Versus

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% Versus The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution

Serum
Serum
Canadian Brand Canada
Canadian Brand Canada

Updated on March 27, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 0 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for brightening skin and reducing pores

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

When to use

531 Routines
69% use in am
31% use in pm
89% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
432 Routines
34% use in am
66% use in pm
80% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% 3 ingredients

3.4 /5
from 5 ratings
Clover's avatar

Clover

2 years ago
Review

I'm orange...
When I first started using this I was like, “great, a vitamin C that doesn’t burn”. So I began using it frequently. Slowly, I noticed my skin was turning orange, but just on my face. Turns out this product was oxidizing ON MY SKIN. The serum itself was still pretty clear, so I wasn’t applying an old or bad product, but when exposed to oxygen while on my face it began to STAIN it as Show more

mickey_432's avatar

mickey_432

2 years ago
Review

Reaction
My face has never been redder and hurt more in my life...

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution 9 ingredients

3.8 /5
from 5 ratings
Works Well (3) No Scent (2) Great Value (2)
Clover's avatar

Clover

9 months ago
Review

I made this work eventually.
I was intrigued when I first saw this product as most salicylic acid treatments that I’ve seen are in water based formulas. I however have dry AND acne prone skin so finding acne fighting + moisturizing products can be a little challenging. This did technically work for me as I did notice an improvement with pore appearance and blackheads, but it was also too easy for Show more

#great value
#irritating
#oily
#no scent
jesssimon's avatar

jesssimon

1 year ago
Review

Started using this product around 3-4 months ago. I have noticed a complete transformation in my acne. I had been using products with “fatty alcohols” (Cerave), and unfortunately broke out.. bad. I had a ton of deep painful spots, majority on my chin and forehead. This product completely cleared/healed those spots within one month of use. Since then I have noticed, if I do get a spot, it appears Show more

#great value
#no scent
#works well