The Ordinary ascorbic acid 8 per cent + alpha arbutin 2 per cent: £10.80, The Ordinary

Like all of The Ordinary’s products, this one is stripped down to the bare bones in terms of packaging and marketing. This is part of the brand’s shtick: to promote good, non-fussy skincare at a reasonable price.

To those who might not necessarily know much about skincare, the technical product name – ascorbic acid 8 per cent + alpha arbutin 2 per cent – could be off-putting but it’s actually very simple. These two ingredients are simple brightening agents that, when combined, help to radiate the complexion and improve pigmentation. After a few days of usage, there was little improvement, but after a full week, there was a notable difference in skin tone and brightening.

We’d recommend this product to anyone looking to keep prices low while investing in an efficient, yet simple, product.

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