Skin Lightening / Whitening products

[cindy663]

I'm filipino and you're right, in the Philippines they are really big on having light skin...I may be wrong but I believe most Asian countries are really into having light skin (to emanate western ideals, perhaps?)
I'm not into having lighter skin myself but I have used Eskinol Whitening Cleanser. I couldn't tell if it worked or not...lol! Eskinol has loads of whitening creams, soaps, cleansers and they seem to work pretty well.

Pale skin has been prized in many Asian cultures since ancient times.. before most of them knew about Western civilization! It traditionally signified that folks were well-off enough to take care of their complexions and not be outside all day. Though, in future this may change as many parts of Asia are being flooded with modern Western ideals.. primarily for men though, as this article ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/china_tanning_dc ) discusses.

 

[Lacroix]

If you use cucumber juice mixed with lemon juice (equal quantities) and leave it on an hour or so, it'll lighten the skin slightly. Also honey and cucumber or just lime juice.

 

[yahoooooo]

What about lightening of freckles? I should have listened to my mother all these years and worn sunscreen everyday, but now I have freckles. At first it didn't bother me, but now some of the freckles are merging to form larger freckles and my skin is starting to look "dirty." I'm Asian, but have fair skin.

I really recommend these two products...I've been using them for a week now and they faded the freckles on my arms.

http://www.godivaskincare.com/shopping/customer/product.php?productid=83&cat=7&page=1

http://www.godivaskincare.com/shopping/customer/product.php?productid=63&cat=7&page=2

Just be sure to wear a good physical sunblock over them during the day!

 

[jjbunny79]

I guess it really all boils down to different cultural perspectives. It's true that these products are all the rage in East Asia, mostly because the perspection over there is that it's more elegant to have fairer skin.

But personally I feel that whitening products are there to make the skin more transluscent and to even out the skin tone and not to bleach it.
Now who wouldn't want a flawless complexion?

I find that SKII products work very well for me, especially its treatment essence. It doesn't really make me fairer, which is good, but it does an excellent job of evening out skin tone and giving it a luminous glow!

Another personal fav of mine is Lancome's whitening serum - works like a charm! My pimple scars from teenage years have long faded because of it!

And of course the most essential ingredient in any skincare routine is a good sunblock with SPF!

agree. im chinese with skin that is super pale that come of my asian friend will make fun of me actually im a drugsotre stuff call pinkie white from biore, with should reduce melanin production on my face and more transculantness i guess lol

 

[Lara_L]

my boyfriend has gotten me a supply of Retin A (topical)
here is some background info:

One of the tretinoin creams is used to treat fine wrinkles, dark spots, or rough skin on the face caused by damaging rays of the sun. It works by lightening the skin, replacing older skin with newer skin, and by slowing down the way the body removes skin cells that may have been harmed by the sun. Tretinoin works best when used within a skin care program that includes protecting the treated skin from the sun. However, it does not completely or permanently erase these skin problems or greatly improve more obvious changes in the skin, such as deep wrinkles caused by sun or the natural aging process.

Its pretty hardcore, so im going to be really careful with it. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

 

[VainJane]

I tried the Shiseido White Lucient and I wasn't impressed. It didn't seem to brighten my skin at all and I actually got a blackhead from it!

I tried the DiorSnow lightening foaming cleanser and while it does give me a bright complexion, I think I've had better. I switched to L'Occitane Immortelle Brightening Cleansing foam and that seems to do as good a job, if not better than the DiorSnow.

Or it could just be that my skin got used to the DiorSnow. I don't know

Anyway, the L'Occitane does a good job of keeping my skin bright but I'm still looking for that product that will give me a porcelain complexion

 

[bluebutter]

Pale skin has been prized in many Asian cultures since ancient times.. before most of them knew about Western civilization! It traditionally signified that folks were well-off enough to take care of their complexions and not be outside all day. Though, in future this may change as many parts of Asia are being flooded with modern Western ideals.. primarily for men though, as this article ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/china_tanning_dc ) discusses.

Thanks for that information . I had no idea. Thats really interesting though and it makes a lot of sense, lol

 

[lost in kyoto]

Yeah, I think a lot of Asian countries are into lighter skin. One of my asian friends has a bottle of lightening cream. Can't say that it makes a difference though.

 

[o0ceania]

Do people in the Asia generally work hard at physically blocking out the sun from their homes, bedrooms, and so on with drapery, as much as they avoid it outside? I'm interested in knowing to what lengths people go to completely block out the sun/daylight from the chance of it touching them.

