One natural ingredient you might see is arbutin. Arbutin is, essentially, a natural variant of the controversial hydroquinone. The latter is controversial for several reasons, like severe sensitivity, irritation, and contamination issues. But most notably: It’s been used and marketed as a “skin lighter” for many, many years. Now, it’s one thing to formulate a product to help people fade unwanted dark spots (a valid concern many women have of all skin tones), but it crosses the line when you imply skin tones need to be lightened in general. Essentially, it works by stopping dark spots from forming—unlike exfoliators, which slough off surface-level pigment, or other antioxidants, which fight free radical damage resulting in a brighter appearance overall. Arbutin isn’t the only other additive to do this, however; similar ingredients include licorice root and kojic acid. So when you see it on your ingredient list or on the label, you can know that these are its primary functions: It’s also gentle enough to use every day, twice daily. However, fold it into your skin care routine as best you see fit. “Arbutin is similar to hydroquinone, as it is a glycosylated form, but it carries fewer risks of side effects as compared to traditional hydroquinone,” says Fenton. “It may not be as effective as hydroquinone but may be a better choice for some.” “It has a good safety profile as there are no known negative interactions with other skin care ingredients. It’s also known to be less irritating and more gentle on the skin than other skin-lightening agents, so it can be a good choice for those with sensitive skin,” says Barr. “That being said, although a safer alternative to hydroquinone, it’s not as effective, so to get the best results, it needs to be used twice daily and is best used in conjunction with other skin brightening ingredients like vitamin C, alpha-hydroxy acids and topical retinol.”
