We have seen two contradicting notions about how should our skin should appear. While some people spend a lot of time trying to achieve a deep suntan, some others want to bleach their skin to look whiter. Although sunlight is from a natural source, purposefully changing your skin tone is not natural, and this also applies to bleaching darker skins.
The desire to look white isn’t very uncommon and humans been trying it for many years but without much success until they discovered skin bleaching agents. The present day skin bleaching agents are essentially chemical products that act upon the melanocytes and melanin. However, what you must know about skin bleaches is whether they are harmful to skin or not and whether it is safe to use them for extended periods of time, because that is what it takes to change your skin complexion.
On the onset, you can safely assume that herbal skin bleaching creams can be safer for long term use. Herbal based skin bleaching creams invariably contain licorice and mulberry extracts as well as containing kojic and lactic acids. However these are proprietary preparations and the composition may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some skin bleaches also contain lemon juice and emblica powder.
Although there is no denying the fact that herbal skin bleaching is safer, they cannot be assumed to be curative or protective to tanning or other sunlight induced problems.
Are skin bleaching products that contain hydroquinone and mercury conclusively dangerous to skin? The lesser we speak of mercury the better, however there is not enough evidence to conclusively pin the hydroquinone down as having harmful effects to our skins. Publicly, hydroquinone products are sold as OTC skin bleaching creams when they contain a limited amount of less than 2% of that ingredient and if the content exceeds that, it must be sold under prescription alone. This duality is what causing the cry that hydroquinone is harmful.
Look at the reports: hydroquinone tests conducted on rodents last year resulted in showing some evidence connecting it to being carcinogenic (cancer causing.) FDA is proposing a ban on skin bleaching products with hydroquinone.
Given this scenario, how should you choose a skin bleaching product if you must? Avoid products with mercury and hydroquinone, proven or not; choose herbal products or the ones containing Retinoin which is a vitamin.
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