At present, the two most used arbutins in cosmetics are α-arbutin and β-arbutin respectively. The price of α-arbutin is much higher than that of β-arbutin, which is mainly because β-arbutin Fruit glycosides are obtained by chemical synthesis, while α-arbutin can only be prepared by enzymatic synthesis (microbial fermentation).
The Difference Between α-Arbutinand β-Arbutin
1. The price of α-arbutin is about 8 times that of β-arbutin.
2. The whitening effect of α-arbutin is more than 15 times that of β-arbutin.
3. α-Arbutin has a stronger inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity.
4. The stability of α-arbutin is better, α-arbutin will not decompose at a high temperature of 100°; β-arbutin will decompose in a small amount when it exceeds 60°.
5. α-Arbutin has no photosensitivity and can be used during the day.
6. α-arbutin does not exist in nature and can only be obtained through fermentation.
7. β-arbutin has been used in the market for a long time, so arbutin is generally referred to as β-arbutin, not α-arbutin.
