Niacinamide or alpha arbutin for dark spots?
How two popular brighteners work, and how to choose.
1 minute to read
Different jobs, same goal
Alpha arbutin slows tyrosinase, the enzyme skin uses to make melanin, so less new pigment forms. Niacinamide works further along the line, reducing how much pigment is passed up to the surface cells. Both fade the look of dark spots gradually; neither is an overnight fix.
Choosing between them
Pick alpha arbutin if dark spots and marks left by breakouts are your main concern. Pick niacinamide if you also want help with oil, pores and redness. Many people use both, since they sit happily together in the same routine.
Give any brightener twelve weeks of daily use before judging it.
The step that matters most
Sun exposure darkens existing spots and triggers new ones, which can undo months of progress in a few days. Daily broad-spectrum SPF is what lets a brightening serum do its work.
