a specific hydroquinone glycoside useful as a beautifying agent with saponin, a component of plant.

CONSTITUTION: An external preparation for the skin containing one or more selected from hydroquinone glycosides (most preferably hydroquinone-β-D- glucose) shown by the furmula (R is pentasaccharide residue, hexasaccharide residue, amino sugar residue, uronic acid residue or methylated groups of them) and one or more selected from saponins (preferably saponin of sponge cucumber). Preferably the preparation contains 6W20wt% hydroquinone glycoside and 0.05W1wt% saponin based on total amounts of the external preparation for the skin. The external preparation for the skin is cosmetic such as base cosmetic, makeup cosmetic, hair cosmetic, drug, quasi-drug, etc.