Arbutin
Slows pigment production, gently Arbutin is a hydroquinone molecule with a sugar attached. Skin enzymes cut that bond slowly, so only a little is released at a time.
← All comparisons
Dermapedia / CompareIngredients
Arbutin vs Hydroquinone
Arbutin is the gentle, buy-it-yourself pigment blocker. It fades dark spots slowly, it rarely irritates, and there is no reason to stop using it. Hydroquinone is the strongest fader most people will ever be offered, and in the United States it needs a prescription. It works faster and goes further, but it is used in courses with an end date rather than kept in the routine.
At a glance
| The difference | Arbutin | Hydroquinone |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Slows pigment production, gently | Switches off pigment production |
| How long until it works | About 8 to 12 weeks | About 4 to 8 weeks |
| Cost | Inexpensive | Varies a lot |
Hydroquinone
Side by side
The differences that matter
What it does
Arbutin
Slows pigment production, gently
Arbutin is a hydroquinone molecule with a sugar attached. Skin enzymes cut that bond slowly, so only a little is released at a time.
Hydroquinone
Switches off pigment production
It blocks tyrosinase, the enzyme pigment cells use to build melanin. Less new pigment goes into the skin, so the patch fades.
What you do
Arbutin
A serum, once or twice a day
Smoothed over the whole area rather than dabbed on spots, under moisturizer and sunscreen. It layers with almost anything.
Hydroquinone
A cream at night, for a set period
Applied to the patch, usually at night, as part of a plan your dermatologist starts and stops.
What you will see
Arbutin
Dark spots losing contrast
Sun spots, melasma patches and marks left by old acne gradually stop standing out from the skin around them.
Hydroquinone
The same, faster and further
On a stubborn patch it does more than anything sold over the counter, which is why it is still the standard.
How long until it works
Arbutin
About 8 to 12 weeks
Hydroquinone
About 4 to 8 weeks
How it works, illustrated
Hydroquinone
How long you use it
Arbutin
As long as you like
There is no stop date. Many people use arbutin as their everyday ingredient and between hydroquinone courses.
Hydroquinone
Three to six months, then a break
It is prescribed as a course. Your dermatologist stops it, often for a couple of months, before deciding whether to run another.
The downside
Arbutin
Mild, and mostly slowness
Occasional stinging or a little redness. The real drawback is that it will not shift a deep, stubborn patch on its own.
Hydroquinone
Irritation, and one rare problem
Stinging and dryness are common early on. Long unsupervised use can cause a blue-grey staining of the skin called exogenous ochronosis, which is harder to treat than the patch you started with.
Related topic illustrations
Hydroquinone
Azelaic acid
Strong evidence. Slower and much gentler, usable continuously, and the usual choice during pregnancy. Hydroquinone is more effective on stubborn melasma.
1 / 5→
Cysteamine
Moderate evidence, including trials run against hydroquinone directly. Can be used for longer stretches and has not been linked to ochronosis, but it smells strongly of sulfur.
←2 / 5→
Tranexamic acid
Moderate evidence, stronger for the oral form than the cream. Often used to hold melasma between hydroquinone courses. Oral use needs medical supervision because of clotting risk.
←3 / 5→
Niacinamide
Limited evidence. Very well tolerated and easy to add to anything, but far weaker on established patches.
←4 / 5→
Licorice root extract
Limited evidence. Gentle and cosmetic, reasonable as maintenance, and nowhere near hydroquinone on active melasma.
←5 / 5
Cost
Arbutin
Inexpensive
Sold in drugstore and online serums. Price mostly buys the texture of the product and the packaging.
Hydroquinone
Varies a lot
Plain hydroquinone is cheap. Compounded blends and branded combination creams cost considerably more.
The at-home or drugstore version
Arbutin
Arbutin is already the at-home one
There is no prescription arbutin. It sits on the shelf on purpose, and it is the same idea as hydroquinone turned right down.
Hydroquinone
Real alternatives exist on the shelf
Hydroquinone was pulled from US drugstore shelves. Arbutin, azelaic acid, vitamin C, niacinamide and tranexamic acid are the over-the-counter options, and they do work — more slowly, with less risk. Anything sold openly online as strong hydroquinone is worth being cautious about.
Forms and types
Hydroquinone
Cream, 4%
The most common form. Applied to the marks only, not the whole face.
1 / 3→
Triple combination cream
Works faster and cannot be used indefinitely, because of the steroid.
←2 / 3→
Gel or solution
A lighter base for the same drug. Less widely prescribed.
←3 / 3
Why one comes in courses and the other does not
Arbutin
Arbutin has no end point. It is mild enough to sit in a routine the way niacinamide or vitamin C does, and stopping it simply lets pigment drift back over time.
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone has a job with an end point. Once the patch has faded, keeping it on the skin adds risk without adding benefit. So a course runs a few months and then stops.
Which one to start with
Arbutin
Start with arbutin for mild or moderate marks. Post-acne marks, light sun spots and early melasma respond to it, and you can buy it today without an appointment.
Hydroquinone
Ask about hydroquinone for a patch that has not moved. Deep melasma and long-standing pigment are what it is for, and a dermatologist watching the course is part of using it well.
Before you start either one
Hydroquinone
- Get the patch identified first — melasma, sun spots and post-acne marks do not behave the same way
- Take a photo in the same light on day one, because slow fading is hard to judge from memory
- Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning, including on grey days
- Give either one a full eight to twelve weeks before deciding it has failed
- Ask for a stop date with hydroquinone and put it in your calendar
- Introduce one new pigment ingredient at a time, not three at once
Common questions
Questions Patients Ask
Is arbutin as good as hydroquinone?
Not as strong, no. Hydroquinone fades a stubborn patch faster and further. Arbutin is gentler and can be used indefinitely, which suits mild to moderate marks better.
Is arbutin just a weaker hydroquinone?
Close to it. Arbutin is a hydroquinone molecule with a sugar attached, and the skin releases it slowly. That slow release is why it irritates less and works more gradually.
Can I use arbutin and hydroquinone together?
They are usually used one after the other rather than at once. A common plan is a hydroquinone course to clear a patch, then arbutin and sunscreen to hold the result.
Why do I need a prescription for hydroquinone?
In the United States it was taken off drugstore shelves, so it is now dispensed under supervision. Products sold openly online as strong hydroquinone are worth treating with caution.
How long does arbutin take to fade dark spots?
Usually eight to twelve weeks before the change is obvious. Photographing the area on day one in the same light makes it much easier to judge.
What is alpha arbutin versus beta arbutin?
They are two forms of the same ingredient. Alpha arbutin is the more stable of the two and is the version used in most serums.