Skin Lightening Lotion

So you have developed age spots, freckles, liver spots, melasma or have skin damaged from the sun and now you are looking for a good skin lightening lotion to even out skin tones or lighten your complexion.  So which are the best? Does the price of a lotion dictate how effective it will be?  How does a skin whitener actually whiten skin?

In this article, I intend to discuss the what's and why's in regards to skin bleaching to help you determine what the best skin lightening lotion for you is.

Most lotions worth their salt are able to lighten your skin which in turn diminishes wrinkles, fine lines, brown spots and freckling of the face.  But how they do it is actually two-fold.

Most of these products typically start with an exfoliating agent.  Usually, this is in the form of salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that can deeply penetrate the skin although many skin lighteners also add alpha hydroxies like glycolic acid (although they are less effective because they aren't oil soluble and must be absorbed into the skin).

Typically, regular exfoliation can revitalize the skin in and of itself.  But the best skin whitening lotions use other things that interferes with melanin production, the chemical in our body which dictates pigment.

The most commonly used skin whitener a decade or two ago was hydroquinone.  This ingredient is still considered to be the most effective skin bleach even today but it is banned in every country in the world other than the United States because of its potential health risks which can be as severe as death.

As a result of the hydroquinone ban, the cosmetic industry has searched for natural ways to whiten the skin without the harmful side effects of certain ingredients.  And what they have found is that many skin lighteners can use plant ingredients such as Alpha Arbutin (which is found in a weed) and Glycolic Acid (which is found in fungi).  Both of these are perfect alternatives to hydroquinone because they do basically the same thing without the potential health risks.

Price becomes a factor when it comes to ingredients...

While some companies such as Perricone MD offer premium skin lightening lotions and face toners, the question is what is the difference between a $20 skin lightening lotion and one that costs $100+.  The answer is in the ingredients....

The cheaper skin lightener lotions rely mainly on ingredients that naturally exfoliate the skin and then add vitamins that are heavy with antioxidants as a bonus.

The more expensive skin lighteners though take advantage of all that's available.  Alpha Arbutin is expensive to manufacture and is considered to be the best natural skin whitener on the market.  The best skin whitening lotions will combine premium natural ingredients and develop a patent for their mixture.  In the US, you can expect small amounts of hydroquinone included in the lotion to bolster and speed the effect of the lightening process.

When you are looking into purchasing a skin lightening lotion, there are some things that you may want to consider. For instance, ingredients play a huge part in choice. The most popular skin whitening lotions pretty much use the same ingredients.....

• Hydroquinone
• Alpha Arbutin
• Beta Arbutin
• Glycolic Acid
• Bearberry extract
• Citric Acid
• Licorice Extract
• Salicylic Acid
• ..and a host of other ingredients.