Skin lightening creams, well known as skin brightening creams, are used to overall lighten the skin complexion, these creams oftenly utilised for spot treatment of skin like dark spots, acne scars or age spots. While lightening creams are prescribed as per texture of skin and also have the side effects and serious various kinds of risks especially of those creams which are not tested for safety.
This article will clearly highlight the prior discussion related to face whitening creams and their emerging side effects along with benefits and precautions. If you are going to search for skin lightening cream, here you will get to know about each and every aspect related to these creams. Skin lightening products are in the firm of oils, serum, creams and lotions and widely available in online markets.
Types of lightening creams
If your skin is dry then cream and oils are the best choice as they are heavier, while on the other hand if your skin opts to the oily side then lighter serum is the best choice. Your dermatologist better guides you which types suit your skin best. Don’t go anywhere, this article provides and guides you with sufficient information which you need.
Here are some best lightening creams listed below:
Sirona Vitamin C Face Cream
UrbanBotanics Advanced Skin Radiance Face Cream
Good Vibes Wine Illuminating Face Cream
Lakme Absolute Perfect Radiance Skin Brightening Day Cream
The Derma Co 2% Kojic Acid Face Cream
Blue Nectar Ayurvedic Skin Brightening Cream
How do these creams work?
As to make it clear to viewers, skin lightening creams possess ingredients, which tend to decrease the production of melanin by acting on skin cells. Melanin pigment is responsible for dark complexion. Bleaching products present in skin tend to ultimately lower the number of melanocytes. Hydroquinone, the main ingredient of lightening cream, is mainly responsible for lowering melanocytes numbers.
Cream consists of which ingredients?
Here you will get the efficient information regarding the ingredients of cream and their functioning in skin lightening.
Vitamin C: major constituent of lightening creams, an antioxidant tends to lower melanocytes production and lightens skin complexion.
Hydroquinone: also responsible for bleaching by causing decrease in melanocyte cells
Glycolic acid: Present in many lightening creams by working as exfoliant, it clears the dead cells to helps in brightening
Retinoid: Products are derivatives of vitamin C, used to lighten up dark spots. Speeds up the turnover of surface skin cells.
Side effects and prevailing risks of lightening creams
It’s a fact, everything alongside benefits have side effects which sometimes at a neglected rate in comparison with benefits and sometimes dominate the benefits and make it vulnerable to various infections. Number of countries banned the use of skin lightening creams as they are associated with a number of adverse health issues as listed below.
Mercury poisoning: Skin lightening cream has mercury as an ingredient which has become the cause of mercury poisoning, so it is now banned in these products but still many companies add it in creams for bleaching of skin. The main symptoms have been reported as sensitivity to light, numbness, high blood pressure, fatigue and kidney failure.
Dermatitis: Various reports and case studies have linked the connection between bleaching products and dermatitis. Skin redness, blisters, skin ulcers all are common symptoms reported yet.
Exogenous ochronosis: Cause blue-black pigmentation on skin, due to presence of hydroquinone, occurs over long term use of bleaching products.
Steroid acne: Lightening creams which have corticosteroids become the cause of the steroid acne. Includes white and black heads on skin, small red bumps and large painful red lumps.
Nephrotic syndrome: It is a kidney disorder in which blood filtering vessels got damaged and excrete more protein in blood by presence of mercury. Mercury present in lightening creams is mainly responsible for nephrotic disorder. Edema, swollen feet, foamy urine and loss of appetite are all its symptoms.
Benefits of skin lightening creams
There are no remarkable and specific health benefits regarding skin lightening creams, but have desirable cosmetics effects on skin effectively used for treating certain skin conditions.
Minimization of dark spots: Bleaching treatments can easily reduce the area of dark spots on skin caused due to sun damage, aging, and changes in hormones. It’s a beneficial for those who concerned to minimise skin discolouration like;
Sunspots
Liver and age spots
Melisma
Freckles and post inflammatory mark
Reduction of appearance of acne scars: Sometimes skin lightening treatments help in fading acne scars. They don't help with active inflammation of skin and any redness caused by breakout, they reduce the acne scar area as the scar heal on applying the skin lightening cream.
Improved skin tone: Areas of hyperpigmentation can cure by applying the skin brightening cream which can ultimately even of skin tone. It can also help in reducing areas of freckles caused by sun damage.
How to apply skin lightening products
Usage of creams varies from product to product because of the specific composition of each cream. If you are willing to learn how a bleaching product could apply, then this article is the best reference to learn. Whitening products mainly applied at dark areas once or twice a day as per your own choice. Application of whitening products, advisable to follow the directions of the doctor or instructions present on packaging. This mainly involves;
Before applying whitening product it is directed to completely wash your hands or cotton pads
Clearly avoids the contact of product with surrounding sensitive skin areas like eyes, nose and mouth
Thoroughly washing of hands after application is also necessary
Avoiding of touching area where product is applied with other person’s skin
Sunblock and sunscreen can apply to avoid damaging ultraviolet radiations from sun
Skin whitening pills readily available in the market are taken once, although there is no single evidence about their effectiveness.
Precautions
FDA (food and drug administration) is not considering skin whitening products like OTC (over the counter products), as skin friendly rather they cause adverse health issues. FDA also does not regulate whitening products as natural skin aids.
Mostly the skin bleaching products are not recommended for darker skin so, it can cause hyperpigmentation (blue-black pigments), willingly they must be avoided as they don’t show any health benefit rather side effects dominate it.
Skin whitening treatment can also not be recommended to children under age and pregnant womens because they contain various hazardous chemicals which can cause severe poisoning like mercury poisoning, steroid poisoning etc.
In the online market there are also injectable whitening serums and products present, which are also banned by the food and drug administration (FDA) authority, as there is not a single evidence about their friendly relation with health.
Everyone must have to take into practise the above mentioned concerns and precautions, in order to secure themselves and their relations as well.
As a prone thinker! Addition of skin lightening products into your life from the world of cosmetics is everyone’s personal choice that shouldn’t be made lightly. It has the least benefits which are only confined to complexion, while has a lot of adverse health problems, which are not only restricted to skin, so better think before approaching. By taking it advisable before considering bleaching products do consult with your doctor or dermatologist.
