In 2006 the FDA publicly announced a ban on the skin lightening ingredient hydroquinone. According to the ban only products containing two percent hydroquinone or less could be sold over the market. The ingredient is completely banned in Europe, Japan and Australia. The reason for the ban is because of research showing that hydroquinone is a cancer-causing chemical. So after determining this the U.S had no choice but to place a ban and lower the amount of hydroquinone that could be use in a product.
If you google the words, “don’t use hydroquinone” you’ll find plenty of stories about people who used hydroquinone and the damages done to their skin from the ingredient. From Palmer’s fade cream to Ambi many skin fading products contain this ingredient.
Outside of the harmful effects it cause on the inside of your body is the dangerous effects that can be visibly seen on the outside. But before I tell you about the effects hydroquinone cause on the skin let me explain how hydroquinone lighten the skin or blemishes. First it works by inhibiting the production of melanin in your skin. Then it rapidly removes layers of skin cells revealing a newer brighter more radiant complexion underneath. Sounds good doesn’t it? Well it’s good but eventually all that striping will damage the skin. One of the bad effects is hydroquinone makes your skin thinner. Therefore your skin will look older than what it really is. I had a friend who was twenty-five and by the time she finished using the product her skin looked fourty. She used the product for an extended period of time trying to achieve lighter skin. Did her skin get lighter? Well yes it did but her skin also burned every time she went out in the sun, even though she used SPF 30 cream. Her skin also started to peel when using the product and the product did contain less than two percent hydroquinone.
Eventually she could no longer deal with aging, peeling, extra sensitive skin so she had to discontinue the use of the product. Her skin ended up turning back to it’s original color but darker and the blemishes had gotten darker also. Her story is not unique. There are plenty of others like her. When you use products with this ingredient your skin will get worst than it was before. It is scientifically proven that once you stop using the product your skin will try to overcompensate and rapidly produce more skin cells maker your hyperpigmentation and or age spots darker than before. But because most people are not aware of this when using hydroquinone and it lightens age spots etc. faster than most ingredients people and companies will continue to use this ingredient in products.
There is a misconception that hydroquinone is the only ingredient that can give you results. This is far from true. There is also the misconception that if it isn’t a chemical it won’t work. There are several natural ingredients that can give you amazing results. I am talking from experience.
Some of the natural alternatives to using hydroquinone are vitamin e, vitamin a, vitamin c, bearberry extract, and honey.
1. vitamin e- When using vitamin e to fade skin spots and blemishes a lot of people see results after two weeks. You can use the vitamin e capsules and poke a hole in the capsule then squeeze out the liquid. For best results try to use vitamin e in the oil form. Use it in the purest form you can find. 30,000 iu’s would be the best bottle to buy. Put the vitamin e on your face every night before you go to bed.
2. vitamin a- When using vitamin a the results can be amazing on your skin. It can brighten the skin and also fade age spots and hyperpigmentation. It does this by turning over skin cells revealing a new complexion. But as a warning you have to go to a dermatologist or do research to find what dose works for your skin. It varys from person to person. Or you can start off using it once a week and slowly start using it more to see how often works for you. Don’t just start off using it everyday. Vitamin a is very strong so allow your skin time to get use to it.
3.vitamin c- Vitamin c is good for brightening the skintone and removing unwanted spots on the face naturally. Please don’t let the word natural fool you. It can work wonders. Just use it from the vitamin c capules. Don’t worry about using too much. It works well on the skin. Again use everynight and wash off in the morning.
4. Bearberry extract- Good for renewing overall complexion. Another natural alternative for a beautiful skin tone.
5. Honey- It’s not as strong as the previous ingredients but does work well enough. You can use it as a mask everyday for 15 mins. Or you can sleep with the honey on and wash it off in the morning. Do everyday for a month. You may even mix some of the previous ingredients with the honey for a mask.
So the next time you pick up a product that has hydroquinone as an ingredient, think twice before using. The benefits may not be work the disadvantages. The few alternatives I listed are just a few. There are so many natural ways to get great skin. I hope you find one that works for you.
