The Dangers of Skin Lighteners: A Dark Story

Some of us want lighter skin. And others just want to get rid of brown spots. But…are the dangers of skin lighteners worth the risk? We investigate!

By Simone Jackson

Summer is just around the corner. And whilst some of us will be working on our tans, others will be working to undo the damage done by the sun. Or even taking it to even more extremes – they may be aiming to make their skin whiter in general.

It’s extremely unfortunate that some darker-skinned people feel the need to go lighter. That’s a whole race-related and cultural issue that has deep, deep roots. Given this issue is so diverse (women from everywhere from India and China to America spend billions on skin lighteners every year for various reasons), we’re not even going to attempt to touch here. But we do fully understand why some people may want to rid themselves of the pesky brown spots that pop up, thanks mainly to sun damage.

There are plenty of products that claim to do this. Most of them are creams marketed as skin lighteners. Especially popular in Asian countries like Korea, lightening creams can indeed erase hormonally based hyperpigmentation, sun damage, as well as acne scars. But there is a dark side: many contain unsafe ingredients.

Image below: Alex Johnson on Flickr/Wikicommons

Problems With Skin Lighteners Like Hydroquinone

The most common of these is hydroquinone. In the U.S.A, hydroquinone is classified as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug that may be used in concentrations of up to 2%. Most prescription-strength hydroquinone formulations contain 3 – 4%, but concentrations as high as 10% may be available through compounding pharmacies.

It’s not really known how this ingredient works to lighten skin, but some researchers claim that it denatures the melanin-protein that causes brown spots. Others claim it inhibits the tyrosinase enzyme, as well as the synthesis of the protein associated with melanin. However, it is said to disrupt basic cellular processes, including DNA and RNA synthesis, and of course, anything that interrupts normal DNA and RNA processes could be cancerous.

Cancer Causing Potential

In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the U.S. stated “hydroquinone is mutagenic and has cancer-causing potential.” In 1994, the Journal of the American College of Toxicology concluded that “hydroquinone is a potent cytotoxic agent that causes mutations and alterations to DNA, and that it should not be used in any leave-on type of product; it is safe for rinse-off products when used in concentrations less than 1%.”

Other studies have shown that the ingredient can cause dermatitis, hyperpigmentation, skin rashes and allergies and black spots.

As a result of the dangers of skin lighteners with hydroquinone, many cosmetic manufacturers opted to discontinue their hydroquinone based skin lighteners totally. And some countries went so far as to ban hydroquinone from skin whiteners altogether. For example, this ingredient is strictly regulated in many African and Asian countries. Its use is also prohibited in the European Union (EU) and Japan.

However, many hydroquinone-containing whiteners remain on the market to this day. As a matter of fact, most skin whitening serums and creams currently available contain 2% hydroquinone.

And I should know, I’ve bought some myself, both on Amazon and at a UK pharmacy. Oops.

Something Even Worse

Whilst hydroquinone is undoubtedly unsafe and yet still easy to get, there’s an even stronger skin lightener that you can still find despite its danger and prohibition: mercury.

This powerful lightener is sold as an anti-aging cream and is often imported from China, Africa, India or Mexico.

Brands include Diana Skin Lightening Formula, Stillman’s Skin Bleach and others.

If the ingredients list on your skin lightener includes “mercurous chloride,” “calomel,” “mercuric,” or “mercurio,” throw it away NOW! The dangers of skin lighteners don’t get worse than that. You could easily poison yourself with this potently toxic ingredient. Symptoms include tremors, memory problems, irritability, and changes in vision or hearing.

Think it can’t happen to you? Several cases of serious mercury poisoning are reported in the USA every year.

Safer Skin Lightening Alternatives

There are several safe ingredients that inhibit the tyrosinase enzyme that causes dark spots.

Some of these include extracts of:

• giant fennel
• bearberry
• liquorice
• kiwi fruit
• nasturtium
• rumex (yellow dock)
• Phyllanthus emblica fruit
• mulberry.

These all contain bioflavonoid components, which can protect skin from darkening.

In addition, hydroxycinnamic acid, gluconic acid, zinc glycinate, kojic acid, aspergillus ferment, rumex extract and ergothioneine all chelate or bind copper. This also helps to control melanin formation.

In addition, hydroxy acids, such as lactic acid, glycolic acid and salicylic acid, can also slow down the formation of brown spots. And pumpkin enzymes, sutilains (a protease enzyme), and lactobacillus ferment (found in yogurt) can encourage cell regeneration.

Finally, white tea, liquorice and green tea all are antioxidants that act to help address the connection between inflammation and pigment formation. By using any of these plant based solutions, you’ll avoid all the dangers of skin lighteners.

The Best Brands To Buy

New studies indicate that melanin formation can also be controlled by stopping the ‘green light’ given to melanin formation by using a strong sunscreen, natural peptides and/or anti-inflammatory agent. Simple, old fashioned Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) also does the job, and scavenges for free radicals, too.

While there are some commercial beauty brands, such as Clinique and Estee Lauder, which have harnessed this new technology with their Dark Spot Corrector creams, these are often loaded with questionable chemicals too.

The best bet to rid yourself of pesky brown spots and keep your skin tone even is to use an organic brand, like Amaira or Tata Harper, both of which make fantastic Concentrated Brightening Serums, which contain many of the active ingredients noted above.

Want to see more of the best brands for safe skin lightening? Especially for pigmentation? Click here.

The Safest Bet? DIY!

You can also try laser therapy and microdermabrasion, which both help to remove surface pigmentation to reveal brighter skin underneath. But if the cost of these dermatological treatments is too hefty, you can always try a tried and true method: lemon juice. Here’s how:

• Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and dilute it to half strength with water. Dip a cotton ball in the liquid and apply the lemon juice to your face, or wherever you wish to lighten the skin.
• Leave the lemon juice to sit on the skin for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not go outside during this time, as the juice makes your skin hypersensitive to sunlight.
• Thoroughly rinse your skin when you’re done, then apply a good moisturizer as lemon juice can be very drying. Repeat this treatment 2 to 3 times a week (no more) for best results.

Apparently, with dedication, this really works on brown spots, reducing their appearance notably.

In short, there are plenty of the dangers of skin lighteners. But luckily, there are also many safe ways to diminish brown spots, too. Be aware of what works, and what can damage your skin permanently. And no matter which method you choose, always make sure you cover up with a perfect, organic sunscreen!

References
1. L Baumann, “Depigmenting Agents.” In Cosmetic Dermatology. McGraw Hill Co., New York (2002) p 99
2. AM Hutt and GF Kalf, Environmental Health Perspectives. 104(6) 1265-1269 (1996)
3. DCI 54 (Feb 1997)
4. R Goldemberg, “The Compounders Corner.” DCI 10 (Jan 1996)
5. J Am College Toxicology 13(3) 167-230
6. Howard, D, On The Dangers of Skin Lighteners, Found online at the May 2009 issue of GCI Magazine