The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% Versus The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution
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
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Ingredient Info
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% 3 ingredients
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution 9 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
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% 3 ingredients
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution 9 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% 3 ingredients
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution 9 ingredients


Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% 3 ingredients
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
Reaction
My face has never been redder and hurt more in my life...
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution 9 ingredients
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
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