Ingredient profile

Brightening ingredient · best used AM or PM

• Use alpha arbutin at a different time of day from AHA/BHA peel, one in the morning and the other at night.
• Alpha arbutin sits happily next to retinol, tretinoin, adapalene, vitamin C, niacinamide, glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides, copper peptides, bakuchiol, vitamin E, ferulic acid, sunscreen, mandelic acid, tranexamic acid, kojic acid, snail mucin, centella asiatica and squalane.

671

Mixes freely24

Needs timing1

Needs care0

Not together0

What it does

Arbutin is a compound of hydroquinone and glucose that has been studied as a skin lightening ingredient for more than 30 years. It is used to reduce melanin production, and newer research also points to antioxidant properties that may add to its depigmenting effect. Alpha-arbutin is one of the forms used in cosmetics, alongside beta-arbutin and related derivatives.^[1]

Strengths

• In a 30-person split-face randomized pilot study, a cream with 5% alpha-arbutin and 2% kojic acid improved melasma about as much as triple combination cream on the melanin index and severity score over 12 weeks.^[3]
• In the same study, melasma came back less severely after stopping on the alpha-arbutin side, and redness and stinging were more common on the triple combination side.^[3]
• The European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety considers alpha-arbutin safe in cosmetics at up to 2% in face creams and up to 0.5% in body lotions.^[2]
• A systematic review of 35 randomized melasma trials included arbutin, and concluded that natural compounds carry a low risk of side effects but need more research on efficacy, formulation and concentration.^[4]

Who it suits

Dark spots, marks left after breakouts, melasma and uneven tone, for people who want a cosmetic brightener and are willing to give it a few months. It is often combined with other brightening ingredients in the same formula.

Who should skip

A 2021 review notes that arbutin rarely causes dermatitis but recommends caution with arbutin products because hydroquinone may be generated during use. The SCCS safety limits did not cover using alpha-arbutin together with other ingredients that release hydroquinone, so avoid stacking several such products.^[2]

How to start

1. Check the percentage. The SCCS limit for face products is 2% alpha-arbutin. The 5% cream in the melasma pilot study was above that limit, so the study result does not mean higher strengths are recommended for home use.^[2][3]
2. Beta-arbutin was assessed separately: the SCCS considered it safe at up to 7% in face creams, on condition that hydroquinone contamination in the formula stays below 1 part per million. The two forms are not interchangeable on a label.^[5]
3. The melasma pilot study ran for 12 weeks with a 4-week follow-up, which is a reasonable window before judging results.^[3]
4. Arbutin has been studied alone and with other active ingredients, and combining it with laser treatment may increase the lightening effect. The pair pages cover the common partners.^[1]
5. If you use a retinoid or an acid, see the pair pages for how people fit arbutin around them.

Which alpha arbutin products to buy

Verified listings whose published ingredient lists carry alpha arbutin and none of the actives that clash with it. Each product page shows what else it mixes with.

Pairing grid

In tracked products

2 of the 144 products we track list alpha arbutin as a key active; In their ingredient lists it sits at a median position of #2, from #2 in alpha arbutin 2% + HA to #2 in alpha arbutin 2% + HA; It is among the first five ingredients in 1 of them, meaning a main ingredient rather than a trace; The actives it most often shares a bottle with: vitamin C (1) and hyaluronic acid (1); Water is the first ingredient in 1 of them; the rest are oil, silicone or solvent-based. Product by product: Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA lists it at #2 of 15 next to a stated 2% on the label.

Moisturizer order

Before moisturizer. Full layering steps.

Guides

All tracked products with alpha arbutin

Sources

Products with alpha arbutin, in pairs

• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% + The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%Yes
• The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum + The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%Yes, with timing
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% + The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HAYes
• The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% + The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HAYes
• COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence + The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HAYes