I say skin whitening and you say…Michael Jackson? Maybe. He always denied lightening his skin, but there is little question that the Michael Jackson who died sported a significantly lighter pigment than Jackson 5 Michael did. Or even “Off the Wall” Michael.
If Michael Jackson did whiten his skin, we will likely never know the exact reason. Others, however, are more open about it. The reasons for the sudden upshift in skin lightening in the 21st century range from nothing more nor less than cosmetic appeal to a more permanent way of fading spotty discoloration of the skin. Some dark-skinned models may feel that they can become more marketable with a lighter shade of mocha while a redhead may just be tired of being nicknamed “Freckles.” A very popular reasoning behind skin whitening is its effective method for dealing with acne and acne scars. Still another reason that you may be hearing about skin lightening services more these days than ever is the expansion of options.
Hydroquinone/Retin-A Combination
You have likely heard the term Retin-A on acne commercials even if you weren’t really paying attention. Retin-A cream has a long history of use as a treatment for variety of skin problems. Hydroquinone is a mouthful that may be less familiar to you. Hydroquinone is another type of cream with chemical properties used specifically for the bleaching process in one type of skin lightening technique. Hydroquinone is often mixed with Retin-A as a way of lessening the higher potential for skin damage that comes from using hydroquinone alone. The creamy concoction that will be applied directly to the area of the skin you want lightened. This skin whitening procedure is fairly easy and easily accessed, but be prepared to wait as long as three to four months to see satisfactory results.
Buttermilk and Citrus Juice
If you want to avoid the possibility of damage done by the application of hydroquinone and prefer a better smelling patch of dark skin, then go with this mixture of a cup of buttermilk and a few drops of lemon juice. The best methodology for this particular means of whitening the skin is to cover your affected area at night before bedtime and then let slumber works it magic. When you get up the next morning, thoroughly clean off the effects of last night before rubbing grapefruit juice into the skin. Believe it or not, but this can actually be a ridiculously faster way making subtle changes in pigmentation. Do this a few nights a week and you may be able to lighten very small areas of the skin less than two weeks later.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C does it again! They used to call vitamin C the miracle vitamin and it does seem to have some pretty impressive superpowers. The biological process here actually takes advantage of the vitamin’s ability to assist in halting melanin production. If you don’t have healthy amounts of melanin, you are wasting your time trying to get a tan. Conversely, lesser amounts of melanin means the skin is resistant to darkening. A daily dose of 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C combined with a concerted effort to protecting your skin from exposure to tanning rays should eventually result in noticeable whitening of large portions of skin.
