Why Your Skin-Lightning Creams Don't Work

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Light Skin Is Beautiful

 

Skin-lightening products reduce the amount of Melanin in the skin. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its color and protects it from sun damage. The more Melanin in your skin the darker your Skin tone. Reducing the Melanin helps to produce a brighter and lighter appearance.

Many consumers complain about purchasing skin lighting creams and lotions that prove to be ineffective. It could be that they are effective for just a short time and then stop working or it could be that they are not effective at all.

There are several reasons why a skin-lightening product may not give you the desired results. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of the products that cost you hard-earned money:

Skin-Lightening Products

1) Skin Lighteners are more effective at night

Many experts recommend applying skin-lightening products at night, rather than during the day. Nighttime is when the skin repairs and regenerates itself. This means that the skin is more receptive to the active ingredients in the products and can absorb them better.

The body is at rest during the night and that's when many healing and skin rejuvenation processes take place. It's the best time to apply your product. Also at night, the skin produces less melanin, which makes it easier for the products to block its production and lighten the skin.

Skin lighteners such as Hydroquinone, Vitamin C, Glycolic acid, Licorice and Kojic are very sensitive to light and can cause skin photosensitivity and or even sunburn if used during the day. It's much safer to apply them at night to avoid sunlight.

Some skin-lightening ingredients like Kojic when exposed will quickly turn dark brown (you may noticed this around the cap of some intense lightening lotions and creams). Also, be sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 50

Skin-lighteners are best at night

2) Skin-lightening is only a part of complete skin care

Skin lightening solutions should be balanced with a complete skin care regimen that includes cleansing, moisturizing, exfoliating, and protecting the skin from harmful environmental factors (like free radicals). A complete skin care regimen can help prevent further damage to the skin, enhance the effectiveness of skin-lightening solutions, and improve the overall appearance and texture of the skin. Here are some things you need to do in addition to applying your skin-lightening product:

Use Cleansers

Cleansing removes dirt, oil, makeup, and impurities from the skin surface, which can clog pores and cause breakouts. Cleansing also prepares the skin for better absorption of other products.

 

Use Moisturizers

Moisturizing hydrates and nourishes the skin, preventing dryness, flakiness, and irritation. Moisturizing also helps restore the skin’s natural barrier function, which protects it from external aggressors. Moisturizing hydrates and nourishes the skin, preventing dryness, flakiness, and irritation. Moisturizing also helps restore the skin’s natural protective barrier function protecting the body from external threats.

Exfoliating occasionally

Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells from the skin surface, revealing a smoother and brighter layer of skin. Exfoliating also improves blood circulation and stimulates collagen production, which enhances the skin’s elasticity and firmness giving it a healthy brighter look.

Use Broad Spectrum Sunscreen

Protecting the skin from sun exposure, pollution, and other environmental factors is essential to prevent premature aging, wrinkles, sagging, and discoloration. Protecting the skin also reduces the risk of skin cancer and other diseases. Combine your skin tightening products with an effective broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF50 or higher and apply it regularly when you go out.                                                                                  

Using skin lighteners can boomerang if you don't apply them as part of a complete daily process of cleansing, nourishing, and rejuvenating your skin. This means your skin is getting a sufficient dose of vitamins, emollients, antioxidants, and skin-protective ingredients daily. If you have skin infections and acne beforehand your expensive investment will only further expose these existing problems. It could even make matters worse.

Beautiful Skin Needs Special Care

3) Monitor your skin response and take necessary precautions

Try to avoid doing that can make matters worse like scratching, picking, or rubbing the affected areas. Doing this irritates the skin further and could cause more damage by triggering allergic reactions or releasing allergens that cause flare-ups

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Some ways to monitor your skin conditions include:

• Examine your skin regularly for any new or changing spots, blemishes, bumps, rashes, or lesions. You can use a mirror or ask someone to help you check areas that are hard to see.

• Keep track of your symptoms and triggers by writing them down in a journal or using an app. You can also take pictures of your skin condition to compare over time.

• Use gentle and hypoallergenic products that are suitable for your skin type and condition. You should avoid harsh chemicals, fragrances, or dyes that may irritate your skin. Practice good hygiene and regularly wash your hands to remove bacteria.

Carefully monitor your skin's response to a skin-lightening product. It is unwise to continue using it after you have reached your desired level of brightening. Skin lightening is a "treatment" not an all-year-long affair. If your skin reacts to a product stop using it immediately.

How to do a Patch Test

4) Conduct a patch test for any new skin lightener before use

Always conduct a patch test for any new product. If you can get a sample from your beauty care vendor or even a friend it would enable you to determine if your skin will tolerate a particular product. A patch test will help you avoid wasting money on a product that will only react with your skin. Remember that no two people have the same type of skin with the same characteristics. See how to conduct a patch test here

Good Skin Care Products Cost Money

5) Good skin-lightening products cost money

Every beautiful thing comes at a cost. The same can be said for skin-lightening products. Although you may not need to spend hundreds of thousands you can expect to pay a premium for the most effective products. These products contain ingredients that provide a complete diet of everything your skin needs to feel and look beautiful. Skin lightening is not for the faint of heart or the lean pockets.

Skin care is not just a matter of vanity, but also of health and well-being. The skin is the largest organ of the body, and it performs many vital functions, such as protecting us from infections, regulating our body temperature, and sensing touch. Therefore, taking good care of our skin is essential for our overall health.

Skin lighteners are perfectly okay if they are used carefully and safely. Those who say skin lightening and hydroquinone are bad are living in the past. These products will get better and be more readily available as the years go by and technology improves. More and more people will take to skin lightening to keep up with styles and trends. After all,  white folk see nothing wrong in a summer tan so we Africans should not be afraid to search for the keys to our most beautiful skin. It can be done safely and healthily.