Many skin lightening products that are responsible for drastic changes in complexion contain harmful ingredients such as hydroquinone and mercury. Hydroquinone is banned in many countries in the world and even in the US where it is not banned, the concentration of the ingredient that can be used in over-the-counter skin lightening products is restricted to 2%. Concentrations over 2% are only available with a prescription and are recommended for short term use on small areas of skin.

If you want to lose weight, that is a personal choice but there are safe and unsafe ways of doing it. Eating a healthy balanced diet and taking regular exercise is a safe way to gradually lose weight without harming your body. Starving your body by eating one small meal a day to lose weight quickly is unsafe and quite frankly, stupid. In the same way, the choice of lightening your skin is a personal choice but it has to be done safely. Using laundry soap (yes, people actually do this!) or hydroquinone-based products to get 10 shades lighter in 3 months IS NOT safe. Using natural remedies or skin lightening products that contain only natural ingredients that even the skin tone and gradually treat hyperpigmentation is a far better option.

The motives behind skin lightening should also be talked about. Most people who purchase skin lightening products actually do not hate themselves, but they do want to fade blemishes or even the skin tone. There is such a taboo about buying skin lightening products that many people are too embarrassed to buy them in store and often have a hiding place at the back of the bathroom cupboard so guests don’t see them and get the wrong idea. Thanks to a small group of people that includes celebrities like Vybz Kartel, Sammy Sosa and Lil Kim who have taken drastic skin lightening measures, it’s not easy to shake the taboo.

There is a clear difference between bleaching and lightening. Skin bleaching is unsafe but skin lightening done safely can help those that suffer from hyperpigmentation, such as acne scars, age spots or melasma, achieve a beautiful and even skin tone.

Makari and Meladerm are popular skin lightening products that do not contain any of these harmful ingredients.

For more safe skin lightening products, visit our skin lightening shop today.

Dry Skin

Are your hands constantly dry? Unfortunately for us, hands are not among the body parts that you can moisturize once in the morning hope that you don’t get an ashy skin attack by lunch time.  You need to moisturize your hands at least every time you wash them.  Using a good moisturizer that penetrates the skin is a must. You can try adding glycerine or jojoba oil to your regular hand cream to help the moisture last longer and keep the ash attack at bay. Dry skin tends to look darker than it actually is and if you’re in a job that means you either use your hands a lot or have to wash your hands more often than usual, you have to take extra care to ensure your hands are well moisturized to avoid dark knuckles.

Failed Skin Lightening Attempts

I see a lot of people with dark knuckles because they have used certain skin lightening products in the past that have lightened their skin with harsh products that have quickly lightened parts of their skin but left the stubborn areas such as dark knuckles, knees and elbows. If this is your case, the best advice is stop using any harsh skin lightening products immediately! There are several safe black skin lightening products available on the market that will gradually lighten your skin so that you achieve more even results. Products that work too quickly often contain dangerous ingredients so not only are you getting uneven results, you are also damaging your skin in the process by using such products.

Focus on the Stubborn Areas

The final tip is to make sure that when you are using skin lightening products, you ensure that you take time to target your dark knuckles and other stubborn areas. With the hands especially, it is easy to just quickly rub on a small layer of lotion without really targeting the knuckles. Each time you apply your skin lightening hand cream, make sure you really work it into the knuckles. Each time you wash your hands, make sure you re-apply your skin lightening cream and again, work it in well.

By choosing safe black skin lightening products and following these other tips consistently, you’ll soon see the skin on your knuckles beginning to lighten up and blend in with the rest of the skin on your hands.

Product Spotlight

Daggett & Ramsdell Hand & Body Lightening Cream contains only natural skin lightening ingredients such as licorice root and kojic acid. It comes in a handy small container so you can keep it in your purse and reapply throughout the day.

Click here to buy from amazon.com

A lot of the time, hyperpigmentation is caused by over-exposure to the sun and in the case hyperpigmentation on the face and arms that is usually the cause but in the case of dark skin on the buttocks, you can hardly blame sun exposure as it is generally one of the more covered areas of your body when you go out into the sun.

