Both Vitamin C serum and Alpha Arbutin have antioxidant properties and both are used to
reduce pigmentation on the skin and even out the skin tone. Today we are going to
talk about the unique properties of both these products and how exactly do they come to the
rescue when it comes to hyperpigmentation from melasma and there subsequent skin benefits. We
will also talk about how to possibly combine the power of these two ingredients to create a
synergistic effect to speed up the process even faster. So definitely stay tuned till the end.
If you guys are new here, this channel is all about helping you make informed decisions as
well as be in the know when it comes to your health and wellness, and I would love for you
all to gently tap on that like button down below, and if you really like the content, then consider
hitting that subscribe button. Also, if you guys are on Instagram, you can follow me there too. Now
without wasting any more time, lets get started. First lets take a look at alpha arbutin. And ive
actually made a detailed video on alpha arbutin in skin discoloration. That you
can watch here. Alpha arbutin is a naturally occurring derivative of hydroquinone. Remember,
hydroquinone, before it got banned, was widely used for hyperpigmentation. It was
actually the go to for this problem. Now one of the closest things we have to it is arbutin. In
fact its just a structure in which one molecule of D-glucose is bound to hydroquinone, specifically
the α-anomer of D-glucose. And what that means for us is that, its still going to get in there
and inactivate the activity of tyrosinase. Which is what we want. We stop tyrosinase,
we stop melanin deposits on the epidermis. And we begin reversing hyperpigmentation. And what
are a list of those tyrosinase blockers. Lets take a look, shall we. WE got hydroquinone,
which we know we cant find anymore, arbutin which is the prodrug of hydroquinone, you can see a
similarity if you look carefully, azelaic acid, l-ascorbic acid which is your vitamin c serum
which ill get into next, ellagic, tranexamic, and kojic acid. Which ive made videos on, that
ill link below that i highly encourage you watch. Now if i were to compare the tyrosinase blocking
activity of alpha arbutin directly to vitamin c serum. I would say alpha arbutin definitely wins
that battle and is better. The reason for that is that l-ascorbic acid is is sensitive to heat
and degrades easier than arbutin. Which explains why Alpha arbutin is effective in concentrations
up to 2%, while L-ascorbic acid works best in concentrations between 10 – 20%. So if arbutin
works better on tyrosinase, shouldnt i just go with that, well its interesting because,
Vitamin C, on the other hand, interacts with copper ions present in the tyrosinase enzyme to
block its action during melanogenesis. It uses its antioxidants in the battlefield instead of direct
inhibition of tyrosinase activity. So it works, but it works from a different angle. Another big
difference between the two is that Alpha Arbutin doesn’t stimulate collagen production but Vitamin
C does, it also has a higher concentration of antioxidants which makes it a better antiaging
treatment. But if you were to just compare the efficacy on hyperpigmentation alone,
alpha arbutin does come out the winner, only because it is more stable, and resembles
hydroquinone more, which at one point was the go to for hyperpigmentation. On the other hand,
if your main concern is to revive dull skin and reduce signs of aging then Vitamin C is a better
option. But heres the thing, because of how complex hyperpigmentation is,
a multi-approach treatment is always recommended. Not to forget to mention those melasma mistakes,
that you definitely want to avoid. But the real question is, Why not combine the two.
So you can have two methods of attack against hyperpigmentation. So how would you go about doing
that. This is how i would do it. When layering your products keep in mind that alpha-arbutin will
come first especially as most vitamin C serums are going to oil-based while alpha-arbutin serums are
water-based. So as long as you remember that, you should be fine. And Alpha arbutin can be applied
twice daily after applying your gentle cleanser. If youre one to use the vitamin c in the morning,
wait 15 minutes after the alpha arbutin to apply the vitamin c serum, and then dont forget the
broad spectrum sunscreen to protect it all in. Some actually use the vitamin c serum at night,
just to avoid the potential of it breaking it down during the day. So you can do that too.
And for the products I recommend. The ordinary has a formulation that contains 2% arbutin and
8% ascorbic acid all in one, that may be a good solution if you dont want to use two products.
Ive also linked some other products down in the description too, that you can go with as well in
case you wanted to try the two product approach. More curious to hear from you though. Are you
struggling with hyperpigmentation? Let me know in the comments below. Also,
click the subscribe button if you found any value, and until then, ill see you guys on the next one.