The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
2.4
/ 10
Moisturizing
4.8 Humectancy icon Humectancy
0.0 Occlusivity icon Occlusivity
Rich
in Antioxidants
$$$$

Review

Results you may expect from using The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA:

Based on the ingredient analysis by CreamScan, these are the key benefits you can expect from using The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA:

  • Light moisturizing. It has a moisturizing rating of 2.4 out of 10.
  • Antioxidant protection.

How moisturizing is it?

Lightly moisturizing: The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA has a moisturizing rating of 2.4 out of 10.

Is it more humectant or occlusive? Purely humectant. It has zero occlusivity (we didn't find any occlusive ingredients on the ingredient list) and a moderate humectancy of 4.8 out of 10, primarily due to Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate (est. ≈1.8%), Propanediol (est. ≈1.7%) and Lactic Acid (est. ≈1.0%).

Please refer to the Ratings section below for details of the moisturizing rating calculation.

Antioxidant benefits

We estimate that The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA is rich (> 3%) in antioxidants, specifically Alpha-Arbutin (est. ≈2.0%).

A key benefit of antioxidants is their ability to reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals and therefore prevent accelerated skin aging. Studies also show that antioxidants can protect against environmental damage such as UV radiation and pollution, and help reduce inflammation and skin redness.

Ingredients

Est. % Ingredient Origin Functions
90
2
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.5
1.3
1
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
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Function:
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Ratings

All humectants
4.8
1.8
1.7
1
0.3
Benchmark
10
All occlusives
0.0
None
Benchmark
20
Moisturizing rating
2.4
Ingredient Est. % Benchmark Raiting
Humectancy All humectants 4.8 10
4.8
1.8
1.7
1
0.3
Occlusivity All occlusives 0.0 20
0.0
None
Moisturizing rating
2.4
Ingredient Est. % Benchmark Occlusivity
None
All occlusives 0.0 20
0.0
All occlusives
0.0
None
Benchmark
20
Ingredient Est. % Benchmark Humectancy
1.8
1.7
1
0.3
All humectants 4.8 10
4.8
All humectants
4.8
1.8
1.7
1
0.3
Benchmark
10
Ingredient
Ingredient anti-wrinkle power
when present at, %
in this formula est. %
Rating
None
Total
0
None
Anti-wrinkle rating
0
Ingredient Est. % Benchmark
Rich in Antioxidants
2
1.8
All antioxidants 3.8 3 Rich in antioxidants
All antioxidants
3.8
Alpha-Arbutin
2
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
1.8
Benchmark
3
Ingredient Est. % Benchmark Rating
None
All soothing 0 5 No
All soothing
0
None
Benchmark
5

Ingredients explained

Water
Est. %90
Function
Origin
The most used ingredient in skincare. Its concentration defines the product texture: rich creams may have about 50% of water while a light jelly about 90%. Water doesn’t moisturize the skin by itself and is used in skincare as a solvent for other ingredients.
Alpha-Arbutin
Est. %2
Function
Origin
Description is coming soon
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Est. %1.9
Function
Origin
A polymeric ingredient that works best in water-based formulas to create gel textures. It helps to stabilize emulsions and control viscosity.
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Est. %1.8
Function
Origin
A very small-molecule version of regular sodium hyaluronate. It is a powerful humectant skin-identical ingredient that absorbs into the skin and offers plumping, smoothing, and anti-wrinkle effects.
Propanediol
Est. %1.7
Function
Origin
An excellent solvent capable of mixing water with normally water-insoluble ingredients. It also functions as a humectant due to its water-loving alcohol groups. Propanediol can control the viscosity of a product by reducing its thickness.
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Est. %1.5
Function
Origin
A water-loving surfactant, which means it can act as an emulsifier, solubilizer, and cleansing agent. As an emulsifier, it helps to create oil-in-water emulsions.
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Est. %1.3
Function
Origin
A castor oil-derived ingredient often used to incorporate small amounts of oil (such as a fragrance) into a water-based product. PEG-4 HCO is a gold-standard solubilizer and can be used in low amounts due to its ability to solubilize things so well.
Lactic Acid
Est. %1
Function
Origin
The most popular AHA in skincare and less irritating than glycolic acid. It can be naturally found in sour milk. It is a humectant moisturizing, pH stabilizing, and gently exfoliating ingredient, able to soften dry, cracked, and peeling skin.
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
A chelating agent that disables harmful heavy metal ions present in skincare.
Ethoxydiglycol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
A type of alcohol with humectant moisturizing properties. It also acts as a solvent, since it mixes well with a variety of other compounds, including water and even some oils.
Phenoxyethanol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
The most frequently used preservative in skincare. It is a clear, oil-like liquid synthetic substance that protects products from harmful bacteria and yeast, whilst still leaving skin microflora unharmed. It is confirmed by research to be harmless.
Chlorphenesin
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
A preservative and broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that protects products from a wide range of bacteria and fungi.