SKIN LIGHTENING PRODUCTS INGREDIENTS

The Skin Lightening website brings you another skin-care article...

There are some excellent  lightening products available which are known either as skin lighteners, brighteners and whiteners. These products will fade dark patches and reduce the appearance of discolorations. Some creams and gels are safer and more effective than others so it pays to read up on the topic.

Here is a list of commonly found ingredients in skin bleaching or skin lightening products:

Hydroquinone has been used for many years. There are some suggestions that the long term use of this compound can be carcinogenic and its availability is being restricted.

Kojic Acid is a by-product of manufacturing sake, a Japanese rice wine. It is used as a natural alternative to hydroquinone, but has been shown to irritate some people’s skin.

Alpha-Arbutin is an advanced, highly effective naturally derived synthetic lightening compound, suitable for most skin types.

Arbutin or Beta Arbutin is also known as ‘Bearberry Extract’ (from the Uva Ursi plant) and is up to 10 times less effective than Alpha Arbutin. Arbutin / Beta Arbutin is a cheap extract to manufacture and been shown to irritate some people’s skin. This ingredient is common in lots of cosmetic brands.

Parabens are chemical preservatives, including butylparaben, propylparaben, methylparaben, and ethylparaben. These are widely used in cosmetics, but they have also been thought to be carcinogenic.

Mercury is a basic chemical element. In cosmetics, it was used as a preservative and a skin whitener. Mercury is highly toxic to humans and can cause cancer and many other nasties. It is strongly advised that you completely avoid any cosmetic product containing mercury.