Some have a fair/light skin while some have dark; some can treat their skin and make it brighter, while on some, there is no significant change. Let's read ahead to know what causes the change in the skin tone and how effective a skin lightening cream can be along with various other skin lightening products.
How is skin color determined?
The presence of the pigment melanin produced by our cells called melanocytes determines the color of our skin. The amount of melanin present in our skin is directly proportionate to the darkness of skin. That means more the melanin in your skin the darker your skin appears. Melanin's amount is determined by your genetics and ethnicity although there could be other factors that affect or alter the amount of melanin present in your skin. These factors are exposure to the sun and certain chemicals, skin damage, hormonal imbalance and sometimes age too.
What are skin lighteners?
There are several products available in the market for the skin lightening purpose. These can either be bleach based or hydroquinone based. The sole objective of all skin lightening creams and products is to reduce the amount of melanin. Apart from bleach and hydroquinone, some skin lightening products also use steroids, retinoic acid or kojic acid. While some products are completely chemical based, some products are using natural lightening agents such as arbutin, the extract from the fungus.
There are some low-cost skin lightening creams available over the counter which can be harmful in the long run. Most bleaching creams contain mercury, and prolonged use of bleach on the skin can sometimes lead to mercury poisoning. It is also suggested to use bio-based or natural skin products that are safe as well as effective.
How to choose a skin lightening cream
Although by now you know what harmful chemicals are present in skin lightening products, it is still important to walk you through it once again. Avoid products that contain mercury, steroids and higher amount of hydroquinone more than 2-4%. These products, will not only cause further damage to your skin, but you also become vulnerable to critical problems like mercury poisoning. Excessive use of chemical based skin lightening creams and even dry skin care products can lead to age spots, increased pigmentation, liver spots, skin thinning, skin discoloration and skin infections that are hard to cure. It is, therefore, important to choose only natural and bio-based skin care products, would it be it for aging, skin lightening or skin dryness.
Source : articlesbase.com
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