Review: The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA

Assalamualaikum and hello earthlings!


Man, I don't know how to do my intro anymore. Pfffft whatever. Anyways, oh my god. this is the 5th post about The Ordinary product and trust me, there's still so much more that I wanted to share hahsaodiajskldsdaskldjasdlasddasjasdasdjkajklasdjkl

*4th Pah, 4th............................. I got too excited. APOLOGIES

So yeah. The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA is like their best selling product, I mean one of their best selling. After reading few reviews, I'm convinced but at the same time I was skeptical. So let's story story okay.

PRODUCT INFO

Alpha Arbutin reduces the looks of spots and hyper-pigmentation. It's used at a high 2% concentration versus a standard concentration of 1% and supported with a next-generation form of Hyaluronic Acid for enhanced delivery. Alpha Arbutin is much stronger in effect than Arbutin or Beta Arbutin.

Note: Alpha Arbutin is extremely sensitive to degradation in the presence of water if the pH of the formulation is not ideal. The pH of this formula is approximately 4.9 which is shown to be the most suitable pH to minimize degradation of Alpha Arbutin.

Directions
Apply a few drops to face in the AM and PM as part of your skincare regimen. Use sun protection in the AM. We have developed a more comprehensive guide on choosing and using our formulations. Please click here to access this guide.

Price: GBP 7
My price: RM55 (wink wink)

INGREDIENTS

Aqua (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.

REVIEW

This is actually one of The Ordinary product that I purchased masa mula-mula I found out about the brand. I was reading about it and I was like intrigued because it is an alpha arbutin serum which has almost the same effect as hydroquinone or mercury but safer. I did my research and I thought cook cook about it and I was like, okay let's just try this and see if it really can reduce my hyper pigmentation and brighten up my skin.

I'm gonna copy paste some info on Alpha Arbutin, just in case you guys were wondering what the hell it is. Essay panjang ahead.

What is Alpha Arbutin

The primary source for Alpha-Arbutin is a small evergreen bush called the Bearberry, and it is derived from the leaves of this bush. Bearberry grows over most of the Northern hemisphere and is found in the continental United States as far south as Wisconsin and New Jersey.

Arbutin is derived from the leaves of bearberry because of it’s melanin-inhibiting properties. Arbutin and other plant extracts are considered safe alternatives to commonly used pigment reducing agents to make the skin fairer.

Arbutin exists in two conformations, alpha and beta. The alpha conformation offers higher stability and is the preferred form for skin lightening applications.

Medical studies have shown it to be very effective for skin lightening. There are patents  covering its use for topical skin lightening products. Alpha-Arbutin doesn’t appear to have any nasty side effects and some government studies have shown it to be safe to use.

Questions about it’s long term safety look promising but are incomplete. Anecdotally it is much less irritating to the skin than hydroquinone at similar or even greater doses.

Source: http://bestfadecreams.com/alpha-arbutin-safe-alternative/

Side Effects of Alpha Arbutin

This ingredient was seen to be safer compared to hydroquinone which is highly banned in some countries. Regardless of naturally extracted, Alpha Arbutin has been discovered to have the possibility of breaking down to hydroquinone while in the body. This is mainly because Alpha Arbutin is a glucosylated hydroquinone in nature.

However it is evident that side effects of Alpha Arbutin are no more or less of hydroquinone. According the studies and research by the German Institute of Food and research, it was found that this element can easily be converted to hydroquinone by the intestinal bacteria. This can however lead to intestinal cancer related conditions.

Alpha Arbutin when used in large amount can also associate other side effects such as skin irritation that can transform to skin acne. Lower concentrations such as 3-4 % are tested to be safe for human consumption. Therefore, while shopping for your alpha arbutin best skin lightening cream, soap or lotion, ensure that it contains lower concentration of this element.

Involve a specialist before using any skin lightening product. Skin sensitivity ought to be tested and if symptoms persist then discontinue using the product. These are the best ways to deal with side effects of Alpha Arbutin.

