The Skin Lightening website brings you another skin-care article...
Almost all cosmetics, including those for lightening skin, can cause allergic reactions in certain individuals. Often the first sign of a reaction is a mild redness and irritation. There is no list of ingredients that can be guaranteed not to cause allergic reactions, so consumers who are prone to allergies should pay careful attention to what they use on their skin. Because of the almost limitless combinations in all sorts of mixtures and formulations, it is virtually impossible to know if, when, or how anyone's skin will react to any skin lightening product.
Terminology:
Terminology related to "allergenic" conditions and some other terms, as you will soon see, can be totally meaningless when it comes to cosmetics. Some of the more common terms that consumers should be aware of include:
• Natural: implies that ingredients in the skin whitening cream are extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically. There is no basis in fact or scientific legitimacy to the notion that products containing natural ingredients are good for the skin.
• Hypoallergenic: implies that products making this claim are less likely to cause allergic reactions. There are no prescribed scientific studies required to substantiate this claim.
• Dermatologist-tested sensitivity tested, allergy tested, or nonirritating carry no guarantee that they won't cause skin reactions.
• Alcohol Free: traditionally meant that certain skin whitening products do not contain ethyl alcohol (or grain alcohol). Cosmetic products, however, may contain other alcohols, such as cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl, or lanolin, which are known as fatty alcohols.
• Fragrance Free: implies that a cosmetic product so labeled has no perceptible odor. Fragrance ingredients may be added to a fragrance-free cosmetic to mask any offensive odor originating from the raw materials used, but in a smaller amount than is needed to impart a noticeable scent.
• Noncomodogenic: suggests that products do not contain common pore-clogging ingredients that could lead to acne.
• Shelf Life (Expiration Date): the amount of time for which a cosmetic product is good under normal conditions of storage and use, depending on the product's composition, packaging, preservation, etc. Expiration dates are, for practical purposes, a rule of thumb, and a product may expire long before that date if it has not been stored and properly handled.
• Cruelty Free: implies that products have not been tested on animals. Most ingredients used in cosmetics have at some point been tested on animals so consumers may want to look for "no new animal testing," to get a more accurate indication.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids:
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) have become widely used in recent years. AHAs are derived from fruit and milk sugars, and are among the popular ingredients that attract customers with their claims to reduce wrinkles and age spots, and help repair sun-damaged skin. It is suggested that the consumer take precautions with AHA and BHA products:
• Avoid the sun when possible.
• Use an effective sunscreen when using an AHA-containing product, even if you haven't used the product that day.
• Follow use instructions on the label.
• Do not exceed recommended applications.
• Do not use on infants and children.
