General Interest
Skin whitening or Skin bleaching is not a new concept.
36 The MAG Vung Tau
INCREASED RISK OF SKIN CANCER FROM SUN EXPOSURE.
HYDROQUINONE MAY CAUSE UNTREATABLE SKIN DISCOLORATION( OCHRONOSIS)
PROLONG USE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO PREMATURE AGING OF THE SKIN
STEROIDS IN SOME SKIN LIGHTENERS MAY IN- CREASE RISK FOR SKIN IN- FECTIONS, SKIN THINNING, ACNE AND POOR WOUND HEALING
Back in the Elizabethan times women and men strived to achieve a pale white skin complexion. This was considered to be a sign of beauty and also of social standing. Those who could afford to applied Ceruse – a paste made from vinegar and white lead – to their face, neck and chest. Lips were reddened further by with a pigment made from red mercury sulphide. Mercury was also used to wash the face, acting like a chemical peel to make the skin soft and fresh.
Of course, we now know the about effects of lead and mercury poisoning on the body, so it is no surprise that these practices caused serious skin damage that included skin blemishes and acne but also a thinning of the outer skin layer. In more severe cases the skin might even turn a blue grey colour.
Despite the risks, these dangerous ingredients were used in beauty treatments well into the 18th century and mercury can still be found in skin whitening creams and soaps today.
How Do Skin Whiteners Work?
Skin whitening creams contain ingredients that act to slow the production of melanin in the skin’ s outer layer. Melanin is the body’ s natural protection against the harmful effects of UV rays. Skin bleaching agents act to reduce the action of the enzyme, tyrosinase, which controls the rate of melanin production in the skin.
Chemical-based skin whiteners can be potentially dangerous and carries the significant health risks with extended use.
What Skin Whitening Ingredients Should We Avoid?
Chemicals traditionally used in skin whitening products can include hydroquinone, mercury, and steroids. While the use of these chemicals has been banned in some countries, ingredients like hydroquinone may still be prescribed by physicians.
The biggest danger of exposing the skin and body to these toxic chemicals is that, over time, they can produce adverse side effects and serious health concerns including skin discoloration, malfunctions of the nervous system and internal organs and an increased risk of cancer.
While we do not know the full extent of the health risks hydroquinone poses, it is considered to be cytotoxic( toxic to cells), mutagenic and carcinogenic( cancer causing).
Mercury In August 2013 the Food and Drug Administration( FDA) issued a warning to consumers advising them not to use skin creams, beauty soaps or lotions that might contain mercury due to the dangers of mercury poisoning.
Mercury is a toxic chemical that is readily absorbed into the body but it is not easily removed. When mercury is used for skin whitening the initial side effects can include skin rashes, skin