The Whole Truth: What fairness products really CAN and CAN NOT do!

Do fairness products really work?

Not the way you expect them to.
Fairness products CAN’T make you fairer than you naturally are. It’s just not possible.
No matter what they say, they can’t change the colour you are born with.

Here’s what most Fairness Products CAN do:

1. Remove a tan.
2. Brush off dead skin cells (that make skin look dull).
3. Reduce spots and pigmentation.
4. Bleach facial hair.
5. Moisturize skin.

This is why people believe they work. Because their skin appears fairer than when they started using it.

Forget fairness. Look for ‘even skin tone’.

Fairness products may not actually make you fairer, but they can even out your skin tone.

Choose products that have ingredients like Kojic acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and AHA’s. They are able to fade marks that weren’t originally on your skin – like sun spots and acne marks. This makes a big difference to the overall evenness of your skin.

Sunscreen is a MUST when you’re using fairness products.

The ingredients in fairness products can make your skin sensitive to the sun.  This means that your skin is more prone to sunburns, sun spots and hyperpigmentation!

So if you’re using a fairness product, it’s best to stay away from the sun. Otherwise you will end up with more patchy and spotty skin.

And always use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or more – even if your fairness product contains sunscreen. You need the extra protection because you don’t want more pigmentation to happen.

Night-time is the best time to use a fairness product.

It’s tempting to use a fairness product during the day – after all, you want that brightening effect.

BUT remember that the active ingredients can make your skin photosensitive. This means that using it in the day may actually do more harm than good. Because your skin is super sensitive to the sun, it can burn faster – leading to new sun spots and more pigmentation. Just the opposite of what you want. So stick to using fairness products at night.

Are fairness products bad for your skin?

Many fairness products contain an ingredient called hydroquinone.
This ingredient has been used for decades as an effective way to lighten spots and hyper-pigmentation.

However, recent studies are showing alarming side-effects. From redness and irritation to even cancer! One study found that when it’s used over a long period of time, instead of lightening the skin as it is meant to do, it begins to darken the area in which it is regularly applied!

This ingredient has become so controversial that some countries have even banned it.

Another ingredient to stay far away from is topical corticosteroids. This can be found in creams like Betnovate. This ingredient is to treat acute skin diseases and should be used only under the guidance of a dermatologist. The problem is that many women are using corticosteroids as fairness creams – which is very dangerous!

At first, it may clear your face and make it appear brighter. But the more you use it, the thinner and weaker your skin gets. This makes it extremely sensitive to the sun as well as infections. Your skin may breakout, get hyperpigmentation, scars and worst of all, excessive facial hair growth!!

The damage caused can take years to heal – so stay clear of this ingredient!

So it’s best to choose products that use safe ingredients like Vitamin A, B3 and C, Kojic acid (derived from mushrooms), lactic acid (found in milk) and glycolic acid (found in sugarcane).