All about Skin Lightening

Our obsession for pale skin is nothing new. One does what not, apply creams and packs and even go for various treatments, to achieve that flawless porcelain skin. We do not hesitate or think twice before applying products which have toxic heavy metals, such as mercury and hydroquinone, in their ingredients.

What we do not understand that in rush to get that perfect even and flawless skin tone we are loading our skin with products which could cause a host of other problems in future.

What works for someone might not work for you. Keeping this in mind you should choose your ways carefully. Mentioned below are the treatments that are available for lightening skin tone and pigmentation.

Skin Lightening Treatments:

• Cryosurgery: In this skin lightening treatment liquid nitrogen is used to get desired results. The liquid nitrogen causes melanin to rise to the surface of the skin, and then that layer is peeled off after few days to achieve a fairer look. Due to the risk of increased pigmentation issues this treatment is suited for small areas of skin.

• Laser treatments: Laser treatments have been more effective in getting rid of dark spots and provide an even tone to the skin rather than whitening the entire face. Hyper pigmentation is one of the side effects of this treatment.

• Use of topical skin whitening cream or gel: These skin lightening creams or gels contains ingredients like hydroquinone, mequinol, azelaic acid and kojic acid. Hydroqyinone is the most effective of the lot, it reduces the melanin levels in our skin which are responsible for our colour. But, one must pay attention to its level or percentage used in the product. More than 2 % of hydroquinone can be unsafe, various studies have indicated that it may lead to leukemia.

Before opting for any skin lightening treatment one should discuss the pros and cons with a dermatologist. Blindly following what others are doing may cause problems.

There are safer methods, which involves the use of homemade products and ingredients, that will gradually lighten your skin tone without any side effects. Like:

• Prepare a homemade skin lightener by mixing a teaspoon of sandalwood powder, a teaspoon of turmeric, and a few drops of rose water. Mix these ingredients into a paste and apply it on your face. Let it stay for around 20 minutes and then rinse off with lukewarm water.

• Mix together 1 teaspoon each of milk powder, lemon juice and almond oil. Apply this concoction on your skin; massage for few minutes and then leave it on for 15 minutes before washing off. This is an effective skin lightening mask.

• Boil cumin seeds in water, and rinse your face with this water to reveal fair and radiant skin.

Image source: 1, 2, 3

Also read:

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Cream with SPF 20
Neutrogena Fine Fairness Cleanser
Neutrogena Fine Fairness Lotion SPF 30
Neutrogena Fine Fairness Essence
Neutrogena Oil – Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Cleanser
Kaya Fairness Nourishing Day cream with SPF 15
Garnier Skin Naturals Light Overnight Fairness Cream
Olay Natural White Fairness Day Cream
Maybelline Clear Glow All In One Fairness Compact Powder
Pond’s Flawless White Deep Whitening Facial Foam
L’oreal White Perfect Deep Whitening Eye Protector
L’Oreal White Perfect Re-Lighting Whitening Toner
St Ives Apricot Whitening Scrub
Lush Wow Wow Face Mask
Homemade Chocolate Face Mask
Oriflame Swedish Spa Purifying Face Mask
12 Best Homemade Face Masks
Avon Naturals Skin Care : Cleanser, Toner, Face Mask
Botanical Aromatherapy Face Mask Geranium

IMBB RECOMMENDS

6 thoughts on “All about Skin Lightening

  1. I soak a few strands of saffron in a tablespoon of milk for 15 min. Apply it to my exposed body parts (face, neck, arms) and leave it for an hour or two. It provides extraordinary results 🙂

  2. nice post era – i tried the sandalwood + turmeric remedy mentioned in the post – it stung my face worse than a bee ….anyone with similar experience….now my face is all yellow 🙁

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *