APLB Salicylic Acid BHA Arbutin Ampoule Serum 40ml
Salicylic Acid BHA Arbutin Ampoule Serum is APLB's ampoule serum (40ml), built around Centella Asiatica Extract and Arbutin. It is used after toner and before moisturizer, as the routine's concentrated treatment step. This is the same formula Korean shoppers buy off the shelf in Seoul, not a version built for US retail.
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- Suited to
- Congested skinUneven textureDehydrated skinSensitive skin
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Arbutin in an ampouleRoutines that want Arbutin and Allantoin in one stepFilling the ampoule step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Arbutin ampoule sold on Korean shelves
In stock. Ships from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Dispatched within 2 business days
Key benefits
- Arbutin, the active this ampoule is built around
- Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside on the same list, actives
- Asiatic Acid and Salicylic Acid further down the same list
- Saccharomyces Ferment and Hydrolyzed Collagen further down the same list
- Arbutin named eighteenth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- The Korean-market release of this ampoule, confirmed against its Korean barcode
Key actives
Arbutinactive
Arbutin is the naturally occurring form of the same compound, from bearberry and related plants, used for the look of uneven tone. The alpha isomer is the more stable of the two. The name on the box points at it, and it is named eighteenth on this ampoule's own ingredient list.
Allantoinactive
Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin. The panel names it thirteenth on this ampoule's list, beside Arbutin.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizateactive
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is named twenty-fifth on this ampoule's list, alongside Arbutin.
Madecassic Acidactive
Madecassic Acid is the fourth centella triterpene. A list that names all four is telling you the extract was standardised rather than simply pressed, which is the difference between a cica claim and a cica formula. It is named thirty-eighth on this ampoule's list, alongside Arbutin.
Asiaticosideactive
Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised. It is named thirty-ninth on this ampoule's list, alongside Arbutin.
How to use
- Apply after toner and before moisturizer. Pat or smooth it over a cleansed face and let it absorb before the next step, AM and PM.
Where does this ampoule go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than an ampoule goes on before it, and anything richer goes on after. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Arbutin and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market ampoule or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Arbutin and all. We match this ampoule to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.
What else is on the list besides Arbutin?
Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate and Madecassic Acid. The order they are printed in on this ampoule's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Arbutin sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid and Salicylic Acid.
- Ships from
- California
Duties are prepaid. Nothing is owed at delivery. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
Orders ship from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days, and arrive in 3 to 5 days. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Customs
Duty paid by us before it enters the US - 3California
Ships domestically, no international leg
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Import duties are paid by us before the parcel reaches you, so nothing is owed at the door, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
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How it works
The Salicylic Acid BHA Arbutin Ampoule Serum is a 40ml ampoule, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Arbutin, named eighteenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate and Madecassic Acid, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Arbutin stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the ampoule format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the ampoule APLB sells in Korea, Arbutin and all.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this ampoule on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Arbutin on the list.
- Citric Acid and Salicylic Acid on this list makes this ampoule an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.
Reviews
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Korean-market original
Salicylic Acid BHA Arbutin Ampoule Serum, 40ml, APLB's ampoule serum with Centella Asiatica Extract and Arbutin.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
Match the batch code on the box against the code printed on the bottle or tube itself; the two are stamped separately and should agree.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Arbutin works to inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme present in melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the skin. This results in less pigment, dark spots and skin lightening.
Tiffany Jow Libby, MDBoard-certified dermatologist, mindbodygreen Allantoin can tone down the dryness of the individual cells. It increases the water content of the skin, which means it helps to hydrate and moisturize.
Wilma Bergfeld, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
1 more professional perspective
It contains liquiritin, an active compound that helps to disperse and remove existing melanin in the skin.
Jennifer Chwalek, MDDermatologist, Byrdie
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