# skin lighteners



## marikat (Feb 1, 2007)

I was wondering if anyone ever tried any of these products. I have some acne scars that are hyperpigmented and won't go away so I tried to look up spot faders etc and stumbled into alot of articles about this topic. 

I was shocked at how ppl in India/Africa/Us/Asia are so desperate to be fair, what's wrong with a darker skintone? Anyway I was so disturbed and saddened. I am mexican and with a NC40 skintone but I know my ppl have an unhealthy admiration for all things european( colonial mentality I guess) including skintone but I never heard of them using creams to actually get whiter. 

Does anyone have any added info about this topic I am fascinated by it now.


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## BinkysBaby (Feb 1, 2007)

I have tried skin bleaching agents and I would never use them again. I have tons of hyperpigmentation and I first started by dabbing the spots with a q tip. Before you knew it, my face was so white. Although I still have dark spots, I follow a regular cleansing routine and I always wear sunblock when it's sunny. Not wearing sunblock will just cause the dark spots to "tan" in essence.


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## purplkaret (Feb 1, 2007)

to get rid of those spots, u'd hav to go to a dermatologist.. and yeah sunblock helps prevent scars from becoming permanent. sadly i'm allergic to sunblock 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





yea it's pretty ridiculous that asians bleach their skin. when i visited hcina in the middle of summer , people covered up their skin to prevent any tanning *_* hehe it just looks sickly but that's cuz in america we love tanning.


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## Miss World (Feb 1, 2007)

I was adviced by my Doc/Beautician (doc turned beautician) to use a product by Paul Nihan.. I had two laser burns and a couple of scars of old spots as a teenager, it wasn't much but it was visible to me... I used the cream for about a month (called Blanc Pure) and my skin is totaly flawless now and I don't need much cover-up (I'm an NW20)...   I kindda use it now every once in a while if I feel that I've been exposed to too much sun and worried about pegmintations... 

and btw, its not a bleaching or whitening treatment, it works solely on pigmentations & scars.. not your natural color


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## ginger9 (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *purplkaret* 

 
_to get rid of those spots, u'd hav to go to a dermatologist.. and yeah sunblock helps prevent scars from becoming permanent. sadly i'm allergic to sunblock 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




yea it's pretty ridiculous that asians bleach their skin. when i visited hcina in the middle of summer , people covered up their skin to prevent any tanning *_* hehe it just looks sickly but that's cuz in america we love tanning._

 

There's actually a historical/social reason why Asian's don't like to tan or prefer to be pale. And it's not because they want to reach the "western" ideal of beauty. It is because throughout history (even to now), many peasants toiled in the sun ie. farmers, labour workers etc. And hence they became very dark from the sun. If a person was "pale" it was considered a sign of wealth, meaning that they were rich enough not to have to work/toil in the sun. Therefore, it has been passed down in our culture that white skin is prized. 

So please do not say that Asians look "sickly" because they choose to cover up their skin. I am Asian and I don't cover up but wear sun block. In addition, please do not say it's "ridiculous" when you don't know the cultural relevance as to why. Btw, there are 1.3 billon people in China that probably think American's are "ridiculous" for tanning/using tanning beds or spray on tans. Besides, last time I checked too much sun is not exactly good for you.

Lastly, marikat, don't be "so disturbed and saddened" that "ppl in India/Africa/Us/Asia are so desperate to be fair" because you can just turn around any say that about those who use bronzers and try to achieve a darker skin colour as well. Should we be disturbed and saddened by it as well? 

ps - my post, by all means was not meant to antagonize but to educate. And let me apologize in advance if I have come across as anything but 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Peace out


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## DaizyDeath (Feb 1, 2007)

I use to bleach my skin when i was 13 you can buy skin bleach formulas at preety much every asian market or ive seen a bunch of em at CVS theirs seriously nothing wrong with bleaching your skin as long as you dont over do it. Just like people tan i dont see people getting in an up roar over that. 

I personally did it to fade a couple of freckles i had.


