Avoid these for now
Dr.Kathryn Larbi Limo
Cosmetic & Skin specialist, Helping the public choose right products and cosmetic treatments, Safe skin care practices
These Skin Brighteners work so fast and indeed can be tempting to some.
Unfortunately the side effects can be quite catastrophic.
Hydroquinone
Has been in use for many years, works very fast inhibiting melanin formation, great for treating dark spots but the side effects among others are:
- Itching, redness, swelling
- Blue-black skin discoloration: on dark skin we see it as a darkening on the sun exposed areas like the cheeks, upper back
It also has a dependency issue, when one stops using it, the skin darkens much more severely.
Glutathione
This is a powerful antioxidant naturally made by our bodies.
It's role on skin bleaching has not been sufficiently documented (when given as injection or as tablets) and it has not been approved by the FDA of any country yet.
The issue of Glutathione is that it can cause potential side effects like:
- Skin rashes
- Kidney damage
- Thyroid organ dysfunction
- Abdominal pains
Steroids creams
These are medical creams used to treat certain skin conditions like eczema, itchiness etc.
It has been abused as a skin brightener either directly applied on the skin or mixed with other creams.
Steroids have side effects like:
- Stretch-marks
- Hypopigmentation
- Skin rashes
Stay safe.
Love,
Dr Kathryn.