The skin lightening rave among women of color has continue to grow stronger and stronger despite the ban on harmful bleaching ingredients in most country in Europe and Africa. A lot of women claimed that they use these skin whitening creams to treat skin problems related to hyper-pigmentation, including melasma, acne scars, dark spots and uneven skin tones.
However, most women have also damaged their skin as a result of using these harmful skin lightening agents which were formulated using hydroquinone, mercury, steroids etc. Recent studies have shown that these ingredients can be toxic to the body and can damage normal body activity if used for a prolonged period.
I am not really a big fan of skin bleaching anyway, but I am of the opinion that if you have to brighten your skin for whatsoever ever reason, then do it safely. Fortunately, scientists have discovered a number of ingredients from nature that are equally as effective as skin bleaching agents, without the risk of harmful side effects. These natural skin lightening agents can aid skin lightening in two ways: by slowing down the production of melanin in the bottom layer of the skin; and also by absorbing harmful UV rays thereby decreasing the consequences.
By the way, if you miss my story on Essential Guide To Skin Lightening For A Blemish-Free Skin, then Read HERE
Natural skin lightening agents tested and proven to lighten the skin include:
ALPHA ARBUTIN
Alpha-Arbutin is a biosynthetic ingredient derived from bearberry. It ensures an even and lighter skin tone by reducing the degree of skin tanning after UV exposure, and also helps to minimize the appearance of liver spots.
Alpha-Arbutin is a good alternative to hydroquinone and best result is achieved after using a product containing Alpha-Arbutin for at least 2-3 months.
KOJIC ACID
Kojic acid is one of the most popular natural skin lightening agents. It is a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice. It is a mild inhibitor of the formation of pigment in plant and animal tissues. It acts as a depigmenting agent, fights age spots, reduces liver spots, induces skin lightening and helps establishing an even skin tone on all skin types. Kojic acid can cause mild skin irritations for some people so it is best to choose a whitening cream that combines Kojic acid with moisturising, anti-inflammatory ingredients that soothe the skin and reduce the risk of irritation.
NIACINAMIDE
Niacinamide is an essential vitamin of the B group, known as vitamin B3. It has been found to have soothing activity which may be useful for blemished skin. It can improve the appearance of aged, hyper-pigmented and photo-damaged skin. It has also been found to reduce appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. When combined with vitamin A palmitate, niacinamide showed enhanced skin lightening properties. However it should not be combined with l-asorbic acid as it can hydrolyze and form nicotinic acid which can result in skin irritation.
GLUTHATHIONE
Glutathione is an extremely powerful antioxidant whose health benefits are too numerous to count. Glutathione is now at the forefront of skin lightening in the beauty industry due to the fact that it does not have any side effect and amazing natural results. Glutathione skin whitening works by interrupting melanin synthesis. Melanin is the substance that gives the skin its color, so it follows that by preventing melanin from developing, Glutathione whitening brings the skin back to its purest, fairest tone. Glutathione benefits the skin by boosting overall health. Since it is an antioxidant, it neutralizes and eliminates the free radicals that damage the skin at the cellular level to cause aging and discoloration.
LICORICE EXTRACT (GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA)
This is a natural extract of licorice roots (glycyrrhiza glabra) which protects the skin by absorbing harmful UVA and UVB rays. It is widely used as skin lightening agent. It can be used to reverse the damage caused by acne scars, and has the capacity to inhibit the activity of the tyrosinase enzyme by as much as 50% without damaging skin cells. Licorice extract has anti-inflammatory properties that help to soothe the skin and reduce skin irritation and redness
MULBERRY ROOT EXTRACT
Mulberry root extract comes from the white Mulberry tree that is native to China, but cultivated in Europe, Japan, Australia and North America. The extract has been used for centuries in Chinese Medicine. Newer discoveries make it very useful in skin care. It has been found to lighten age spots and uneven skin tone. It has antioxidant and cleansing properties and can be combined with other skin lighteners such as sepiwhite , licorice extract, kojic acid and alpha-arbutin.
