IMPORTANT – Whitening products do not need hydroquinone or mercury in them to be effective. You can get good products and good results without using these questionable ingredients.
With any product that you apply to your skin, it’s best to minimize or avoid harsh chemicals. Your skin is like a sponge, and is actually the largest living organ in your body – so any chemicals you apply to it are going to be absorbed into your body.
This becomes even more of a concern if you are using an all over body lightening lotion, instead of one just for your face. Simply because you will be applying a lot more of the product.
Now there’s no doubt that hydroquinone does work as a skin whitening ingredient. But there is some serious doubt over the safety of using this ingredient in any skin products.
Some research so far has concluded that it is a ‘carcinogenic substance’ – that is, cancer causing. It is also thought to cause weakening or thinning of the skin.
In the United States the FDA has expressed concerns and considers the ingredient dangerous, and has actually now banned products from using higher levels of it. In Europe products using it can only be bought with a prescription from a doctor.
So What Creams Do NOT Use Hydroquinone?
There are a number of good products available now that are based on more natural ingredients.
The one I personally favor, uses all natural ingredients, and is called Meladerm. The plant based ingredients are all chosen for their effectiveness in lightening skin, plus a few extras to help improve overall skin tone and appearance.
But there are other products available too. Just make sure you look for the natural whitening ingredients listed here, as these are the ones with some research behind them.
You can of course still use the older, perhaps less safe, products if you wish to. Just be aware that there may well be some health risks that go with that, and that it may be wise to gradually phase out their use and gradually switch to bleaching products without hydroquinone instead.
We actually list this as one of our Top 5 Whitening Mistakes – can you guess what the others are..? Some are more obvious than others, but make sure you’re aware of them all to get the best results from your whitening products.
And men, if you think you’re missing out here, please don’t. You can get face whitening cream for men – these products are just as good for you as they are for women.
