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Alpha arbutin has gained popularity in recent days for its magical properties which can help to lighten, brighten, and even out your skin in the most gentle but potent way. Other skin lightening and brightening agents, can be harsh on the skin, make your skin very dry, cause irritation, or can create severe negative effects within your skin and body. But, alpha arbutin is completely different from those since it is natural and works to reduce many skin issues while moisturizing your skin at the same time.
However, sometimes even the best ingredients can cause purging on our skin since our skin needs time to adjust to a new product that increases cell turnover and reacts temporally. So, you might wonder: Does alpha arbutin cause purging? Let’s unravel the mysteries regarding alpha arbutin to know if alpha arbutin causes purging or any other side effects and the dos and don’ts of using alpha-arbutin on your skin to keep it safe and healthy.
What Is Alpha-Arbutin?
Arbutin is a natural skin-brightening agent that is found in different plants like blueberry, cranberry, marjoram, and various pear species. Alpha arbutin is mainly a derivative of Glycosylated hydroquinone, so it has hydroquinone in its molecule. But alpha arbutin works in a hydrolysis process which makes it release the hydroquinone slowly. This makes the melanin synthesis slow down and prevents the tyrosinase enzyme. Alpha arbutin is much stronger than the other types of arbutin such as beta arbutin or deoxyarbutin. All of them help to reduce the pigmentation of our skin, but alpha hydroxy is stronger and more effective than all of them.
Does Alpha Arbutin Cause Purging?
No! Alpha Arbutin does not cause purging. Instead, its gentle formulation is very friendly to the skin. There is no report of purging after using only alpha arbutin yet, but still, every skin type is different and all the ingredients work differently in every one of them. Sometimes, it may cause purging while causing a reaction to other ingredients of your skincare products. but alpha arbutin is considered safer than most other active ingredients since it is designed to very slowly and gradually release hydroquinone. If alpha arbutin suits your skin, you can even use it for long periods on your skin without any side effects.
How Does Alpha Arbutin Work On The Skin?
The active ingredients of Alpha arbutin start to work slowly unlike many other aggressive ingredients. They might work faster, but they are not safe for all skin types. Alpha Arbutin is gentler than hydroquinone. Even though alpha arbutin is a derivate of hydroquinone and both of them work as a lightening agent, Alpha arbutin does not damage your skin cells like hydroquinone does.
The pigments or brown spots of our skin are produced in melanocytes. Melanocyte cells create spots, and pigmentations when they come in contact with UV light through an enzyme called tyrosinase. Alpha arbutin slowly releases hydroquinone by suppressing the tyrosinase enzyme to reduce the production of melanin and improve the complexation of your skin.
What To Avoid While Using Alpha Arbutin?
Before adding alpha arbutin to your skincare routine, first, you need to make sure that you do not have certain products in your skin routine already to avoid many potential side effects.
Although alpha arbutin has a very gentle formula and is safe to use with many other skin care products, it is always better to avoid harsh chemicals or strong acids to use with it. There are many strong acids or exfoliants that fight acne such as salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, etc. While you are treating acne it is better not to treat the spot at the same time.
You should also avoid adding more than two active ingredients to your skin with alpha arbutin. Other skin-lightening and brightening agents like ascorbic acid, niacinamide, or vitamin C serum should be avoided to apply directly while you are using alpha-arbutin on your skin. Apply any one in your skincare to get the most out of it.
If you are using any chemical exfoliator, like AHAs, BHAs, LHAs, or PHAs it can leave your skin very sensitive since it exfoliates the outer layer of the skin. Also, you should completely avoid using Retinoids. Retinoids or retinol is a very strong formula that can make your skin very dry. You should always avoid alpha arbutin when you are treating your skin with any strong ingredients like retinoids to avoid any possible reaction.
Who Should Consider Using Alpha Arbutin?
Alpha arbutin activates the pigment-producing cells which help to treat hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, and melasma. If you are suffering from these skin issues, then alpha arbutin is the product that you should consider. If you want to have a lighter and brighter skin complexion, or even out your skin tone by reducing the dark spots, then alpha arbutin can be an option for you. If you want your skin to prevent any melasma or freckles from appearing on your skin, then you can add alpha-arbutin to your daily skincare. Alpha-arbutin has the least amount of side effects. However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, then you should not use alpha-arbutin on your skin.
