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There’s no shortage of active ingredients to treat dark spots and discoloration these days. But even so, the best alpha arbutin serums still stand out on the shelf. That’s because unlike the competition, among them tranexamic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, and kojic acid, alpha arbutin brings something a little different to the table: it’s incredibly gentle and very stable.
Contrary to hydroquinone, a prescription-level brightening agent, it doesn’t break down—and therefore remains potent (and effective). “It also sets itself apart from other brighteners like vitamin C, hydroquinone, and retinoids by being gentle enough for all skin types, including sensitive skin,” says Carmen Castilla, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY.
Vogue’s Favorite Alpha-Arbutin Serums
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Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum
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In other words, it can brighten skin and even out tone without risking irritation or dryness, making it a worthwhile addition to your lineup. Here, exactly where you can find it—plus, the ones experts recommend.
Best Overall: Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum
- Why We Love It: Even the most stubborn forms of hyperpigmentation (like melasma) can’t stand up to this serum, which assembles a potent lineup of brightening agents. “I like that this formula takes brightening to the next level by pairing alpha-arbutin with tranexamic acid, another effective ingredient that helps correct the appearance of hyperpigmentation,” says Melanie Palm, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in San Diego, CA. They’re joined by other brightening ingredients, like licorice root extract, and peptides to help even out skin texture as well as tone. What’s more, these actives are among the gentlest out there, so there’s little to no risk of irritating even very sensitive skin.
- Key Ingredients: Tranexamic acid, alpha arbutin, licorice extract, pentapeptide-34
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best Budget: Naturium Alpha Arbutin Serum 2%
- Why We Love It: Rather than going all-out with brightening ingredients, Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Mina Amin, MD, likes that this formula pairs 2% alpha arbutin with niacinamide to help fade the appearance of dark spots. They work at two separate points in the pigment production process to halt excess melanin, thereby allowing spots to fade faster and preventing new ones. Plus, niacinamide’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a great accompaniment to more potent (and potentially irritating) ingredients, like retinoids, in your routine.
- Key Ingredients: Alpha arbutin, niacinamide, lemon fruit extract
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best Spot Treatment: Dr. Idriss Major Fade Hyper Serum
- Why We Love It: Alpha arbutin works best with like-minded actives, which is why Dr. Castilla recommends this serum. It pairs the ingredient with niacinamide and kojic acid, which “work synergistically to brighten the skin and even your skin tone,” she says. “It also has skin barrier support and moisturizing ingredients.” Also in the formula is diglucosyl gallic acid, which reduces redness to help restore an overall glow. (Discoloration can also be red-toned in those with fair skin.) The precise applicator makes it especially good for treating individual spots.
- Key Ingredients: Alpha-arbutin, niacinamide, kojic acid, squalane, shea butter
- Size: 1 oz.
Best for Redness: SkinCeuticals Phyto A + Brightening Treatment
- Why We Love It: Billed as a moisturizer, this weightless gel-cream relies on a combination of gentle brighteners, including alpha-arbutin, azelaic acid, and a blend of soothing botanical ingredients, to target imbalances in skin, whether they manifest as excess oil or stubborn redness—and even rosacea. “It helps even out skin tone, unclog pores, and calm inflammation,” says Navin S. Arora, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Garden City, NY. “Patients love the glow-up effect and keep coming back for more.”
- Key Ingredients: Alpha-arbutin, azelaic acid, rosemary leaf extract, cucumber extract
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Sun Spots: Glo Skin Hydra-Bright Alpha Arbutin Drops
- Why We Love It: For anyone struggling with signs of sun damage, like discoloration, “I recommend using a brightening serum like this one to help reduce hyperpigmentation and brighten the skin over time,” says Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY. Here, alpha arbutin works alongside azelaic acid and licorice extract as well as alpha hydroxy acids, which gently resurface skin. However, this does contain essential oils that could be potentially irritating to those with reactive skin, so you might want to patch-test it first.
- Key Ingredients: Alpha arbutin, witch hazel, azelaic acid, lactic acid
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Uneven Skin Tone: Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum Rice + Alpha-Arbutin
- Why We Love It: Korean skin care products are known for delivering visible results without compromising skin health or sacrificing the skin’s moisture barrier—so it’s not exactly a surprise that this brightening serum uses alpha arbutin alongside amino acid-rich rice bran water to target dullness and discoloration. Together, they even out skin tone, immediately plump skin, and lend a glass skin-like radiance.