The constant friction caused by tight clothes and sitting down for hours on end is the main cause from discoloration on the butt. Of course, you can’t stop sitting down but there are a few things you can do to help. The first thing you can do to help the situation is wear loose cotton clothing and avoid synthetic fabrics that increase sweat and friction. Secondly, exfoliate with a good body scrub a few times a week to remove the build up of dead skin in the affected areas. A build-up of dead skin cells causes the skin to look darker than it actually is. Finally you can try skin lightening products to fade the discoloration.

Many skin lightening products available promise super fast results but contain harsh ingredients that cause more damage in the long run. By using a safe skin lightening product that contains only natural ingredients, you can lighten just the affected areas without the risk of damaging your skin. If the dark skin on your buttocks is your only area of concern, stick to using a skin lightening product on just that area at least twice a day before you use your regular moisturizer on the rest of your body. Consistent use will start to show results in just a few weeks.

Click here to find exfoliating products on amazon.com

Many skin lightening products on the market contain dangerous ingredients and by using them on your dark knees and elbows, you risk damaging your skin by making it thinner and more sensitive to sunlight.  By making your skin more sensitive to sunlight, exposure to the sun will make it even darker and the cycle begins again – you use more dangerous skin lightening products and your skin becomes even more sensitive and you never see improvements.

In order to lighten the skin on the elbows and knees, you need to already be exfoliating regularly and moisturizing daily. If you’re not already doing that, that should be your starting point.  If you are already doing that and want to see further improvements, I suggest using skin lightening products or skin lightening home remedies. There are a number of home remedies available that are of course safer than using the dangerous skin lightening products on the market because quite often, the ingredients are safe enough to eat! One skin lightening home remedy is applying lemon juice to the affected areas daily. Lemon juice contains natural bleaching agents and consistent use will lighten up your dark elbows and knees but it can take up to a few months.

If you choose to use skin lightening products, I suggest you choose products with only natural ingredients that are safe to the skin such as Meladerm or Daggett & Ramsdell Knee & Elbow Lightening Cream. You will definitely see faster results with store-bought products over home remedies but the choice is of course yours.

Whether you use skin lightening products or home remedies, be sure to exfoliate and moisturize the affected areas. Skin lightening products are not going to work if they just sit on top of a layer of dead skin. Remove the dead skin first, be consistent with your efforts and you are guaranteed to see an improvement in your dark elbows and knees.

Click here to find exfoliating products on amazon.com

About a year and a half ago, I started getting acne on my cheeks. Big, painful spots that would leave these horrible scars. I tried a few skin lightening creams but didn’t want to use hydroquinone based products and the ones I did try smelt awful. I began using lemon juice as a natural skin lightening solution but I didn’t manage to stay consistent with it – it just seemed to be too much work.  I just resorted to wearing concealer and heavier makeup, which just made the problem worse.

I came across some your site [our sister site, skinlighteningtreatment.com] and read about Meladerm. I was interested but didn’t want to pay that much for something that might not work [retail price - $49.99] or could make my breakouts worse. After several weeks, I just bit the bullet and bought it. The first thing I noticed when I opened it was it didn’t stink! It has a really light and pleasant smell and I wouldn’t be forced to wash my hands after each application like I have had to do with other skin lightening creams.

I have been taking progress pics and I’m glad I did because I don’t realise how well it is working just by looking in the mirror sometimes.

I use it as my regular moisturiser after I cleanse my face and that makes it easy to stick with because I always moisturise my face twice a day anyway. It is very moisturising and it hasn’t caused any breakouts. The instructions state that you have to use sunscreen with it so I’ve been doing that just in the mornings before going to work.

I can really see that it is working and I’m so pleased about it! The manufacturers say that you should expect to start to see results in about 2 weeks but I didn’t really until about 3 weeks in. It has now been 5 weeks and I have barely used any product, the bottle is still quite full – I use less than half a pump for my entire face. I’m convinced that by the time the bottle is empty, my skin will be flawless!! I’ve recommended it to so many of my friends, I love it! No product has worked so well for my acne scars before.

click to see full-size picture

Thanks for the review and we’re glad you found a product that works for you!

Meladerm is formulated for all skin tones and all skin types. Results are promised in just 2 weeks! You can try Meladerm risk free for 30 days – that is more than enough time to see if it works for you. Click to buy Meladerm today!

