The Dangers of Skin Lighteners

When women see dark spots or other forms of discoloration on their skin, many will reach for skin lighteners in an attempt to regain their skin’s natural color. However, skin lighteners can be very dangerous, and in this article we’ll explore what they are, how they work, and why they are health hazards.

Written by Madeline Gonzalez, Green Health Research Contributor

What Are Skin Lighteners and Are They Effective?

Skin lighteners are products which do just what their name implies-they temporarily lighten the color of the skin by bleaching it. Though skin lighteners can work temporarily, skin pigmentation is genetic and so no cosmetic can permanently change the color of the skin.

For example, lentigo (more commonly known as age spots) is a condition in which some patches of skin are darker than others. This occurs when melanin, which is a compound responsible for controlling skin color, accumulates unevenly in the skin. Since this is occurring at a genetic cellular level, it would be impossible to ‘fix’ or regulate this condition with a skin bleaching treatment.

How Do Skin Lighteners Work and How Are They Regulated?

Skin lighteners work by bleaching the skin using chemicals such as hydroquinone and kojic acid or naturally occurring ingredients like linden or yarrow extract. Natural ingredients, however, are generally not used in skin lighteners anymore because they are not as effective as their chemical counterparts.

Hydroquinone is the chemical most widely used in skin lighteners today. Hydroquinone can occur naturally as a white crystal, but is usually manufactured in a lab. Hydroquinone works by temporarily decreasing the amount of melanin pigment produced by the skin. Most products containing hydroquinone are applied one to two times daily, and advise that you wear sunscreen when using the product.

When using hydroquinone, the results appear quickly. Within approximately three days the skin where it is applied will peel, and become red. The skin will then become thinner and more taut, and the peeling will usually continue. Then the skin starts to become lighter in color.

Hydroquinone is extremely dangerous; so dangerous that its use is banned in the European Union and heavily regulated in the United States and Canada. In the US, products cannot contain more than 2% hydroquinone.

However, even this low level is toxic, and cosmetic companies have been advised not to use this ingredient in their products by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel. The CIR has recommended that companies only use hydroquinone in formulas meant for non-continuous, brief use where they would be put on and then quickly washed off, and even then they advised that the formulas should not contain more than 1% hydroquinone. The CIR does not believe that hydroquinone should be used in products meant to be used on a consistent basis or in products that are not soon to be washed off.

Unfortunately, the CIR Panel has no regulatory power over cosmetic companies, and so it cannot enforce its decision. Due to this, many companies continue to use hydroquinone because it is effective as a skin bleach.