Arbutin
On the label: Arbutin · Active
What it is
A compound from bearberry leaves that slowly releases hydroquinone in skin; used in brightening serums. The EU limits it in face creams.
Actives: Actives are the ingredients a product is built around: acids, retinoids, vitamins and the like.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q416446 →
In the research
405 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Arbutin/kojic acid-loaded MHA hydrogel array patches attenuate UVB-induced epidermal hyperplasia and remodeling-associated responses · Journal of applied biomaterials & functional materials, 2026
- Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical safety evaluation of a facial brightening toner containing niacinamide and β-arbutin used with 4% hydroquinone · Cutaneous and ocular toxicology, 2026
- Research progress on Bergenia purpurascens: a narrative review · Frontiers in pharmacology, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other actives
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.