1. Kojic Acid

Kojic acid is derived from Koji (a Japanese mushroom). Kojic acid lightens the skin by inhibiting the production of an enzyme in the skin called tyrosinase which in turn reduces the amount of melanin produced. Kojic acid is one of the most popular natural ingredients found in skin lightening products.

2. Mulberry

This skin lightening ingredient is extracted from the roots of the paper mulberry plant. Mulberry is said to be more effective than hydroquinone and kojic acid in the sense that significantly lower concentrations are needed to have the same effect as higher concentrations of kojic acid and hydroquinone.

3. Alpha Arbutin

Alpha arbutin has a stronger effect than beta-arbutin and is also commonly found in skin lightening products as a safer alternative to hydroquinone.

4. Beta Arbutin (Bearberry Extract)

Beta arbutin (commonly known as just arbutin) is derived from the leaves of bearberry, cranberry and blueberry plants. It works in a similar way to kojic acid, in that it inhibits the production of tyrosinase to restrict the amount of pigment produced. Although naturally derived, it can cause skin irritation in some people with sensitive skin.

5. Glutathione

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that has several health benefits including boosting the immune system and cleansing the liver. The only known side effect of glutathione is skin whitening. All these health benefits plus a smooth, glowing, lighter skin tone – amazing! Glutathione is commonly found in skin lightening pills but can also be used topically when found in skin lightening soaps.

6. Licorice Root

Licorice is commonly used in the skin lightening industry. Licorice also works to inhinit the enzyme tyrosinase to limit the amount of pigment produced. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is particularly effective at fading suntans.

7. Papaya

The papain enzyme found in papaya works to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and reveal new, brighter skin cells beneath. Orange and green papaya are both effective but green papaya contains more of the papain enzyme. This ingredient is most often found in soaps but sometimes in skin lightening creams too.

8. Vitamin A (Retinol)

Vitamin A Acid, also known as retinol or tretinoin increases the rate at which skin cells are renewed. Increased skin cell turnover means that the brighter, fresh skin underneath can be revealed.

9. Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)

Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide or Vitamin B3 has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is an effective topical skin lightener and works by inhibiting melanin production in the skin. Vitamin B3 is found in some skin whitening products and sun screens but it is also possible to buy Niacinamide capsules where the contents can be applied directly to the skin.

10. Vitamin C

At concentrations of about 10%, Vitamin C works to suppress the production of pigment in the skin. Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a derivative of Vitamin C and this is the form of the ingredient that is commonly found in skin whitening products. Vitamin C can also protect the skin from ultraviolet rays.

These ingredients are not usually intended to work in isolation. An effective skin lightening treatment combines several of these ingredients as they tend to work well together to produce the desired results.

Makari and Meladerm are popular skin lightening products that do not contain any of these harmful ingredients.

Meladerm is formulated for all skin tones and all skin types.  Results are promised in just 2 weeks! You can try Meladerm risk free for 30 days - that is more than enough time to see if it works for you.  Click to buy Meladerm today!

Do you remember Kim from late 80s/early 90s sitcom A Different World? Well she is looking very different indeed! Check out these then and now photos of actress Charnele Brown.

BEFORE

AFTER

So what do you think? Make up and lighting or skin lightening?

If you’re going to use skin lightening products to fade dark marks or lighten your skin tone, remember to use safe products. There are some products that contain ingredients that can harm your skin so be sure to avoid those and use safe skin lightening products with naturally derived ingredients such as the ones we promote on this site.

Clip from A Different World

Although often hidden under beards and moustaches, men suffer from many of the same hyperpigmentation problems that women do. Age spots, acne scars and freckles are the most common pigmentation problems faced by both sexes. Additionally, shaving bumps – especially when it comes to men of colour – can cause further hyperpigmentation.

Dealing with hyperpigmentation in men should be approached in pretty much the same way as for women but men may be less keen on making up a papaya face mask and applying it each night! Skin lightening creams and chemical peels are probably the preferred option for dealing with hyperpigmentation in men.

Although there are specific skin lightening products for men that are less fragranced that their feminine counterparts, the active ingredients are usually the same. Hydroquinone is banned in most parts of the world and there are concerns over its safety so you might want to avoid hydroquinone-based products altogether.

Papaya extract, kojic acid and arbutin are the most popular natural skin lightening ingredients and you will find these in many products.