- Key Ingredients: Alpha-arbutin, rice bran water, niacinamide, panthenol
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Mature Skin: Skinbetter Even Intensive Skin Tone Corrective Serum
- Why We Love It: This serum—a more powerful version of the brand’s Even Tone Correcting Serum—has an exhaustive list of actives, including vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids, niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and the even brand’s patented TAP technology, which harness antioxidants in the skin to repair and protect it from the inside out. “This is a combination of brightening ingredients that will work synergistically with alpha arbutin,” says Dr. Castilla, who uses it herself and appreciates that it’s lightweight, not sticky, and easy to layer beneath makeup. Though it’s potent, soothing botanicals like aloe and phloretin help keep skin calm and comfortable.
- Key Ingredients: Alpha-arbutin, vitamin C, niacinamide, tranexamic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid
- Size: 1.7 fl. oz.
Everything You Need to Know
Alpha-arbutin is a derivative of hydroquinone—the powerful, controversial, and now prescription-only brightening ingredient—that’s naturally found in plants, like bearberries and cranberries, says Dr. Palm. “It is considered to be a gentler alternative to hydroquinone, an effective skin-lightening agent,” she says.
Because it’s so much gentler than hydroquinone (not to mention other brightening agents), it’s safe and suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin and darker skin tones, says Dr. Amin. In particular, “unlike hydroquinone, it doesn’t carry the risk of causing skin darkening with prolonged use,” says Dr. Castilla, referring to a tough-to-treat phenomenon that can happen with overuse.
Worth keeping in mind, though, is that alpha-arbutin can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. “This makes sun protection via regular application of a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and/or seeking shade during peak UV hours critical,” says Dr. Palm. (Sun protection is a good idea if you’re hoping to fade hyperpigmentation anyway, since UV exposure can exacerbate it.)
What strength of alpha arbutin is best?
Alpha arbutin is most effective at 1 to 2%, according to Dr. Castilla. “Lower concentrations are less likely to provide noticeable benefit,” she says. For that reason, you’ll most often find alpha arbutin at a 2% concentration on the shelves.
How does alpha arbutin benefit skin?
Alpha arbutin brightens skin and even out tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, “an enzyme critical to the melanin production process,” says Dr. Palm. “By inhibiting tyrosinase and slowing down melanin production, alpha arbutin can reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, treat dark spots and age spots, and brighten and even out the skin tone over time.”
On top of that, alpha arbutin “also has antioxidant properties that can help neutralize free radicals that lead to collagen damage in the skin,” says Dr. Castilla. In that way, it’s similar to vitamin C—another antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitor—but easier on reactive skin.
What ingredients pair well with alpha arbutin?
Since alpha arbutin isn’t likely to irritate skin and plays nicely with other ingredients, it works well with other brightening agents, says Dr. Castilla. She recommends pairing it with “complementary active ingredients that can increase potential results,” she says. “Look for formulas that also contain niacinamide, vitamin C, or tranexamic acid, which can act synergistically with alpha arbutin to brighten the skin.”
Who should use alpha arbutin?
Anyone looking for more radiant skin or help with mild hyperpigmentation should consider adding alpha arbutin into their routine, especially if they have sensitive skin. It’s also a good option if you’re looking for a safer, gentler alternative to hydroquinone.
And for certain circumstances, like melasma during pregnancy, it could be a good option (with your doctor’s approval). “Some say it is safe to use while pregnant or nursing as it does not penetrate deeply into the skin, reducing the risk of systemic absorption,” says Dr. Palm. “For women who experience mild melasma or hyperpigmentation in pregnancy, alpha arbutin could be a great alternative to minimize discoloration.”
- Carmen Castilla, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist at New York Dermatology Group in New York, NY.
- Mina Amin, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist at California Dermatology Specialists in Los Angeles, CA.
- Melanie Palm, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist at Art of Skin MD in San Diego, CA.
- Navin S. Arora, M.D., is the founder of Borealis Dermatology and a board-certified dermatologist in Garden City, NY.
- Dendy Engelman, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York, NY.
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