Skin Care Info

Article by Ava Cantos.

The idea of skin lightening has been around since the beginning of the cultural class structure. For example, in ancient Asian cultures, those who stayed inside, usually the wealthy and educated had fair, white skin. On the other hand, those that worked outside and were exposed to the effects of the sun had much darker skin and were considered part of the lower class.

As a result, those with darker skin tones tried to lighten their skin, using a variety of natural ingredients, so that they would not be immediately classified. Unfortunately, this process still continues today in many parts of Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. However, in America, skin lightening is generally reserved for specific parts of the skin including lightening sun spots, moles, freckles, and intimate areas. This is because tanned skin, compared with fair skin, is considered more desirable in America.

While most skin lightening products sold in North America are generally safe to use, you may want to consult with your medical provider if you plan to lighten large areas of the skin including the face.

The Dangers of Hydroquinone

While there are many skin lightening products to choose from, most people tend to use a topical, over-the-counter skin bleaching product. Typically these products contain one main ingredient: Hydroquinone. While the United Stated still allows products that contain Hydroquinone to be sold legally, most industrialized countries including the United Kingdom, France, and Japan have completely banned the sale of all products containing Hydroquinone. This trend is sure to continue as more and more countries begin realizing the inherent dangers of using Hydroquinone.

In fact, some recent studies have shown a link between using Hydroquinone and the development of cancer in addition to a variety of other potential medical problems.

Fortunately, many reputable skin lightening, skin whitening, and skin bleaching products are effective and do not have to rely upon using Hydroquinone as their main ingredient. This is just one reason that you need to be sure to read the list of ingredients for any skin lightening product you want to buy.

Conclusion

Some of the typical reasons people buy skin lightening products are to reduce the appearance of scars, moles, freckles, sun spots, and Hyperpigmented areas of the skin. Additionally, there has been a recent trend in intimate area lightening. This includes anal bleaching, vaginal bleaching, underarm bleaching, and nipple bleaching.

If you plan to lighten any area of your skins, read the ingredient list carefully, and never choose a product that does not list its ingredients. These products either have something to hide or have a very weak list of ingredients. Additionally, you may be allergic to one of the ingredients and should therefore only trust companies that are upfront about their products.

Once you find a reputable skin bleaching product, be sure to follow the directions carefully. This is because you may experience some minor discomfort when trying to lighten your skin. While minor irritation should be expected, especially after you initially apply the treatment, any prolonged irritation or discomfort should cause you to discontinue use of the product.

In conclusion, skin lightening products continue to advance in terms of effectiveness and overall safety. However, may of these skin whitening products are simply not regulated enough including those products that contain Hydroquinone. Therefore, be sure to research each skin lightening product before making a decision.

How many times has ithappened that you hit the snooze button far too many times andyou end up getting up too late in the morning? Quite unconsciously you end up compromising on your morning skin care regimen. Then you have to sport greasy hair and a puffy face when you go outside.

Here are some useful tips that will help you speed up your beauty routine when you are running late. However, don’t forget to treat your skin well when you have the luxury of time.

Choose Multi-Purpose Skin Care Products

Skin care products that serve multiple purposes save you a great deal of time and effort. Searching for different products for different needs can be very time consuming. This way they remove the extra steps and simplify your morning skin care routine. There are several multi-purpose skin care products available in the market today. You can find cleansers with toning benefits, cosmetics and make-up with moisturizers, moisturizers that double up as sunscreens, cleansers that help remove make-up and so on.

You can also consider using tinted moisturizers. They not only moisturize your skin but also help to illuminate your complexion. Use a tinted moisturizer and you can skip the use of foundation in the morning. This also comes in handy as a quick-fix solution after mid-day gym visits. However, make sure you cleanse your face thoroughly and remove all the sweat, dirt and debris before using a tinted moisturizer.

Product Suggestions:

Obagi C-Cleansing Gel
It is a gentle cleansing gel that combines the benefits of both prescription strength Hydroquinone and potent Vitamin C in one single pack. It gently conditions the skin with Vitamin C and also removes all signs of make-up along with oil residues and accumulated impurities leaving your skin fresh and clean.