Within the Asian community, Fair and Handsome is popular for men and Makari Skin Care Products are popular with African Americans. Although Makari is primarily advertised for women, it is suitable for men too. Many other skin lightening products such as Meladerm are suited for all skin tones and skin types whether male or female. It is also very mildly fragranced so should not be out of place on any man’s cosmetic shelf.

Skin lightening for men does not have to be drastically different from women’s skin lightening. Even when the packaging is different, the active ingredients are probably the same.

Lemon Juice for Melasma

Lemon juice has natural skin lightening properties and is probably the most popular natural skin lightening recommendation. Apply fresh lemon juice to the affected areas with a cotton ball each night and leave on the face for up to 20 minutes before washing it off. For faster results you can do this twice a day but we sure to wash the lemon juice off and wear high factor sunscreen before going outdoors as lemon juice makes the skin extra sensitive to the sun.

Melasma and Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has been used for thousands of years for many skin ailments. The gel contained inside the thick leaves of the aloe vera plant has anti-inflammatory and skin lightening properties. If you have a plant, you can extract the gel from the leaves yourself, otherwise you can purchase 100% aloe vera gel online. The gel can be applied to the face at night and then washed off in the morning. Continue treatment diligently for best results. Home remedies for melasma are effective and gentle but may take several months to show full results.

The most important thing when treating melasma is a good sun block or high-factor sunscreen. During pregnancy or hormone treatment, protecting your skin from the sun will help to prevent hormone-related hyperpigmentation.

If you’re no longer pregnant or your hyperpigmentation was caused by hormone medication and not pregnancy, you can use skin lightening products or other treatments to reverse melasma.

Chemical peels and laser treatment can be used to remove hyperpigmentation but the most popular treatment remains skin lightening products. There are a number of skin lightening treatments on the market that contain only natural ingredients so you don’t need to worry about potentially harming your skin.

Melasma sufferers that have used Meladerm Skin Lightener have reported great success in fading the dark patches.  Meladerm contains no harmful ingredients such as hydroquinone and mercury, only natural ingredients.  Results can be seen in as little as 2 weeks and there is a 30 day money back guarantee, so what are you waiting for?  Order now and try it out!

Daily wash
Consider replacing your usual soap with a skin whitening soap. Soaps that contain kojic acid and glutathione not only help to clean the skin but the natural ingredients contain skin lightening and exfoliating properties that will help to speed up your results when used with a skin lightening cream.

Soap can dry out some people’s skin so if you usually a face wash, look for ingredients such as salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that helps to remove dead skin. Removing dead skin will allow the healthy skin underneath to glow and allows any topical products you use to be absorbed better.

Exfoliate
Remove dead skin with an exfoliating scrub, such as Ambi Exfoliating Wash at least twice a week. Topical creams won’t do what they are supposed to do if they just sit on top of dead skin.

Moisturizer
Ideally, you would use a skin lightening moisturizer after washing/cleansing your skin. Meladerm and Makari both have great moisturizers as part of their product lines.  Some skin lightening creams, especially those containing hydroquinone can dry out your skin but if you choose a moisturizing skin lightening product, it can replace your usual moisturizer without leaving your skin feeling dry.

Main Skin Lightening Product
Whether you go with creams, gels or pills is completely down to personal preference. Whatever product you choose, ensure they only contain safe ingredients and be sure to use them as directed. I have highlighted the dangers of hydroquinone in previous posts and you should try to avoid hydroquinone based products for skin lightening especially if you have African American skin.

Sunscreen
It is a common misconception that black people do not need to use sunscreen. When using skin lightening products, it is even more important to use sunscreen as these ingredients make your skin more sensitive to the sun. I recommend using a sun screen with at least SPF 25 on your face and body. This will not only protect your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays but will also ensure that your skin lightening regimen produces the results you want.

Optional Steps
Other optional additions to your skin lightening products are regular chemical peels. If you have severe hyperpigmentation, chemical peels can accelerate the rate at which the dead skin is removed to reveal the fresh skin beneath and lighten the skin in the process. Discuss whether chemical peels are right for you with your dermatologist.

By following these steps to build a skin lightening regimen, you will ensure that you see consistent results and you will be well on your way to flawless skin.