SEPIWHITE
This unique skin lightening agent is made of natural amino acids with a lipid-residue. It has been found to inhibit the production of melanin pigments by inhibiting melanin-stimulating MSH (melanotropin). It lightens age spots and dark skin areas effectively. It requires application of 1 to 6 weeks until skin whitens depending on the skin pigmentation.
VITAMIN A (RETINYL PALMITATE)
This is a highly active, fat-soluble vitamin with various effects on skin. It has rejuvenating properties. It can improve appearance of aged and blemished skin. It can also be used for advanced treatment of pre-conditioned skin.
N-ACETYL GLUCOSAMINE (NAG)
N-acetyl glucosamine is considered to be a “skin identical ingredient”, meaning it’s found in our skin in the spaces between the cells, and it is used to maintain skin’s barrier abilities and reduce dryness. Studies have shown that NAG can increase collagen production, increase moisture content of the skin, increase elasticity of the skin, increase exfoliation, and increase the speed of wound healing. It is alsso on the top list of the natural skin lightening agents.
NAG has been shown to reduce hyper pigmentation and can be combined with niacinamide to further increase its ability to reduce hyper pigmentation. N-Acetyl Glucosamine is an amino sugar that has skin exfoliating properties similar to alpha and beta hydroxyl acids without the irritation. NAG can normalize the exfoliation of the stratum corneum, so it can be a good replacement for acid based exfoliation ingredients that might annoy sensitive or rosacea prone skin.
GIGA WHITE
This is also one of the most popular natural skin lightening agents that is widely used in modern skin lightening creams as an alternative to hydroquinine. It is made from from 7 Swiss Alpine plant extracts including the peppermint, primula and mallow plants. Clinical trials in Asia using Gigawhite showed significant lightening activity after 12 weeks of treatment in subjects aged 22-55, with minimal to no skin irritation. It is effective in treating dark spots, skin discolorations and sun damaged skin.
AHA
Botanical alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) complex is made up of glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid from extracts of grape,lemon, passionfruit & pineapple. These natural skin lightening agents sheds off the outermost layer of skin cells (corneocytes), induces renewal of a skin cell layer, and increases the moisturizing level of the skin which improves the flexibility of the upper skin layer.
VITAMIN C
Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges are natural skin lightening agents used in homemade skin lightening recipes. Vitamin C is known to assist in the production of collagen fibres that support you skin and keep it firm. L-Ascorbic Acid is an active form of Vitamin C as it occurs naturally. It is a potent antioxidant which has been proven to be able to protect skin from oxidative damages). It can improve appearance of aged and fragile skin. It is widely used as add-on ingredient in skin-lightening products to correct hyper pigmentation and age spots. Antioxidant effect can be increased by combining L-ascorbic acid with L-ascorbyl palmitate and/or vitamin E.
PEARL POWDER
Pearl powder is a cosmetic active ingredient, not a pearlescent agent. It is made by refining high quality fresh water pearls grown in Asian pearl farms using a proprietary high-tech biochemical process. It nourishes and moisturizes the skin. It has been shown to improve the appearance of aged skin and also has slight skin-lightening effect.
BETA CAROTENE
Beta Carotene is an important ingredient in many skin care products. It is capable of adding moisture or antioxidant protection to skin. Carotene can soothe the skin and help in fading dark marks, age spots and in preventing sun damage, wrinkles or stretch marks from appearing. It reduces pigment formation by blocking tyrosinase receptors on the melanocyte. In doing so, the enzyme tyrosinase can’t “turn on” the melanocyte to produce melanin which therefore helps to lighten the skin. The numerous nutrients in carotene make it very good at taking care of the skin
It protects the skin against UV radiation and fight free radicals responsible for skin ageing, thus delaying and reducing premature skin ageing. It speeds up the renewal of epidermis.