La Roche Posay Anthelios SX
This is a non-greasy moisturizer that provides efficient sunscreen benefits. It moisturizes the skin gently and offers broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) protection as well. It contains Mexoryl SX which is photostable against UVA rays so it does not breakdown and lasts longer than most sunscreens. Is is also the first sunscreen approved by the FDA! It does not contain any artificial fragrances or parabens and thus is safe for all skin types.

Keep a Moisturizing Cream Handy

A moisturizing cream can be a life-saver! It offers numerous time-saving benefits whether you are in the confines of your home or outside somewhere. You can just keep a box of Vaseline handy and use it for a number of beauty and skin care purposes like:

Taming Eyebrows
Just a dab of the moisturizing cream is all you need to apply over your eyebrow strands and align them to perfection.

Softening Eyelashes
If your eyelashes feel rough and brittle, just smooth them with some cream and they will be smooth and glossy instantly.

Moisturizing Lips
Forgot to put your lip balm in your bag? Just get hold of some cream and rub it over your lips to get smooth and shiny lips. It may not last long and would require re-application but it is better than nothing.

Plan your Make-Up

You will be surprised to realize how much time you can save by simple planning your make-up before hand. Instead of spending precious time to search for the right shade of lipstick or eye shadow just set out your make-up the night before. And if you don’t have time to plan what you are going to wear the next day, just line up your cosmetics and products in a sane order. This will make it easier for you to get hold of what you need.

Grab the Beauty Basics

Here is a list of basic beauty products that you would need when you are running late. You can apply them in minutes and even on the go, if required.

Concealer
It helps to hide blemishes and dark spots and even out your skin tone.

Eyeliner
Just a whip of eye-liner on your eyes can instantly brighten up your eyes and make them look fresh and beautiful. This comes especially handy if your eyes look like you have just got out of bed.

Lip Gloss
Even if you don’t have time to line your lips and apply lipstick, a lip gloss will do the trick. Simply apply the gloss and you will have smooth looking lips.

Dr. Marilyn Syrett is a professional physician and skin care expert. She advices women on various nuances of skin care and offers them tips to buy skin care products online. She has written articles and reviews about a range of Obagi skin care products.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/skin-care-on-the-run-quick-fix-skin-care-tips-1372157.html

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) January 24, 2007

The anticipation of the FDA’s ruling on the safety of this skin lightening agent provides skin health expert Naweko Nicole Dial an opportunity to alternative skin brightening ingredients to hydroquinone.

In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration could decide to ban products containing the popular skin lightening agent hydroquinone because of its potential carcinogenic and skin damaging effects. According to Naweko Nicole Dial, to president of the San Diego based skin research firm Noixia, “This possible loss of easy access to hydroquinone increases the need for alternative skin lightening methods.”

As a skin whitening product, hydroquinone has been used to treat conditions like age spots, melasma and acne scars. Skin bleachers interfere with at least one of the numerous steps involved in creating the pigment melanin, and bringing this color to the surface of the skin. Dial predicts, “In the future, if skin whitening creams containing hydroquinone require a prescription, more consumers may turn to unconventional skin lightening agents like vitamins, fruit acids, botanical extracts and novel chemicals to correct cosmetic blemishes.”

Dial explains that skin care products that contain adequate amounts of niacinamide, a derivative of vitamin B3, and vitamin C have demonstrated an ability to lighten the skin. But, adds Dial, “An effective skin lightener will need to contain between 3-5% of the skin brightening vitamin to be effective.”

Another antioxidant, glutathione, has surfaced as skin brightener. Glutathione is made in the body with the help of a selenium and protein balanced diet. However, points out Dial, “The amount of glutathione needed in topical products to induce skin lightening is not yet standardized.”

Another ingredient that consumer may look for in skin lightener’s is arbutin. Arbutin is a naturally occurring hydroquinone found in plants. While not a vitamin, food analysis published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Analysis observed significant amounts of arbutin in wheat products, pears, and coffee and tea.

Arbutin works like hydroquinone, to disrupt the reactions that lead to the formation of the skin pigment melanin. But, Dial explains, “Studies have shown arbutin to be less effective than hydroquinone and niacinamide at lightening the skin.”