Alternatively using glutathione skin whitening products can be an option. While using this skin whitening ingredient, ensure you also protect your skin against sunburn using a sunscreen compound of SPF above 30. Avoid continuous use of Arbutin products to minimize on chances of side effects.

Source: http://www.beautyclue.com/skin-whitening/side-effects-of-alpha-arbutin-soap-cream-serum-lotion/

Now, I know you guys read it like OMG it has the side effect almost the same as the hydroquinone nooo waaaaa omg waaaaa, well no. Lower concentration should be okay and The Ordinary offers a 2% concentration which is lower than what mentioned above.

Okay, so you guys must've thought, "Pah kau dah putih kau nak pakai benda ni kenapa" No, I don't want my face to be pale ke apa ke but I wanted my hyper pigmentation to go away ya know? And this product can help to do that so why the f not? I don't think I have ever mentioned it on my blog but I don't really go for whitening products, just brightening. I have dull skin, so sometimes kalau pakai makeup pon macam mehhh je. So I need to brighten it up without kacau my skin cells and whatnot.

So let's talk about The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA in details.

So the texture is just like other The Ordinary serums, they are watery gel serum and can be a bit sticky. This serum is a clear serum, so transparent, so suci. LOL. Didn't have any smell or whatever because The Ordinary products has no fragrance and no other bullshit in their skincare.

For the first few weeks I used it, I was not impressed with it at all. I thought it didn't do anything on me but one of my friend bought it as well and she was like OMG Pah Alpha Arbutin ni best, kulit aku dah cerah hahhhhhhh. Aku pon cam hmmm yelah yelah aku pun pakai lah consistently, day and night for 2 months ++ macam tu and now dah habis dah serum tu baru sempat aku nak post review sebab aku taknak post awal sangat, nanti macam no difference pulak kalau letak before and after photo.

Little did I know, someone actually noticed the difference! Then baru aku perasan, oh yaaa, memang less dark spots tak macam dulu. I mean dulu macam super obvious, now not so much. I can see my skin looks so much more brighten than before.

I don't want to put before and after pic here, you guys be the judge okay? Go search for my tag, #pahskincarejourney on Instagram LOL (well follow me if you haven't already: @makeupbypapot)

I honestly love how The Ordinary made this formula with Hyaluronic Acid. I sometimes just use serum on my face without moisturizer on at home because I'm lazy af and this feels really nice on the skin. Yes, it's sticky for a few minutes but after that, holy crap, my skin didn't feel dehydrated at all, even without a moisturizer! Oh and since I use this day and night consistently, I got 2 months use of this 30ml bottle. Oh and I think it's great under makeup. Didn't feel any difference when it was under and my makeup just stay in tact as usual. Heh.

Okay ni I nak bagi warning sikit. Warning patut awal-awal lagi, tapi tulah Pah doesn't get her life together. Anyways, please please please use SPF while using brightening products. AHA, BHA, any acids, brightening, whitening, whatever, please pakai SPF at least SPF30 and above to decrease the chance of sunburning. Okay? Okay. Good.

Pros:
Really brighten up skin
Hydrating
Pigmentation is less noticable
Affordable *cough cough*

Cons:
Takes about 6-8 weeks to see the difference
(which is normal but some people are just impatient, like me LOL)

Final thoughts: Good Lord, I already finished 1 bottle and I'm ordering another one. This is definitely gonna be a staple in my skincare routine. Still struggle to find a product to reduce my redness but whatever, go away pigmentation. I'll see ya in hell. DIE MOFO DIE. Anyways, highly recommend to those of you who are still struggling to find a product that can brighten and reduce pigmentation. This baby is gonna be your BFF. I can't really say if it's suitable for sensitive skin, because "sensitive"...


This product deserves 5 stars so nahhhhh~~~

Rating: ★★★★★


So yeah I hope you guys find this helpful in any way.

Thank you for reading this post with so much patience (yea I know it's pretty long)

Stay gorgeous <3


.iffahs.



MOOOAAAARRRRRR
The Ordinary

Byrdie
Truth in Aging