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## ginger9 (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *DaizyDeath* 

 
_....seriously nothing wrong with bleaching your skin as long as you dont over do it. Just like people tan i dont see people getting in an up roar over that. 
_

 
Well said


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## jillianjiggs (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *purplkaret* 

 
_to get rid of those spots, u'd hav to go to a dermatologist.. and yeah sunblock helps prevent scars from becoming permanent. sadly i'm allergic to sunblock 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




yea it's pretty ridiculous that asians bleach their skin. when i visited hcina in the middle of summer , people covered up their skin to prevent any tanning *_* hehe it just looks sickly but that's cuz in america we love tanning._

 
i wouldnt go as far to say that it's ridiculous, that's a bit harsh. it's what's desireable in that culture, whereas like you said in north america we think it's acceptable to sit out in the sun and fry and damage our skin to make it look darker.

same concept.

edit: didnt read the rest of the replies before replying, i see that it's already been pointed out


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## lsperry (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ginger9* 

 
_Lastly, marikat, don't be "so disturbed and saddened" that "ppl in India/Africa/Us/Asia are so desperate to be fair" because you can just turn around any say that about those who use bronzers and try to achieve a darker skin colour as well. Should we be disturbed and saddened by it as well? 

ps - my post, by all means was not meant to antagonize but to educate. And let me apologize in advance if I have come across as anything but 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Peace out 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
I am so glad you posted this. This is what I love about Specktra; those who are closed-minded or as I like to say are "under-exposed" to other people's cultures can get an education here. I knew there was a reason for the "white" skin ideal of beauty and it had nothing to do with trying to achieve a "European" beauty ideal. 

No one says that caucasians who tan are trying to achieve "Blackness"; it's just their ideal of beauty. 

It just never ceases to amaze me how a simple question always turns into OTs like this.....Just wanted advice on skin lighteners and ya had to go talk about someone's culture/race/skin color, etc.

Now, on topic:
Whenever I get a dark spot or two from blemishes, I spot treat them with Philosophy's "a pigment of your imagination" serum for about a month - 6 weeks and the discoloring gradually fades away.


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## Kim. (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ginger9* 

 
_There's actually a historical/social reason why Asian's don't like to tan or prefer to be pale. And it's not because they want to reach the "western" ideal of beauty. It is because throughout history (even to now), many peasants toiled in the sun ie. farmers, labour workers etc. And hence they became very dark from the sun. If a person was "pale" it was considered a sign of wealth, meaning that they were rich enough not to have to work/toil in the sun. Therefore, it has been passed down in our culture that white skin is prized. 

So please do not say that Asians look "sickly" because they choose to cover up their skin. I am Asian and I don't cover up but wear sun block. In addition, please do not say it's "ridiculous" when you don't know the cultural relevance as to why. Btw, there are 1.3 billon people in China that probably think American's are "ridiculous" for tanning/using tanning beds or spray on tans. Besides, last time I checked too much sun is not exactly good for you.

Lastly, marikat, don't be "so disturbed and saddened" that "ppl in India/Africa/Us/Asia are so desperate to be fair" because you can just turn around any say that about those who use bronzers and try to achieve a darker skin colour as well. Should we be disturbed and saddened by it as well? 

ps - my post, by all means was not meant to antagonize but to educate. And let me apologize in advance if I have come across as anything but 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Peace out 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
Thank you.


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## Pippi (Feb 1, 2007)

I have a slight darkening at the outside corners of my eyes, can anyone recomend a good lightener for that? I used Palmers Skin Success, but it didnt really do anything to lighten that area.


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## purplkaret (Feb 3, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ginger9* 

 
_I am Asian and I don't cover up but wear sun block. In addition, please do not say it's "ridiculous" when you don't know the cultural relevance as to why. Btw, there are 1.3 billon people in China that probably think American's are "ridiculous" for tanning/using tanning beds or spray on tans. Besides, last time I checked too much sun is not exactly good for you._

 

haha i didnt mean to offend. i'm asian too. and i dont cover up .. sadly i'm allergic to sunblock. but i'm just saying in china the way that they go to extremes nowadays is sad.. and how they look down upon the darkskins. it's just a problem w/ society that unfortunately hasnt worked itself out. similar to the "ideals" of beauty here...

and sunlight is actually required for you to maintain good calcium levels in ur bones (why some people located in the northern hemisphere have close to no pigment) so dont avoid it too much! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




it is all about maintaining health. and sometimes people compromise their health to look beautiful. at that point it is just too far.