Besides vitamins, Dial explains that consumers can also use facial peels to brighten the skin. Peels that contain lactic acid and azelaic acid have demonstrated the ability to lighten the skin.

While consumers scour stores for skin lightening options, Dial recommends, “Carefully read the instructions for the creams because a key part of successful skin lightening is making certain that the product can optimally penetrate the skin, and so some products have specific instructions on cleaning the face.”

Moreover for the best results from any skin lightening product, Dial advises, to “Stay patient with your skin brightening program.” Because most satisfactory results achieved from skin lightening come after four to six weeks. More severe cases required more time.

About:

Noixia is an image makeover research firm dedicated to helping people intelligently, affordably and safely enhance their image. Noixia’s core focus is offering customized skin solutions for individuals with acne scars on the face and body. Noixia’s product development edge is based on proprietary skin absorption techniques, key ingredient release mechanisms and innovative wound healing technologies.

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San Diego, CA (PRWEB) January 24, 2007

The anticipation of the FDA’s ruling on the safety of this skin lightening agent provides skin health expert Naweko Nicole Dial an opportunity to alternative skin brightening ingredients to hydroquinone.

In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration could decide to ban products containing the popular skin lightening agent hydroquinone because of its potential carcinogenic and skin damaging effects. According to Naweko Nicole Dial, to president of the San Diego based skin research firm Noixia, “This possible loss of easy access to hydroquinone increases the need for alternative skin lightening methods.”

As a skin whitening product, hydroquinone has been used to treat conditions like age spots, melasma and acne scars. Skin bleachers interfere with at least one of the numerous steps involved in creating the pigment melanin, and bringing this color to the surface of the skin. Dial predicts, “In the future, if skin whitening creams containing hydroquinone require a prescription, more consumers may turn to unconventional skin lightening agents like vitamins, fruit acids, botanical extracts and novel chemicals to correct cosmetic blemishes.”

Dial explains that skin care products that contain adequate amounts of niacinamide, a derivative of vitamin B3, and vitamin C have demonstrated an ability to lighten the skin. But, adds Dial, “An effective skin lightener will need to contain between 3-5% of the skin brightening vitamin to be effective.”

Another antioxidant, glutathione, has surfaced as skin brightener. Glutathione is made in the body with the help of a selenium and protein balanced diet. However, points out Dial, “The amount of glutathione needed in topical products to induce skin lightening is not yet standardized.”

Another ingredient that consumer may look for in skin lightener’s is arbutin. Arbutin is a naturally occurring hydroquinone found in plants. While not a vitamin, food analysis published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Analysis observed significant amounts of arbutin in wheat products, pears, and coffee and tea.

Arbutin works like hydroquinone, to disrupt the reactions that lead to the formation of the skin pigment melanin. But, Dial explains, “Studies have shown arbutin to be less effective than hydroquinone and niacinamide at lightening the skin.”

Besides vitamins, Dial explains that consumers can also use facial peels to brighten the skin. Peels that contain lactic acid and azelaic acid have demonstrated the ability to lighten the skin.

While consumers scour stores for skin lightening options, Dial recommends, “Carefully read the instructions for the creams because a key part of successful skin lightening is making certain that the product can optimally penetrate the skin, and so some products have specific instructions on cleaning the face.”

Moreover for the best results from any skin lightening product, Dial advises, to “Stay patient with your skin brightening program.” Because most satisfactory results achieved from skin lightening come after four to six weeks. More severe cases required more time.

About:

Noixia is an image makeover research firm dedicated to helping people intelligently, affordably and safely enhance their image. Noixia’s core focus is offering customized skin solutions for individuals with acne scars on the face and body. Noixia’s product development edge is based on proprietary skin absorption techniques, key ingredient release mechanisms and innovative wound healing technologies.

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Hydroquinone is an ingredient commonly found in skin lightening creams and is used to treat hyperpigmentation and fade dark marks. It works by limiting the action of melanocytes (melanin producing cells) in the skin so that less pigment is produced.

