We are often asked the question "How can I lighten my skin?" Here are 10 ways to whiten your skin. Skin lightening products can be classified into 3 categories: The good, The bad & The ugly.
Let me define them in reverse order:
The ugly:
1) Hydroquinone: a chemical reducing agent used in photographic developers. It is used as a "polymerization inhibitor" due to its antioxidant properties. It has been used in many topical applications to reduce the pigment of skin. It occurs naturally in the defensive glands of Bombardier Beetles and has been widely used in skin whitening products. It has been banned in The European Union & in 2006 the FDA revoked its previous approval. Studies have shown that hydroquinone can cause exogenous ochronis, a disfiguring disease in which blue-black pigments are deposited onto the skin. Solutions up to 4% are considered safe but in combination with certain other chemicals such as Trenitoin can be harmful to the skin.
2) Mercurous chloride: Manyskin-whitening products use mercurous chloride or ammoniated mercury as an ingredient. Mercury has been banned in many countries for use in skin whitening products due to it;s systemic accumulation in the body. In may, 2010 the FDA launched an investigation of mercury in skin-lightening creams after more than a dozen people using products in California and Virginia were found to have high levels of mercury in their blood. Mercury is used because it blocks the production of Melanin, which the body produces to darken the skin. Mercury is easily absorbed into the skin. Health effects, include neurological and kidney damage.
The Bad:
3) Alpha Hydroxy Acids: known as "acid peels" or "exfoliants because they remove upper layers of the skin. Lactic acid & Glycolic acid are commonly used in skin whitening because the size of the molecules allow them to easily penetrate into the top layer of skin. However in concentrations up to 15% they have not been shown to inhibit Melanin production and thus do not remove brown spots. AHA peels in concentrations of 50% have been shown to remove pigmentation but can have sever reactions in some people and should only be applied by a licensed individual. Serious skin damages can occur if improperly applied.
4) Monobenzone: is used as a topical agent to reduce pigmentation but may cause destruction of melanocytes, that produce melanin resulting in permanent depigmentation. It should only be used under strict medical supervision.
5) Laser treatments: non-ablative laser treatment can be effective, but results have been inconsistent and don't work as well for people with darker skin tones.
6) Cryosurgery: This involves the application of liquid nitrogen to the pigmented area causing localized destruction of the pigmented skin cells. The melanin then rises to the surface and flakes off. Effectiveness depends on the depth of the pigmentation. While effective for age spots or freckles, it is an expensive procedure.
7) Tretinoin: is a form of vitamin A, also known as "Retinoic acid". It is a topically applied drug, typically used to treat Acne and is used to slow skin aging & wrinkles, & increases collagen production. It has been shown to be effective in enhancing the quality of the skin with some lightening effect. It's side effects include increases sensitivity to light making one susceptible to severe sunburn. It has also been linked to birth defects in the developing fetus.
The Good:
8) Arbutrin: an alternative to hydroquinone, Arbutin is a natural substance derived from several plants and is known technically as "hydroquinone-beta-D-glucoside". It is an effective inhibitor of Melanin and is a potent skin lightener. There are patents controlling it use in skin lightening applications. It has non of the side effects associated with the synthetic form hydroquinone.
9) Vitamin C: available in several forms including Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, L-ascorbic acid, ascorbyl glucosamine, and ascorbic acid, vitamin C is an effective skin antioxidant and has been shown to brighten the skin.
10) Glutathione: is an amino acid and antioxidant produced by the cells and works in conjunction with vitamins E & C. and detoxifies heavy metals in the body. Glutathione is an effective Melanin inhibitor and has been used as an overall skin lightener. Do your homework before using any of these treatments. There are many effective natural treatments for lightening your skin that do not have any of the side effects mentioned in the bad & ugly categories above. To learn more about non-toxic natural skin whitening methods visit naturalskinwhitening.net naturalskinwhitening.net
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