Deciem is known for amazing products, and their popularity is further augmented by their dedication to good customer service. They reply to personal DMs over at Instagram, and anyone can basically request for a personalized skin care routine. It's easy to be overwhelmed by their expansive product line, but you can trust them to give you a simplified routine so you can properly address your skin issues.
I remember asking Deciem about which products to use for my skin issues: dark spots, blemishes, fine lines, and dullness. My personalized plan was: a Retinol/Retinoid for general skin overhaul, Niacinamide + Zinc for blemishes, oil and texture, and Alpha Arbutin for dullness and dark spots. It's been over a year and I've only recently remembered to order Alpha Arbutin. (I've reviewed the other products over here.)
So. Alpha Arbutin. My first brush with the product was in the early 2010s. It first gained popularity as the safest whitening/brightening ingredient in cosmetics. Hydroquinone and tretinoin are still the most effective, but both are nowhere near safe. Alpha Arbutin is wildly popular in geisha-whiteness-worshipping Japan. And when it comes to cosmetics research, I'm all for Japanese science. So in the past years I've bought all things whitening with Alpha Arbutin in it.
Trivia: there's another form of Arbutin used in whitening cosmetics. There's Beta Arbutin, which is the cheaper form. It's also a whitener/brightener, but is not as potent as Alpha Arbutin because it's not as stable.
What is Alpha Arbutin and why is it the safest whitening/brightening ingredient?
Quick answer: It's a whitening extract from bearberries, blueberries, and cranberries.
What it does, like Kojic Acid, Vitamin C, Licorice extract, etc., is that it prevents melanin formation. Melanin is the skin pigment, and it forms when the skin is exposed to the sun. Whiteners prevent this process from occurring by blocking tyrosinase enzymes so no pigments are formed.
What makes Alpha Arbutin the safest is that unlike other acids and extracts, it does not irritate and dry the skin. This is because its active component is released slowly into the skin. When it comes to skin care treatments, gentle and slow is always the way to go.
It is also a stable form of Arbutin. Unlike other ingredients that need to be packaged in light-protective containers, Arbutin is not photosensitive. You can use it twice a day, morning and evening. It also does not make the skin photosensitive.
And because it's just an overall amazing ingredient, it goes well with other actives. Well, most actives. You can use it under makeup, with other skin care products, with no negative product interactions whatsoever.
My experience.
I was pretty sold before purchase because I have so far not seen a single negative review about The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA. Even people from my Facebook groups: the Good Skin Crowd and Asian Skincare Junkies.
Nonetheless, I was a little apprehensive with the formula. Hyaluronic Acid can be sinister. Some people have bad experience with it, claiming it only temporarily moisturizes the skin and that it causes long-term drying. I have super oily skin, but dryness is also a problem from years of neglect and ignorance using harsh products.
So I've been paranoidly observing every square inch of my skin since Day 1 of applying the product. I wanted to be sure there aren't signs of dryness and irritation.
I'd like to report that this product lived up to my expectations. I had brighter, more even, and surprisingly calmer skin. I made sure not to use other products except for sunscreen in the mornings. No peeling, redness, allergic reactions. Not even pimples during my period.
Now I don't promise this can cure acne. All I'm saying is that this didn't trigger new ones from forming even with HA. This calmed my skin for some reason, probably tweaked the pH or the sebum production, I honestly don't know. My skin is simply more even both in tone and in texture.
Recommend?
Absolutely. I'll update this as soon as I finish the bottle for a final verdict. Laters ~
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