🇦🇺Australia

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA for dry sensitive skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA

Average

  • HighDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • Low RiskSafety

Works for dry sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers moderate hydration for your dry skin due to hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate and propanediol, which act as humectants to attract and retain moisture.
  • The alpha arbutin effectively brightens and evens skin tone, addressing your concerns about dullness.
  • The product is generally safe for your dry and sensitive skin, though the lactic acid may cause mild irritation.

How to apply

  • Use this PM routine for your evening skincare. Start using the serum 3 times a week and increase to daily use if your skin feels comfortable.
  • Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer. This step locks in deep hydration for dry skin.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin using your palms. Let it absorb completely for a minute ⏱ before applying your next product.
  • Since your skin is sensitive, apply the serum on completely dry skin for better tolerance and less irritation.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Always do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin reacts well.

People Say

★4.2Overall rating based on 1.6k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this serum is frequently used to address hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and uneven skin tone, with many users reporting visible fading after consistent, long-term use. The Hyaluronic Acid component offers hydration, particularly beneficial for dry skin. However, a significant number of users find the texture can be sticky or pill when layered with other products.

Highlights

  • Fades dark spots Often Mentioned
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably”
    • “Acne scars... starting to fade”
    • “Helps ease the dark pigmentation”
    • “Lightened up my skin a lot”
  • Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly”
    • “Lightweight water-based serum”
    • “Glides smoothly”
    • “Feels light to wear”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Often Mentioned
    • “Can feel tacky on the skin”
    • “Instantly makes your face sticky”
    • “Leaves a slightly matte and sticky feel”
    • “Slight tackiness”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes Noted
    • “Gentle on sensitive skin”
    • “No adverse reactions”
    • “Did not irritate my skin one bit”
  • Hydrating and plumping Sometimes Noted
    • “Hydration is fantastic”
    • “Skin felt hydrated without stickiness”
    • “Gives my skin a nice glow”
    • “Helps with dryness”
  • Pilling issues Sometimes Noted
    • “It will show pilling”
    • “Peas everywhere... had to take everything off”
    • “Pilling... with other products”
  • Slow or no results Sometimes Noted
    • “Didn't do anything special”
    • “Takes a while to see results”
    • “Haven't seen any more improvement”
    • “Stopped working for me after some time”

Sources: lovi.care, theordinary.com, ulta.com, sephora.co.uk, sephora.hk, influenster.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA work for dry sensitive skin?

This product works moderately well for dry sensitive skin, offering some moisture and evening out skin tone, though the lactic acid inside may cause mild irritation. To better fit this skin, a treatment needs gentle nourishing ingredients, skin barrier support, and rich moisturizers that hydrate deeply without any risk of irritation.

Heliyon, 2023International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?

Hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate and propanediol make this serum a fit by attracting and holding moisture for dry skin, while alpha arbutin brightens it. Because this is an average fit, a product for this skin needs nourishing and soothing ingredients that deeply hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier without causing irritation.

Heliyon, 2023International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024

What does Alpha Arbutin do for dry sensitive skin?

Alpha arbutin helps fade dark spots and uneven tone, but for dry sensitive skin it may need pairing with gentle moisturizers to keep skin soft and comfortable.

Heliyon, 2023Antioxidants, 2021

What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry sensitive skin?

Hyaluronic acid is a great fit for dry, sensitive skin because it brings a large boost in hydration, making the skin feel soft and smooth while improving barrier function. It helps calm tightness and dryness, and is unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Dermatology and Therapy, 2021

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?

This treatment serum goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. Dry sensitive skin needs products of this type that provide gentle hydration alongside soothing and calming ingredients to prevent irritation.

Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?

You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying vitamin C in the morning and this treatment at night, or by spacing them out so your skin stays calm. To suit dry and sensitive skin best, this type of product needs extra soothing and moisturizing ingredients that deeply nourish and protect the skin barrier.

How often should I use this serum?

You can use this treatment once a week in the evening to start, and if your skin feels comfortable and calm, you may carefully use it more often. This type of dry, sensitive skin needs a product that pairs brightening ingredients with soothing components and deep moisture to keep skin soft and smooth.

Heliyon, 2023

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?

This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin, but the lactic acid in it may cause mild irritation. To care for dry sensitive skin properly, a product of this type needs extra soothing ingredients and rich hydrators to keep the skin calm and soft.

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • Topical application of 1,3-propanediol at various concentrations, alone or combined with butylene glycol and/or glycerol, increased skin hydration and reduced trans epidermal water loss in 30 healthy female subjects over an 8-hour period, with the 15% concentration and the addition of glycerol providing greater benefits.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024

  • Encapsulation of alpha arbutin in an optimized ethosomal gel significantly improved skin melanin reduction, moisture content, and elasticity in human volunteers compared to conventional formulations.

    Heliyon, 2023

  • A non-hydroquinone topical formulation (SKNB19) improved hyperpigmentation by 28.5% in patient self-assessment and 27% in independent reviewer assessment compared with 4% hydroquinone in 18 adult subjects, while showing significantly less irritation and better tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020

  • Combining a home-based radiofrequency device and arbutin cream reduced mMASI scores by 25.6% and melanin index by 22.8% at 8 weeks compared to baseline in 38 participants.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025

  • Polyvinyl pyrrolidone-K90/Eudragit RL100 dissolving microneedle patches loaded with alpha-arbutin and resveratrol enhanced intradermal delivery by approximately 2.6 times compared to cream and slightly decreased the melanin index in human participants without causing skin irritation.

    Biomaterials Science, 2023

  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011

  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022

  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019

  • Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.

    Cutis, 2004

  • Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992

  • A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.

    The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020

Ingredients

Water, Alpha-Arbutin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lactic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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Prices checked 6 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for Australia.

How does it fit your skin?

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