Tips to identify dangerous skin whitening creams & bull; hello healthy

While Westerners are obsessed with golden brown skin, we in Indonesia are often less aware of how adored our natural skin color is, and are obsessed with having fair skin.

The skin whitening phenomenon in Indonesia is a small part of the large multibillion rupiah industry that urges women to respond to the temptation of having white skin. In Indonesia, white skin is heralded as a driver of success, an indicator of social status, power, wealth and most emphatically: beauty. The message that was brought was clear enough. Skin with dark brown tones is inferior, and is somehow seen as ugly, dirty, even unhealthy.

In a society that considers having white, radiant skin a symbol of beauty, more and more women are now turning to skin whitening products to achieve and maintain the skin tone they dreamed of. Skin whitening creams have always been reported to be the prima donna in the Indonesian skin care market, with sales figures that continue to soar.

However, many people do not realize the dangers that lurk them when applying chemical dough to their face.

What harmful chemicals are in the whitening cream?

It is difficult to be sure what is contained in skin whitening products because manufacturers often do not fully disclose the list of ingredients involved. Some ingredients (petroleum jelly, vitamin E, and fruit extract acids, for example) have been shown to be harmless. These products may also contain active ingredients that can reduce the concentration of melanin, the skin's color-giving cells.

But, at the same time, some whitening creams contain toxic chemicals that can cause serious side effects - mercury and hydroquinone.

Mercury effect in whitening creams

Although mercury is known as an active ingredient that can lighten skin tone and reduce dark spots, this harmful metal has a number of worrying side effects.

Excessive use of lightening creams that contain mercury has been linked to brain damage, kidney problems, and kidney failure. Other reports suggest that exposure to mercury can cause cognitive decline, headaches, fatigue, hand tremors, depression, nausea, excess saliva production, inflammation of the tongue and gums, and a number of other symptoms. Other possible side effects of using mercury-containing skin whitening products include refractory pigmentation and fetal defects when used during pregnancy.

Hydroquinone

The high levels of hydroquinone in skin whitening products exfoliate the top layer of skin and protect the skin's natural protection against infection and sun radiation, also resulting in a darker, more permanent appearance of patches of skin. In addition, hydroquinone damages the elastic veins in the skin which will actually promote premature aging and weaken the overall skin structure.

Hydroquinone has been proven to be effective and safe to lighten blemishes and dark spots, stretch marks, to changes in skin color due to aging if done under strict dosage supervision by a doctor. However, this metallic substance should not be used as a bleaching agent for dark skin.

Excessive exposure to hydroquinone can cause neuropathy, a disease of the nervous system. Furthermore, experts believe that hydroquinone can increase the risk of skin cancer, liver and kidney damage when absorbed into the bloodstream, cataracts, discoloration of the skin, and dermatitis, if allowed to come into contact with the skin.

How to recognize dangerous skin whitening creams

The cream must be used continuously to maintain the whitening effect, otherwise the skin will re-produce its original color pigment. Sometimes, the skin can even become addicted to the cream - in the form of a rash during "withdrawal" - so it can be difficult to stop using it.

What makes poisoning of these chemicals so scary? Many of the symptoms are nonspecific and quite difficult to spot. Symptoms can include irritability, depression, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, numbness, tingling sensations and tremors.

Usually, when users of the cream begin to experience symptoms such as shaking hands and headaches, the doctor will recommend that they undergo a urine test. Urine analysis can identify high concentrations of mercury present in the body. For cases like this, patients can further request testing of facial whitening products for mercury content.

However, often these products cannot be identified because they are packaged in unmarked containers. In Indonesia, these creams are not sold freely at beauty counters in shopping centers, but they are relatively cheap and easily accessible online.

Even though the US Food and Drugs Association (FDA) and the European Union have established strict regulations against the use of mercury and hydroquinone in skin care products, as well as obliging manufacturers to transparently disclose any supporting ingredients in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, extra caution and policies are needed when buy imported skin care products. Mercury has been found in several imported skin whitening creams, including those from Latin America, India, and China.

Ingredients to avoid in skin whitening creams

Always check the list of ingredients for your skin whitening product and avoid the following names: mercurous chloride, calomel, mercuric, and mercurio to name a few mercury; 1,4-Benzenediol, p-Benzenediol, p-Dihydroxybenzene, p-Dioxybenzene, p-Hydroquinone, p-Hydroxyphenol, Arctuvin, Benzohydroquinone, Bezoquinol, 1,4-dihydroxybenzene, Tequinol, Aida, and Benzene to name another hydroquinone.

Skin whitening creams that contain high levels of hydroquinone can turn a strange brownish color when exposed to outside air or sunlight for long and sustained periods. Meanwhile, skin whitening creams that contain mercury can turn dark gray or green when exposed to direct sunlight.

There are many safer alternatives if you want a skin care that can specifically lighten dark spots, stretch marks, or uneven skin tone. You can also ask a dermatologist to prescribe the right skin care regimen for your problem.