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## tadzio79 (Feb 3, 2007)

i've read that using lemon (cut in half and rub over the desired area, then wash off after a few min) works, though I've never tried it.

I'd be weary of whitening products (cream, lotion, whatever) as some of the ingredients have been linked to cancer. I'd suggest doing a research on them before you use one.


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## jenjen_lin (Feb 3, 2007)

I'm asian but was born in the caribbean isles...so i'm no stranger to the concept of the tanning beauty ideal of the west versus being spotless white in the east. the good thing is that ur not caught in between like me cuz it can really get confusing...well this was in my teens but nowadays i just love my skin how it is and let it be anyway it want to be. and yup as previous posts i dont put sunblock or anything but i find it that when i'm visiting china for the winter my skin gets really white nothing i'm doing on purpose however i must admit that i have tried the fad of lighteners for my sun spots/acne marks....there's one from pond's and oil of olay i think its quite good as its specially formulated for hyperpigmentation but problem is that you wont find it in the US...hmm what else let's see oh there's this saying in asia i guess its some sort of poetic line or sth not sure that white can cover all that's ugly and imperfect so there u go that's the thing that probably started it all...lol....but u do find lots of asians that do tan u know...even though probably the majority would go for the lightened skin. oh well....


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## ginger9 (Feb 4, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *purplkaret* 

 
_haha i didnt mean to offend. i'm asian too. and i dont cover up .. sadly i'm allergic to sunblock. but i'm just saying in china the way that they go to extremes nowadays is sad.. and how they look down upon the darkskins. it's just a problem w/ society that unfortunately hasnt worked itself out. similar to the "ideals" of beauty here...

and sunlight is actually required for you to maintain good calcium levels in ur bones (why some people located in the northern hemisphere have close to no pigment) so dont avoid it too much! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




it is all about maintaining health. and sometimes people compromise their health to look beautiful. at that point it is just too far._

 
purplkaret, good to hear that you didn't mean to offend 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 A friendly word of advice, please choose your words carefully in a public forum like this. As is, this is a forum about makeup and sometime users, albeit generally mean no harm, get off topic and make social-political statements that may either offend OR lead to dangerous generalizations about people and other races. Also, just keep in mind that hundreds if not even thousands of people will read our posts. 

I respect your opinion about getting healthy amount of sunlight and I appreciate you explaining your feelings more clearly this way. I understand where you are coming from better now. Thank you for that.

Here in Toronto, I have come across some new immigrants from the far east that do cover-up completely with face shields, gloves and what not. Having grown up here and being Canadian-Chinese I did find it odd and strange. But at the same time I know cultural beliefs are hard to shake when you immigrate to a new country. Just remember that when you come from a third world country where over a billion live WAY below North American poverty line they cannot 1. afford sunblock 2. have a long history of labouring under the hot sun (as I already mentioned). Naturally the culture is not going to embrace tanning and sunning. You will obviously see many individual that don't fit under this thinking any more, such as the newer generation or those who live abroad.

Anyway, I apologize again to the mods and other users for not sticking to the topic so this will be my last post regarding this subject. Take care and keep beautiful inside and out ladies


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## genna_xo (Feb 4, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ginger9* 

 
_There's actually a historical/social reason why Asian's don't like to tan or prefer to be pale. And it's not because they want to reach the "western" ideal of beauty. It is because throughout history (even to now), many peasants toiled in the sun ie. farmers, labour workers etc. And hence they became very dark from the sun. If a person was "pale" it was considered a sign of wealth, meaning that they were rich enough not to have to work/toil in the sun. Therefore, it has been passed down in our culture that white skin is prized. _

 
Several other cultures believed the same.

I'm hispanic; my mom is Mexican, my dad is Spanish. My skin is a bit lighter than most hispanics and my hair is naturally a dark blonde. I've actually been teased for having a lighter skin and looking "white". It's rather annoying. However, I don't go out and tan because a) I get sunburn, b) I hate heat and the summer - it makes me cranky and frustrated -, and c) I wouldn't use a tanning lotion/spray because it seems so unnatural, plus what if it came out uneven?

