Risks of Using Inorganic and Unnatural Face Lightening Creams

Fair skin is a highly sought after feature. Especially in our society, lighter skin is considered a sign of true beauty. With all the talks about body positivity and embracing yourself as is, skin lightening is still coveted by many. The most common practice to achieve this is with using inorganic and unnatural skin lightening creams that are readily available in the market. Keep in mind that there are natural face and skin lightening creams that are actually beneficial for the skin. What we must realize is that although the unnatural and inorganic face lightening creams come at a lower cost and might be having the desired effect, most of the products have a number of risks associated with them.

Let’s face it. How many of us actually take the time to read the ingredients on the products we use? Most of us don’t bother. We see a TV commercial, fall for it and buy the product as soon as we see it available at a store. Reading the ingredients is important since we are going to apply the product on the most important part of our body, the face. 

Face lightening creams utilize either a single or a combination of active ingredients that reduce the melanin synthesis in our skin. Melanin is the pigment that darkens the skin. When the cream is applied, it starts reducing the amount of melanin produced by the skin cells of that particular area. Although these face creams are quite effective, there are some risks associated with them too. These include

• Dryness is the most common side effect of face lightening creams. It can be accompanied by redness, irritation, stinging and swelling. 
• If your skin is damaged, then these creams can escalate the symptoms. 
• They can also cause ochronosis. In this condition, blackish-blue marks start appearing in the skin. It is a skin discoloration that cannot be treated. 
• Various ingredients in even natural face lightening creams can cause an allergic reaction. 
• Prolonged usage of creams that contain steroids can lead to regular skin infections, acne, skin thinning and increase risk of skin damage.
• Face lightening creams also increase the risk of cancer by sun exposure. These creams exfoliate your skin and leave it unprotected from the sun. It is important to use an effective sunscreen when  using such creams before heading out. 
• Regularly applying creams that contain steroids increase the risk of them being absorbed by the body. This puts people at risk of some health complications, especially in pregnant women. 
• Overuse of creams containing Mercury can also lead to mercury poisoning a sit is easily absorbed by the body. 
• Using creams with mercury can cause discoloration, scarring and severe rashes. 

Although not all creams are dangerous. Some are made from natural ingredients and don’t have any side effects. It is still advised to limit our use of face lightening creams. Using the cream advertised on TV or using one that is popular is not right. We should consult a dermatologist and have them prescribe the right one for us. Even then, we should carefully use it under the guidance of our physician.