Benefits Of Using Alpha Arbutin
Alpha arbutin does not cause purging rather it comes with several good qualities that will help your skin to have a healthy appearance. For instance:
1. Lightens the skin tone
Alpha arbutin decreases melanin production in our skin by blocking tyrosinase activity in our skin. If our skin produces less melanin, it will give our skin a lighter and brighter appearance.
2. Reduces hyper-pigmentations
Alpha arbutin helps to reduce any sort of pigmentation s on your skin. Whether you have suntan, acne spots, age spots, or melasma, alpha arbutin can help you with that. It reduces skin sensitivity due to sunburn and even prevents future hyper-pigmentation and freckles from occurring.
3. Helps to even out the skin tone
Alpha arbutin helps to improve the uneven complexation of your skin and fade out the discoloration of the skin. It reduces the hyperpigmentation of the skin and, at the same time reduces the skin’s sallowness or yellowness caused by sugar intake.
4. Gentle on the skin
Alpha arbutin is much safer than using any other skin-lightening agent on your skin. Also, most of the brightening ingredients have a drying effect on our skin which can irritate sensitive skin. However, alpha arbutin does not cause any irritation to sensitive skin which makes it a very safe product to use.
Is Alpha Arbutin Safe To Use On The Skin?
Yes! Alpha arbutin is a very gentle ingredient that is safe to use on the skin. But you should not combine it with any strong acid or harsh chemical ingredient since the reaction can have a negative effect on your skin or even create purging.
Can I Use Alpha Arbutin With Kojic Acid?
Alpha arbutin with kojic acid can be used since both of them are naturally derived skin-lightening agents and can work faster and more effectively together. You can use a soap made with kojic acid and apply the alpha arbutin serum afterward.
Potential Side-Effects Of Alpha Arbutin
Alpha arbutin is normally very potent to use on your skin, but in some instances can cause side effects on your skin. such as-
- If you use alpha-arbutin on your cracked or exposed skin, it can cause unbearable irritation on your skin.
- If you use moisturizer after applying alpha arbutin cream or gel, that will not work effectively on the skin.
- If you use too many active ingredients on your skin at the same time, alpha arbutin might cause irritation and itchiness on your skin.
- If you are very acne-prone, have cystic acne on your skin, and are treating your acne, then you should not use alpha-arbutin on that very sensitive condition.
- If you are already suffering from pores and blackheads, then you should not alpha arbutin cream on your skin since the cream formula has a chance to clog the pores.
How To Use Alpha-Arbutin Safely On The Skin?
To use alpha arbutin safely on your skin, the first thing you should consider is your skin type. Any skin care product can do a miracle for you, work just fine for others, or cause a negative reaction as well. So, understanding your skin type is a must before you opt to use any skin care product.
Also, you need to do a patch test first to remain on the safer side whenever you tend to try out a new skincare product. To do a patch test use very little amount of alpha arbutin in a tiny area of your skin. leave the product on the skin for 24 hours and keep it dry. If it causes any negative effects, then you should stop using the product immediately. And if the product does not cause any reaction, then you can add this to your skincare routine.
If you are using any other active ingredients like vitamin C, or niacinamide in your skin, try to use the alpha arbutin serum first to your skin and then apply the other in a moisturizer form to get the maximum efficacy. If you use the cream or gel formula of alpha arbutin, then you might not need any extra moisturizer. And, do not forget to wear sunscreen before going out.
Final Thoughts
Alpha arbutin is one of the safe ingredients out there to give your skin a brighter look while fighting other skin concerns like dark spots, uneven skin tones, hyperpigmentation, melasma, etc. There is very little to no chance of causing purging or any other negative side effects on your skin unless you are having treatments for serious skin conditions or using strong chemicals and acids in your skincare routine. You should consider all the potential side effects before starting to use alpha arbutin and follow the guidelines to apply it safely on the skin and get the maximum benefits out of it.
