Arbutin
Severity 2/10Editorialskin brightener · also known as alpha-arbutin
Is Arbutin safe?
Arbutin carries only minor concerns (cancer concern) at typical cosmetic levels.
In plain language
A gentler hydroquinone derivative considered safe at up to 2% (alpha-arbutin, face) by the EU's scientific committee.
A Caredermis plain-language explanation to help you read the label — not a regulator statement. The sourced facts are the classifications and status shown on this page.
Documented concerns
Concerns marked Editorialare Caredermis' own dermatological review; the rest are drawn from official data — see the cited sources ↓
Cancer concern
Editorial2/10Can release small amounts of hydroquinone; SCCS considers approved levels safe.
Official regulatory status
Pulled directly from official regulatory datasets and expert reviews — not our own judgement.
EU SCCS safety opinions
- · OPINION ON α-arbutin
- · Opinion on the safety of alpha- (CAS No. 84380-018, EC No. 617-561-8) and beta-arbutin (CAS No. 497-76-7, EC No. 207-8503) in cosmetic products, preliminary version of 15-16 March 2022, final version of 31 January 2023, SCCS/1642/22
- · Opinion on beta-Arbutin
- · OPINION ON β-arbutin
Guidance by skin profile
Caredermis editorial guidance based on the concerns above — checked against the official records on every build, but not itself a regulator statement.
- Sensitive skinNo specific concern
- Oily & acne-proneNo specific concern
- Dry skinNo specific concern
- PregnancyNo specific concern
- Babies & kidsNo specific concern
- Eczema-proneNo specific concern
Sources
Each authority below is shown only because our ingested copy of its data lists Arbutin — not because we asserted it. Follow a link to verify the classification or regulation directly.
See our methodology for how these map to concern levels. Informational only — not medical advice.
Products in our library containing Arbutin
Related ingredients
Ingredients with a similar role or shared type of concern — useful for comparing what's on your label.
Checking a specific product? Paste its full ingredient list and we'll analyze everything at once.