What are the effects of alpha arbutin with zinc on skin?

What does alpha arbutin do?

Arbutin belongs to a group of ingredients that inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in making melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. These ingredients can lighten areas of excess pigmentation. Alpha arbutin is used in products designed to make dark spots less visible and skin tone more even.23

Dark marks left after inflammation are called postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Acne is one common cause. Treating existing pigment and managing the inflammation that creates new marks are separate jobs; a brightening ingredient should not automatically be treated as an acne treatment.23

What does zinc add?

The extra benefit of an alpha arbutin and zinc formula remains unclear. A product name can list two ingredients without promising two sets of results, which is less exciting than the plus sign suggests. Look for directions and claims for the actual finished product rather than assuming the combination works better than alpha arbutin alone.1

For example, The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA combines alpha arbutin with hyaluronic acid, not zinc. Follow the directions for your own formula rather than borrowing instructions from a similarly named bottle; punctuation is not a compatibility test.1

How should you use it?

For The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA specifically:

1. 1Patch test a small amount on clean skin on the upper forearm. Keep the area dry and rinse after 24 hours. Do not use the product if redness, burning, itching, blistering or irritation develops.
2. 2Apply a few drops to the face in the morning and evening, only on unbroken skin.
3. 3Use sun protection during the day.
4. 4If irritation develops during use, rinse the product off, stop using it and consult a physician.

What should you expect?

There is no established results timetable for the unspecified alpha arbutin and zinc combination. Untreated brown marks after inflammation can take months to years to fade; that is not a treatment timeline. Avoid pushing through irritation, because irritation can worsen pigmentation. Sun protection and control of the original inflammation belong alongside pigment treatment, not after it.23