Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% — Reddit Reviews
by The Ordinary
Updated October 3, 2026
8% vitamin C plus 2% alpha arbutin for fading dark marks; sticky.
What the community says
A brightening serum built around ascorbic acid and alpha arbutin, aimed at acne marks, dullness, and post-breakout hyperpigmentation. People like the under-makeup wear and faster fading, but the sticky, sits-on-top texture is the dealbreaker for some.
What this means for you
Backed by 7 threads from r/SkincareAddiction, r/30PlusSkinCare and 3 more.
Read the threads ↓What people love
Watch out for
- Sticky and sits on top of skin
- Vitamin C quality gets questioned
- Can be a pass if you hate tacky serums
Product details
Concerns
Skin type data limited
Where to buy
What the science says vs. what Reddit says
Hyperpigmentation
Some evidence
Vitamin C: 7 studies tested it on its own. See all 24 studies
On Reddit: Alpha Arbutin 2% targets new dark marks while vitamin C helps acne scars fade faster under makeup. 5 mentions
Both ingredients for hyperpigmentation
Vitamin C Some evidence
- Most studies found vitamin C helped fade dark spots or patches
- In melasma studies, vitamin C on the skin often made patches look lighter over time
- Used with other treatments, vitamin C sometimes faded melasma more than the other treatment alone
- For sun spots, vitamin C showed some fading, but one study had mixed results
- It worked about as well as glycolic acid for fading melasma patches in one large review
Studied at 0.2–30%this product: 8%
Arbutin Some evidence
2 studies tested it on its own. See all 9 studies
- All of these studies found it helped fade dark patches
- Used on its own, it made melasma patches less dark
- One study found it also reduced how widespread the patches were
Studied at 2.51–7%this product: 2%
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
Real Reddit threads — 9 mentions across 7 threads
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% on Reddit, in one place — 7 threads from r/SkincareAddiction, r/30PlusSkinCare and 3 more, summarized.
“I prefer the Ordinary's AA 2% + HA as opposed to their AA 2% + Ascorbic Acid 8%”
Cautionary
“I don't believe the quality and stability of their Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) is great.”
Cautionary
“I generally don't trust the Ordinary's vitamin C.”
Cautionary
“I prefer the Ordinary's AA 2% + HA as opposed to their AA 2% + Ascorbic Acid 8%”
Cautionary
“I don't believe the quality and stability of their Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) is great.”
Cautionary
“That's why I opt for a separate Vitamin C serum step.”
Cautionary
“I wanna try The Ordinary's Ascorbic Acid with Alpha Arbutin before I give up on vitamin C serums for good.”
Mentioned
“...before I give up on vitamin C serums for good.”
Mentioned
“I wanna try...”
Mentioned
“The ordinary 8% ascorbic acid + 2% alpha arbutin”
Positive
“Sunscreen, vitamin c, alpha arbutin and or hydroquinone are the perfect recipe for hyperpigmentation.”
Positive
“my dark marks were fairly new so that’s why I think mine went away so quickly.”
Positive
“Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%: I wanted to up the brightening effects of Vit C”
Positive
“I notice when I don't use this that acne scars do not fade as quickly.”
Positive
“It wears well under makeup”
Positive
“the only product that ever helped a little was one serum from the ordinary that had ascorbic acid & something else”
Positive
“they stopped making it”
Positive
“i’ve tried ... numerous vitamin c serums”
Positive