I don't know very much about skin lighteners, but you should definitely do research. It seems a bit dangerous to your skin. It might make your skintone uneven or lighten parts that don't need to be lightened (small areas surrounding the spots).


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## lara (Feb 4, 2007)

it depends on what you're using. Avoid bleaches as much as possible, instead go for something that combines licorice extract and kojic acid. I use Mario Badescu whitening mask 2x weekly and swear by it.


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## m4dswine (Feb 5, 2007)

Coco Chanel has a lot to answer for in the west... milky white skin was vogue in the west until she made a tan fashionable. 

If you ask me, those that cover up and stay out of the sun have the right idea. I am paler than pale, and keep out of the sun because otherwise I burn. My family all laugh at me with my factor 40 sunblock in the summer, and my general paleness, they are all darker skinned than me. 

I love being pale. I don't need to consider lightening treatments though. 

If you are looking for something gentle and natural, enzyme rich fruits such as lemon and papaya help lighten the skin: Lush make a moisturiser, Enzymion, which sells really well in their Japanese and Taiwanese stores, because it has the effect of lightening the skin a little. I know when I used it I always looked ultra pale!!


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## Feniks (Feb 20, 2007)

I'm Asian, and I'd rather go for the fair look over tanned because I just don't look good with a tan. Which sucks because I tan easily, and I end up yellow, as if I have a really terrible case of jaundice.


But as for acne scars, it's better to use something like rosehip oil or Vitamin E/C. Kosmea is an Australian brand which makes really good rosehip oil products. Or even Salycylic acid, which is supposed to even out the skin after acne scars.

But if you prefer a whitener, for dry or dehydrated skin, Kose's Sekkisei is good. If you have oily skin, Lancome's Blanc Expert and Chanel's Blanc Essentiel works quite well. 

But keep in mind that skin whitening/brightening is totally different from skin bleaching. One is to even out the skin tone, get rid of redness and perhaps lighten it a bit (whitening/brightening) while the other is to lighten it dramatically (bleaching). Whitening products will NOT get rid of freckles.

Certain local bleaching and whitening products in China have been found to contain high amounts of lead as well, so it's a good idea to stick to known brands.


And I agree with one of the previous posters. The OP is kind of making assumptions and sounds judgemental. It all has to do with the look of "wealth". In the west, the wealthy are usually associated with things which would produce a tan- outings on the beach or tennis, etc., hence the tanned look is prefered. In Asia, the rich would not do any work while the farmers were the ones which laboured in the sun and get dark, which is why most people aim to be fair.

Also, keep in mind that Asians, especially East Asians are naturally fair, and this kind of skin is most prone to sun damage and aging from the sun, so it's actually a good thing that they want to protect their skin from it.


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## Dark_Phoenix (Mar 18, 2007)

I've been lightening my skin since I was ~13 (Middle Eastern/European ethnicity). Hydrochloro-something is that chemical that's linked to cancer supposedly. The only bad thing I've heard about it is that it can make your skin DARKER if used for too long (*never uses it*). Mostly found in drugstore lightening products.

Bronzers tend to accentuate the problem of my skintone... especially since many of them have brown/gold undertones that don't look very pretty with pink/neutral skin O_O or they aren't light enough. I don't tan... I think it ages you and ruins good, young, supple skin.

DiorSnow is AMAZING... it's probably one of the best lightening products I've used. Why? It doesn't contain funky smelling chemicals and after using it I have NO freckles/sunspots. I used it for about two or three years but then my skin started to tingle and feel burning on application so I think I might have developed an allergy.

Currently using Shiseido White Lucent Concentrated Brightening Serum. It's about ~$100 USD for a container (1oz) but lasts. The Shiseido White Lucent Mask is okay... I haven't noticed a big difference with using it once every 2 weeks. The Emulsion I've been using at night for a few weeks and haven't seen any skin changes.


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## therapeuticglam (May 23, 2013)

Be very careful when you're trying whitening products. It may have a bad effect on the skin.


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