Ascorbic Acid + Alpha Arbutin 7.5 / 10

The full breakdown

An affordable antioxidant and brightening combination for AM use across all SA climate zones.

Ingredient breakdown

• Ascorbic Acid
  Moderate evidence

  A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial found that a 5% topical vitamin C cream applied daily for 6 months produced a significant clinical improvement in photoaged skin, including increased skin microrelief density, reduced furrow depth, and ultrastructural evidence of elastic tissue repair.

• Alpha Arbutin
  Moderate evidence

  A split-face clinical study in melasma patients found alpha-arbutin delivered via a chitosan-nanoparticle hydrogel produced greater reductions in melasma severity scores than a standard alpha-arbutin hydrogel, supporting its role as a tyrosinase-inhibiting brightening active.

Best suited to

Dull, Uneven