Skin Whitening

This scared me to death! If you are going to buy skin whitening products, you need a little information, first. There are some safe and effective ingredients, but most of the chemicals and other compounds used by the major manufacturers are not safe. They can cause allergic reaction, irritation and long-term damage. They may even increase your risk of cancer.

I’ll get to the good and bad ingredients, in a moment. But, first let me just mention the affect that UV rays from the sun have on your appearance and your skin’s health.

Sun-screening compounds, both organic and synthetic, have become increasingly popular ingredients for cosmetics, primarily because sun-damage is one of the causes of skin-aging and UV rays from the sun can cause free radical damage, which can lead to skin-cancer. A small amount of sunlight is important to our health, mood and overall well-being.

Without it, the skin’s cells cannot produce vitamin D. If you decide to avoid the sun, all together, you must be sure to get enough vitamin D, either by eating more fish or by taking a supplement. Doctors that care for older patients have noted an increased rate of vitamin D deficiency.

If you use skin whitening products, you must use extra care to protect yourself from UV rays, because the most effective ones inhibit melanin production and melanin provides natural protection from UV radiation. Wear a hat or other protective clothing, whenever possible. On exposed areas, use a zinc oxide sun-block, with a 20+ SPF rating, whenever you expect to spend more than a few minutes in direct sunlight. Remember that UV rays get through, even on cloudy days.

Now, let’s look at some “bad” ingredients for skin whitening products. Avoid:

1.    Hydroquinone, may increase cancer risk and causes serious adverse reactions, including the appearance of permanent dark bumps

2.    Mercury, extremely toxic substance that builds up in the body’s organs

3.    Alpha hydroxy acids, not effective for inhibiting melanin production, cause redness and irritation

4.    Kojic acid, may be carcinogenic

5.    Vitamin C, can cause irritation, only effective at large doses, which are not found in cosmetic formulations

There are several specific ingredients to look for. The best skin whitening products contain all of these:

1.    Nut-grass root extracts, shown to safely inhibit melanin production by over 40% without causing irritation

2.    Functional Keratin, shown to increase the production of new skin-cells, resulting in a faster acting product that has an anti-aging affect

3.    NANO-LIPOBELLE HE Q10, a proprietary formulation that contains coenzyme Q10 and natural vitamin E in an emulsion that is small enough, molecularly to penetrate the skin’s layers to prevent and repair damage done by UV radiation

4.    Maracuja passion fruit extract, softens, balances sebum production, good for dry, oily and combination complexions

5.    Grape-seed oil, an effective moisturizer that creates and invisible film that prevents dirt and grime from entering the pores.

Make no mistake about it, if you start using skin whitening products and other creams that contain similar ingredients, you’ll never go back to your old skincare system, regardless of how good you thought it was.

To learn more about vitamins for healthy skin, and other incredible natural substances for natural healthy skin care, visit my website today.

By: Laurel Levine