Arbutin

Arbutin gently reduces melanin levels, lightens dark spots, and improves moisture and elasticity for a clearer, more even complexion. It suits dry skin and oily skin best, and it comes in serums, usually at a concentration of 2 percent. It fits easily into a routine because it layers simply with other skincare products.
This page shows arbutin products with a Lovi page. For every product, and a routine built for your skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular arbutin products
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Topicals
Faded Serum
CA$24.50
-
The Ordinary
Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
CA$14.90
-
Good Molecules
Niacinamide Brightening Toner
CA$38.90
-
iS Clinical
Active Serum
CA$107.00
- Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Serum
- Skin Script Glycolic and Retinol Pads
-
Good Molecules
Daily Brightening Serum
CA$21.44
-
Anua
PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
CA$33.50
Arbutin serums
-
Topicals
Faded Serum
CA$24.50
-
The Ordinary
Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
CA$14.90
-
iS Clinical
Active Serum
CA$107.00
- Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Serum
-
Good Molecules
Daily Brightening Serum
CA$21.44
-
Anua
PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
CA$33.50
- Skinbetter Science Even Tone Correcting Serum™
-
Goodal
Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Serum+
CA$32.28
- iS Clinical Super Serum Advance+
-
Beauty of Joseon
Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Alpha-Arbutin
CA$20.99
- Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum
- iS Clinical Brightening Complex
What reviewers say about popular arbutin products
The highlight reviewers mention most for each popular arbutin product on Lovi.
Topicals Faded Serum Unpleasant smell ★4.4 · 3.0k+ reviews
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA Lightweight texture ★4.2 · 1.6k+ reviews
- Sticky or tacky finish
- Hydrating and plumping
- “Absorbs quickly”
Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner Brightens skin ★4.5 · 800+ reviews
- Reduces pore appearance
- Good price point
- “skin looks more radiant”
iS Clinical Active Serum Improves Texture & Tone ★4.6 · 1000+ reviews
Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Serum Unpleasant smell ★4.5 · 2.0k+ reviews
- Brightens skin
- Absorbs well
- “smells like sulfur”
Good Molecules Daily Brightening Serum Affordable price ★4.5 · 800+ reviews
- Hydrating & plumping
- Lightweight texture
- “unbeatable for the price”
Other arbutin products
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Good Molecules
Niacinamide Brightening Toner
CA$38.90
- Skin Script Glycolic and Retinol Pads
-
Anua
Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder
CA$33.50
- Soroci Morning Drizzle Calming Cream
- Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
- Dermelect Rapid Repair Barrier Balancing Serum
-
Anua
Peach 77 Niacin Essence Toner
CA$28.70
- SOME BY MI Yuja Niacin Mineral 100 Brightening Sun Cream
Arbutin for dry skin
- Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
- Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Niacinamide Discoloration Treatment
- iS Clinical Super Serum Advance+
-
Good Molecules
Niacinamide Brightening Toner
CA$38.90
- Dermelect Rapid Repair Barrier Balancing Serum
-
NATURIUM
Alpha Arbutin Serum 2%
CA$42.43
-
numbuzin
5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum
CA$25.04
-
Topicals
Faded Serum
CA$24.50
- Skinbetter Science Even Tone Correcting Serum™
-
Anua
Peach 77 Niacin Essence Toner
CA$28.70
-
Good Molecules
Daily Brightening Serum
CA$21.44
-
TIA'M
Vita B3 Source
CA$37.79
Arbutin for oily skin
-
SOME BY MI
Yuja Niacin Blemish Care Serum
CA$32.00
- Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
-
Good Molecules
Niacinamide Brightening Toner
CA$38.90
-
Topicals
Faded Serum
CA$24.50
- Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel
- Urban Skin Rx Retinol Rapid Repair & Dark Spot Treatment
- Dermelect Rapid Repair Barrier Balancing Serum
-
numbuzin
5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum
CA$25.04
-
iS Clinical
Active Serum
CA$107.00
-
Anua
Peach 77 Niacin Essence Toner
CA$28.70
- iS Clinical Super Serum Advance+
-
Anua
PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
CA$33.50
Arbutin for combination skin
- Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
-
SOME BY MI
Yuja Niacin Blemish Care Serum
CA$32.00
- Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel
-
Topicals
Faded Serum
CA$24.50
-
iS Clinical
Active Serum
CA$107.00
- Urban Skin Rx Retinol Rapid Repair & Dark Spot Treatment
- Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Niacinamide Discoloration Treatment
-
Anua
Peach 77 Niacin Essence Toner
CA$28.70
- Dermelect Rapid Repair Barrier Balancing Serum
- SOME BY MI Yuja Niacin Mineral 100 Brightening Sun Cream
- iS Clinical Brightening Complex
-
Good Molecules
Niacinamide Brightening Toner
CA$38.90
Arbutin for sensitive skin
- Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
-
Topicals
Faded Serum
CA$24.50
- Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Niacinamide Discoloration Treatment
- Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel
-
Good Molecules
Niacinamide Brightening Toner
CA$38.90
- Skinbetter Science Even Tone Correcting Serum™
-
Beauty of Joseon
Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Alpha-Arbutin
CA$20.99
-
numbuzin
5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum
CA$25.04
-
SOME BY MI
Yuja Niacin Blemish Care Serum
CA$32.00
-
The Ordinary
Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
CA$14.90
- iS Clinical Super Serum Advance+
- SOME BY MI Yuja Niacin Mineral 100 Brightening Sun Cream
Arbutin for acne-prone skin
- Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
-
Topicals
Faded Serum
CA$24.50
-
Anua
Peach 77 Niacin Essence Toner
CA$28.70
- iS Clinical Super Serum Advance+
- Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel
-
Good Molecules
Niacinamide Brightening Toner
CA$38.90
-
TIA'M
Vita B3 Source
CA$37.79
-
numbuzin
5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum
CA$25.04
-
SOME BY MI
Yuja Niacin Blemish Care Serum
CA$32.00
- Dermelect Rapid Repair Barrier Balancing Serum
- Bubble Day Dream Vitamin C + Niacinamide Tone & Texture Serum
-
Anua
PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
CA$33.50
Questions and answers
What does arbutin do for the skin?
Arbutin helps fade hyperpigmentation, melasma, and dark spots by decreasing skin melanin levels. It also helps lighten skin discolorations.
How do you use arbutin?
Arbutin is used in topical creams and partner formulas to help fade skin discolorations and reduce melanin levels. It is often paired with ingredients like kojic acid or vitamin C to improve hyperpigmentation.
Should you use arbutin in the morning or at night?
Arbutin can be used in your routine both in the morning and at night to help fade dark spots and even out skin tone.
Can you use arbutin every day?
Yes, you can use arbutin every day as part of your routine to help fade dark spots and even out skin tone. Studies show that daily application helps reduce melanin levels and improves hyperpigmentation safely over time.
Does arbutin cause purging or irritation?
Arbutin is unlikely to cause purging or irritation and is generally well tolerated.
Which skin types is arbutin best for?
Arbutin is best for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin types, with Lovi rating products like Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream as a Superior fit across multiple categories. Topical arbutin helps decrease melanin levels and lighten skin discolorations.
Research on arbutin
Behind this ingredient guide
Lovi checks every ingredient 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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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