Arbutin알부틴
Korean brightening functional ingredient 미백
알부틴al-bu-tin
On a Korean label: 알부틴 = Arbutin.
What it is
A plant compound (a glycoside of hydroquinone) found in bearberry leaves. Korea lists it as a brightening functional ingredient.
On a Korean label
Written 알부틴. Alpha-arbutin is a separate ingredient, 알파-알부틴; in the Korean dictionary only arbutin is flagged as a functional ingredient.
Korean rules
- Korean brightening functional ingredient — Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety lists it as an active ingredient for 미백 functional cosmetics.
- Label caution: Products with 2% or more arbutin must say on the label that papules and mild itching have been reported in human application tests (화장품 사용할 때의 주의사항 및 알레르기 유발성분 표시에 관한 규정).
Related names on Korean labels
| Korean | English (INCI) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 알파-알부틴 | Alpha-Arbutin | alpha-arbutin, a separate ingredient |
Questions
Is 알파-알부틴 the same as 알부틴?
No. They are different ingredients with different names on Korean labels; Korea’s functional list names arbutin.
Sources
- Korea Cosmetic Association — ingredient dictionary (대한화장품협회 성분사전)
- Regulation on cautions for use and allergen labelling (화장품 사용할 때의 주의사항 및 알레르기 유발성분 표시에 관한 규정), as listed in the KCIA dictionary
- Regulation on the Review of Functional Cosmetics (기능성화장품 심사에 관한 규정) — in force 16 December 2025
Checked 26 October 2026. Rules change — the official texts above are the final word.