While many assume wrinkles are the biggest skin concern when it comes to ageing. Well, a lot of people are more concerned about something else which is uneven skin tone. Age spots and ruddy skin texture can actually age you more than fine lines and crow’s feet. While tons of products these days promise to brighten, tone, and add luminosity, they can be too harsh or drying for those with sensitive skin, which is why we are so excited about this skin-brightening ingredient that is safe for all skin types.
Allow us to introduce you to Arbutin cream, the secret skin brightener you have maybe never even heard of. Vitamin C, kojic acid, and licorice are all great natural skin brighteners, but there are a couple of reasons why arbutin kicks them to the curb.
What is Arbutin?
Arbutin is a molecule extracted from the bearberry plant that prevents the formation of melanin.
Arbutin is derived from the leaves of fruits such as bearberry, pear, and cranberry, and it is sometimes made synthetically. Arbutin is used in many cosmetics and creams by dermatologists as a topical skin lightening agent for treating hyperpigmentation. It is categorized as a plant extract and tyrosinase inhibitor.
Arbutin Skin Care Benefits
- Natural Skin Lightening Agent
Arbutin is a cosmeceutical that fades hyper pigmentation meaning it works to fade sun spots, age spots, acne scars, and melasma. Plus, arbutin prevents future freckles and hyperpigmentation from developing, even after a sunburn.
- Brightens Complexion
It evens and brightens your complexion making your skin look healthier and vibrant. Think of it like the skincare beauty blender – instead of blending out with foundation, arbutin is literally blending out your actual skin. Arbutin cream reveals your inner beaming, beautiful angel face, and we’re so down with that.
- Less Aggressive than Hydroquinone
For more severe hyper pigmentation and melasma, hydroquinone has traditionally been the ingredient of choice due to its strength, but the hydroquinone often used in many skin care products is synthetic, aggressive, and can badly damage the skin if used incorrectly like permanently damage the skin with blueish/greyish splotches. Arbutin is a much safer, more natural derivative of hydroquinone, and topical treatment of arbutin has been shown to treat melasma as well as severe dark areas. All the power without the bad side effects.
How to Apply Arbutin Cream?
- Work up to it
Always do a patch test! Start by applying the arbutin product in the evening to a small area on your forehead, where your facial skin is thickest. If there’s no irritation within 24hrs, begin applying the product as a spot treatment to your skin every night. If there is no irritation after a week and you want to get more aggressive with the treatment, begin applying the arbutin product both morning and night.
- Apply to the entire face or as a spot treatment
You can apply arbutin directly to the areas on your face affected by hyper pigmentation as a spot treatment, or you can apply your arbutin product to your entire face. Try to avoid eyes, lips, and mouth. Besides your face, your chest and hands are other areas that hyper pigmentation can affect as well. Therefore, you can also apply arbutin cream to the tops of your hands and chest.
- Moisturizer
Don’t forget to hydrate your skin twice a day with a moisturiser! Let your arbutin cream or serum fully dry before applying your moisturiser. If you apply moisturiser right away, the arbutin will not have a chance to sink into your skin enough to work its magic.
- Sunscreen
Arbutin can make your skin more susceptible to sunburn and more sensitive to UV rays. Melanin helps protect your skin from sunburn, and since arbutin limits melanin production, it leaves your skin more vulnerable to sunburn. Plus, if you’re trying to lighten hyper pigmentation, not wearing sunscreen can cause age spots and sunspots, and we know you don’t want that. Limit your time in the sun and apply sunscreen daily.
However, results won’t happen overnight. Consistency is key. It will take 1-2 months of consistent topical use before you begin to see improvements. Contact us to know more about the results on various skin types and answer all your queries at Sara Elizabeth Skincare
