Uneven skin tone, age spots, sun spots, acne scars, freckles and hyper-pigmentation are among the many skin issues that people battle with. While pinpointing their causes and preventing them before they reach your skin’s surface is ideal, it’s not always practical.
However, rather than turning to store-bought chemical-based products to lighten and brighten your skin tone, why not opt for natural ingredients (many of which are in your kitchen as you’re reading this). Not only will you be able to control the ingredients and dosages, but also dodge any negative side effects.
Dangers of Conventional Skin Brighteners: Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is a highly controversial topical skin-care ingredient. While it has been proven to inhibit your skin’s natural melanin production, the substance secreted by the skin to protect itself against harmful UV radiation from the sun, it doesn’t come without its dangers.
Hydroquinone is highly toxic, and therefore, can cause serious irritation to the skin, especially for those with sensitive skin or allergies. Most often, however, hydroquinone causes redness, itchiness or a burning sensation – not something you want to impose your skin with on a regular basis!
Ironically, hydroquinone is often used to reduce sun damage and spots, it makes your skin more susceptible to UVA and UVB damage! This can lead to more serious sun spots, or worse, dangerous sunburns and increased risks of certain types of cancer. To boot, several medical studies have stated that hydroquinone is possible carcinogen. Yikes!
