The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA for sensitive skin
Alpha Arbutin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lactic Acid
ChlorphenesinHigh
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best serums for sensitive skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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
- Highly suitable for normal skin as alpha arbutin effectively brightens and evens skin tone by inhibiting melanin production, while hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate provides essential hydration.
- The formula offers general hydration benefits that can support your redness and irritation concerns, though it lacks specific ingredients to directly target these issues.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your normal skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 1.6k+ reviewsBased 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
What makes The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA a great fit for sensitive skin?
This product is a great fit for sensitive skin because it has an excellent safety profile with no harsh ingredients, making it very unlikely to cause irritation. It helps brighten your skin tone and keeps it feeling smooth and hydrated.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum is a great fit for sensitive skin because it has an excellent safety profile with no harsh ingredients that could cause irritation. Alpha arbutin helps even out your skin tone while sodium hyaluronate keeps your skin hydrated and smooth.
What does Alpha Arbutin do for sensitive skin?
Alpha arbutin helps fade dark spots and uneven tone with a rare occurrence of irritation and a very gentle safety profile. This ingredient is unlikely to sting or cause redness, making it a well-tolerated choice for keeping sensitive skin calm while brightening.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps calm and hydrate sensitive skin while supporting the skin barrier to keep it soft and comfortable. Clinical studies show it improves surface moisture and reduces dryness, roughness, and redness without irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your soothing toner and before your moisturizer. Putting it in the evening helps keep your routine simple and adds extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying the vitamin C first in your morning routine and this treatment later or in the evening. This helps brighten your skin while minimizing the likelihood of irritation.
How often should I use this serum?
This treatment is used in the evening once a week in your routine, and you can carefully use it more often if your sensitive skin tolerates it well and sees good results. The formula has an excellent safety profile with very low risks of irritation.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin because it has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients. It helps keep skin feeling smooth while remaining gentle.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2023A 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, 2020Combining 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, 2025Polyvinyl 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, 2023Aziderm cream, Neostrata Pigment Lightening Gel, and an arbutin 5% formulation significantly reduced skin pigmentation in healthy female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2022Topical 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, 2011Topical 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, 2022Treatment 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, 2019Application 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, 2004Topical 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, 1992A 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.
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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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