Image Credit: latestinbeauty.com
I hate blemishes and for some reason, whenever I have a breakout those little scars like to leave me a reminder that they've been there. No woman likes blemishes, acne scars, or marks on her body especially when those unsightly marks are right there on the face. We panic. We result to extreme measures and use all types of stuff that promise to get rid of those horrible blemishes. I thought my saving grace were fade creams and skin lightening creams. Unfortunately, I found most of them to be pretty ineffective after wasting lots of time and money.
There are quite a few reasons why I chose not to use any of these skin products anymore and not just because I felt like they weren't working for me. I started doing some research to find the best fade cream on the market but what I found instead were some pretty interesting facts that led me to decide that I wanted nothing else to do with the fade creams and I started looking for more natural ways to treat my skin. In no way am I saying that you shouldn't use them, by all means if they work for you, go for it! However, I will give you some of the facts so that you can make the decision yourself.
Many skin lightening and fade creams contain a pretty good amount of mercury. Mercury is a naturally occurring mineral but too much of it can become toxic or even fatal. The state of Minnesota banned mercury from all products manufactured and sold within their state when they discovered that mercury could have horrifying effects on the body. Charles Lee, MD, a senior medical advisor for the FDA stated that, "exposure to mercury can have serious health consequences... it can damage the kidneys and nervous system." Coincidentally, there have been reports of poisoning linked to the use of skin lightening products that contain toxic levels of mercury.
Ingredients Linked to Cancer
Hydroquinone is another active ingredient found in skin lightening products. It is a very powerful bleaching agent that is also used to develop print photographs. When used frequently, hydroquinone has extremely high cancer risks and can weaken the skin causing it lose elasticity. On the downside, hydroquinone can also have a reverse reaction and actually darken the skin over time. Hydroquinone has been known to cause mild burning, stinging, redness, and extreme dryness. There have been some very serious and dangerous side effects directly linked to the hydroquinone found in skin lightening and fade creams.
Poisonous and Toxic ChemicalsArsenic is a chemical that is often used in skin lightening products. It is an extremely poisonous chemical that's also used in pesticides, wood preservatives, paint, tobacco and herbicides which are all harmful to humans.
This deadly chemical can also lead to cancer of the lungs, skin, kidneys, liver and even the prostate for men. Arsenic is a toxin that can irritate the skin and poison the blood, resulting in severe illness or even death. Don't be surprised but arsenic has also been used in medicines and in cosmetics as a pigment. Many skin lightening products also contain steroids in large quantities and can cause thinning of the skin, acne, stretch marks and discoloration.
Unwanted Stretch Marks
Yikes! I don't know about you but I don't need any more stretch marks than I already have. Thanks, but no thanks. Skin bleaching and lightening creams can stretch the skin so much that over time, it can cause unwanted red-colored stretch marks. This can also be caused by the steroids being used. Although it is rare, it is still a common occurrence especially for those with lighter skin. Everyone knows that stretch marks are one of the hardest skin flaws to remove once you have them. Sorry, but I'll pass.
Unimpressive Results
I've used a ton of different skin lightening products from the higher end brands to the drugstore brands. Depending on the type or age of the scar or blemish, these products have often failed to deliver anything more than sheer disappointment. I've found that some chemical skin lighteners work best on brand new scars but for the older, more stubborn blemishes they usually just turn a deeper color and never fade. I used to have a scar right dab in the middle of my forehead from a nasty little pimple and I tried everything to get rid of that thing. I even paid like $90 for some cream that was supposed to zap every mark away but it didn't do anything but dry my skin out badly. Not only did I have a pimple in the middle of my forehead, but I had a white, flaky dry patch to enhance it even more.
So what are your thoughts on using chemical skin lightening products? If you use them do they work for you? Do you use natural methods to remove blemishes, scars or marks?
