What are the effective ways to whiten skin?
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How can we effectively whiten our skin? How effective are the whitening products that could cost us a budget-scare? Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to whiten your skin. I would be lying if I say I didn’t try some whitening products or if I didn’t google effective ways to whiten skin or should I say to lighten skin tone. Of course I did but I’m not obsessed with the thought of having whiter skin. One, I’m happy with my skin tone and two, I have sensitive skin and many times, I developed allergies and pimples with some whitening soaps and creams. As a Pharmacist, I’ve been approached several times by patients and asked about effective whitening products. In the hospital where I worked, we have loads of derma patients and lucky enough, we have many dermatologicals for them.
One of the most prescribed whitening creams we have is hydroquinone, an agent use to reduce the color of the skin or pigmentation. Like other whitening products, it takes 4-8 weeks before you see the results. Many patients sadly are not patient enough. They want to see instant result. Please take note, when a whitening product promises to whiten your skin instantly, you should start to doubt. It may contain unsafe ingredients like steroids which are not safe when used for longer period and Mercury which when used above its allowable limit produce fatal effects and damage to the body.
Other effective whitening agents:
1. Azelaic acid
Another agent used for whitening is azelaic acid, aside from its anti-acne property, has also bleaching property.
2. Alpha hydroxy acids ( AHA )
These are acids found in foods. Alpha hydroxy acids are consist if citric acid (found in citrus fruits), glycolic acid (found in sugar cane), lactic acid (found in sour milk), malic acid (found in apples), tartaric acid (found in grapes), and others. They worked by removing the top layers of dead skin cells. They can also increase the thickness of deeper layers of skin, promoting firmness.
3. Arbutin
Arbutin is a skin-lightening agent that works by inhibiting tyrosinase and thus prevents the formation of melanin. It is a glycosylated hydroquinone extracted from the bearberry plant in the genus Arctostaphylos.
4. Kojic acid
Kojic acid was discovered in mushrooms in Japan in 1989. The acid is also present in other substances such as the leftover residue from fermenting Japanese rice wine. When used on the skin, it lightens skin color.
5. Glutathione
a natural antioxidant used as skin whitener. Given the good and healthy lifestyle, our body can produce glutathione but this can be depleted by poor diet, stress, pollution and many unwanted factors.
There are many soaps infused with natural skin whitener like papain from papaya, moringa and other plant-derived enzymes used to effectively whiten skin. They cost less and are effective too to at least lighten your skin tone.
Why people want to whiten their skin?
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These days, men and women alike are bitten by the bug that infects the mind and changed the definition of beauty. To belong to the elite circle and be called beautiful is to have a lighter complexion. This is so true among Asians especially in South and South-East Asia where majority are brown. If you have lighter complexion, chances are you will be more noticeable compared to others. I remember back home in the Philippines, I used to hear oldies comment on people with whiter complexion as rich individuals because they have the means to employ what is necessary to effectively whiten their skin. It is some kinda social status.
With this mentality, the efforts to whiten the skin is doubled because some people are really dying to earn their spot into the elite group. Beauty clinics that offers whitening services through lasers and sorts are mushrooming and making good money in these nations. Not to mention the whitening soaps, creams and lotions manufactured not only by giant international companies but even an ordinary citizen like you and me can produce such. Homemade whitening soaps are ubiquitous in the online shops and some testimonies proved they can be as effective as the commercial expensive whitening products if not better. Without doubt, skin can be whitened to a certain degree but needs a whole lot efforts to sustain it. Unless you religiously use and maintain those whitening products, your skin will return back to its original color.
How to sustain whiter skin?
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When you search in the Internet on effective ways to whiten skin, you will find several sites and good articles that cover the topic. What frustrates me sometimes is that after reading a very long article, it will all end up on a link that will direct you to a site selling whitening products. In many cases, I found it helpful because I discovered many good products but sometimes I end up in a good for nothing site with one or two unknown whitening products I’ve never heard of. I know, there’s nothing wrong with that but sometimes, I can’t help but question the intention of the article. Is it really to provide us with the information we need which in this case, to find effective ways to whiten the skin or they are just endorsing a product? Don’t get me wrong guys, I know media is a very powerful tool for advertising and blogs really helped small businesses by way of promoting them.
Our skin color is our identity. It might do no harm to try to lighten or darken our skin tone but always remember in everything you do, do not try to lose yourself. Do not try to lose your identity.
While there are many effective whitening products that can be used to whiten our skin, it should be known that these alone are not enough. Other factors such as sun exposure, diet, illness, stress, pollution play a very huge impact to premature aging and skin discoloration. It is very important to fight these free radicals and one good armor is a healthy lifestyle. Eat nutritious food rich in vitamins and minerals or at least take a supplement to make up. Using sunblock is also a must. It protects your skin against harmful UV rays. It is also useful to scrub off dead cells off your body using loofah or other aids in order for the healthy skin cells to resurface giving you a healthy glow.
To wrap it all, to whiten our skin is possible. Employing effective ways to whiten our skin should be exercised religiously to sustain good results.
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