It seems like complete avoidance of the sun--or more accurately, daylight-- is the one surefire way to prevent photodamaging, but it also seems like one would miss the bright, clear beauty of daylight and live in darkness by doing this.

 

[jjbunny79]

^ huh??? we go outside and do stuff, it just that we use a lot of sunscreen and mayb use UV-proof umbrella to block sunlight....

 

[o0ceania]

in your homes, what lengths do you go to block out the sun? do you keep your drapes/blinds shut all the time to keep light out?

 

[kateelle]

I was searching online for home remedy skin lightening methods, and the most popular one seemed to be bathing in peroxide. Seriously.

 

[jjbunny79]

^ bleaching is different from those skin lightener... i think bleaching is literally stip melanin from the deep skin layer with those product mentioned in the thread are basically reduce the skin releasing extra hormone as braking down the old one, say sunspot or the tan u got, but otherwise it shouldn't do anything that is very dramatic, because idealy the product supose to make u a bit more fairer not all the way.......

and o0ceania i think u've head the wrong direction of the question

 

[kateelle]

No, I said it right. It's a skin lightening method. You cannot "bleach" with diluted 3% peroxide. (possibly less, cannot recall)

 

[jjbunny79]

No, I said it right. It's a skin lightening method. You cannot "bleach" with diluted 3% peroxide. (possibly less, cannot recall)

can you show me the product u find on internet???

because whitening product (like cream, lotion, sun screen, make up base, and so on) they sell on market are not bleaches as far as I am aware of because it will be eventually worn out the skin and should cause irrtation and those bad-quality product are more prone of having heavy chemical like mercury and such.

read marqueemoon's post at #50:

Good whitening products don't bleach your skin, apparently. I've never done whitening because my skin is already fair, but I've read about it. Here's a helpful article:

 

[Alejandro]

I love my Diorsnow, i've been using it for years before Diorsnow Pure came out.

 

[kateelle]

can you show me the product u find on internet???

because whitening product (like cream, lotion, sun screen, make up base, and so on) they sell on market are not bleaches as far as I am aware of because it will be eventually worn out the skin and should cause irrtation and those bad-quality product are more prone of having heavy chemical like mercury and such.

What are you talking about? You confused "bleach" when I wrote skin lightening and now you're telling me that it isn't bleach. Yes, I know. Afterall, that is what I wrote in the first place. And it isn't a product sold on the internet, if you read my post carefully it saids method.

 

[mellowdrama]

Over at Makeupalley.com forums, they rave about a product from the Philippines called "Maxi Peel" that contains 2, 3, or 4% hydroquinone (depending on the formula you buy) and .025% retin-A. Hydroquinone, please note, is banned in the EU and many Asian countries for possible carcinogenicity. It's also linked to a condition called ochronosis, which causes the skin to thicken and turn (actually) black. Some reports say the problems are caused by unregulated ingredients in the cremes (such as mercury compounds), combined with zealous overuse (read: all over the body for non-stop amounts of time).

The FDA in the US is considering a ban on OTC (over the counter, non-prescription) hydroquinone products. Here, you can readily buy a tube of Ambi or Black Opal brand cremes that can contain up to 2% hydroquinone. Dermatologists regularly prescribe 4% in cremes such as Triluma.

I'm currently using a 2% Ambi creme for some recent melasma that's cropped up below my eyes and on my forehead. I don't use it all over, just on the spots! I'm plently pale as it is and would be delighted to be either all brown or all pale all over--but as pasty white is still winning the field, it's easier to try and fade the darker bits.

High SPF, quality sunscreen is a must, or the dark spots will just return! As for the supposed cancer link, I'm not bathing in the stuff, just dotting it on two spots that are less than a square inch of skin.

Arbutin, from bearberry, and kojic acid, from mulberry root--also surpress melanin production, though to a lesser degree than hydroquinone. I've tried Skinceuticals Phyto+ Gel, which contains these two ingredients, to lighten my melasma, but it never did a damned thing, unfortunately. I've found in a week, the Ambi creme has lightened them considerably. You're not supposed to use hydroquinone for more than two months, though!

 

[mellowdrama]

Here is an informative link:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=737014

I learned kojic acid is actually from fermented rice, not mulberry root, plus a whole lot more. Check it out!

 

[Ghost]

how can i get rid of stretch marks and dark pigments on buttocks.
i'm too shy to get a retin A prescription from doctor