You may be worried about the associated dangers of hydroquinone based products and looking for hydroquinone free creams to treat your pigmentation woes.

Why is it Dangerous?

Prolonged use of hydroquinone has also been shown to cause a condition called Ochronosis. Ochronosis is a condition where the user develops patches of thick dark brown skin or blue-black patches on darker skin.

It has also been said that hydroquinone is carcinogenic, meaning it can cause cancer. This has been revealed in laboratory tests on rodents but there is not yet any real evidence to show that it is carcinogenic to humans.

Does That Mean I Shouldn’t Use It?

Using skin lightening creams with low concentrations of hydroquinone (less than 2%) for short periods of time minimizes the risk of these dangerous side effects. Using higher concentrations such as 4-6% or using any concentration for several months or longer means you are more exposed to the risk of skin cancer or developing worse pigmentation problems.

It is also important to remember that the sale of hydroquinone based creams is banned in most parts of the world. You can buy creams containing low concentrations of hydroquinone over the counter in the United States where you can also obtain higher concentrations by prescription from a dermatologist.

Although there is no concrete evidence to show that it can cause cancer in humans, you might not want to take that chance! If you require a skin lightening cream for use over a longer period of time (more than a few weeks), you are better off looking at hydroquinone free creams as an alternative.

What Hydroquinone Free Alternatives are Available?

There are many safe, natural ingredients that can be used for skin lightening. Common ingredients are arbutin (bearberry extract), kojic acid, lactic acid, licorice extract and citric acid. Finding a product that contains these ingredients is a safer way of giving you the same end result.

The well publicized dangers of hydroquinone mean that many more people are looking to safer, hydroquinone free creams and the market for these is rapidly growing.

The idea of skin lightening has been around since the beginning of the cultural class structure. For example, in ancient Asian cultures, those who stayed inside, usually the wealthy and educated had fair, white skin. On the other hand, those that worked outside and were exposed to the effects of the sun had much darker skin and were considered part of the lower class.

As a result, those with darker skin tones tried to lighten their skin, using a variety of natural ingredients, so that they would not be immediately classified. Unfortunately, this process still continues today in many parts of Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. However, in America, skin lightening is generally reserved for specific parts of the skin including lightening sun spots, moles, freckles, and intimate areas. This is because tanned skin, compared with fair skin, is considered more desirable in America.

While most skin lightening products sold in North America are generally safe to use, you may want to consult with your medical provider if you plan to lighten large areas of the skin including the face.

The Dangers of Hydroquinone

While there are many skin lightening products to choose from, most people tend to use a topical, over-the-counter skin bleaching product. Typically these products contain one main ingredient: Hydroquinone. While the United Stated still allows products that contain Hydroquinone to be sold legally, most industrialized countries including the United Kingdom, France, and Japan have completely banned the sale of all products containing Hydroquinone. This trend is sure to continue as more and more countries begin realizing the inherent dangers of using Hydroquinone.

In fact, some recent studies have shown a link between using Hydroquinone and the development of cancer in addition to a variety of other potential medical problems.

Fortunately, many reputable skin lightening, skin whitening, and skin bleaching products are effective and do not have to rely upon using Hydroquinone as their main ingredient. This is just one reason that you need to be sure to read the list of ingredients for any skin lightening product you want to buy.

Conclusion

Some of the typical reasons people buy skin lightening products are to reduce the appearance of scars, moles, freckles, sun spots, and Hyperpigmented areas of the skin. Additionally, there has been a recent trend in intimate area lightening. This includes anal bleaching, vaginal bleaching, underarm bleaching, and nipple bleaching.

If you plan to lighten any area of your skins, read the ingredient list carefully, and never choose a product that does not list its ingredients. These products either have something to hide or have a very weak list of ingredients. Additionally, you may be allergic to one of the ingredients and should therefore only trust companies that are upfront about their products.

Once you find a reputable skin bleaching product, be sure to follow the directions carefully. This is because you may experience some minor discomfort when trying to lighten your skin. While minor irritation should be expected, especially after you initially apply the treatment, any prolonged irritation or discomfort should cause you to discontinue use of the product.

In conclusion, skin lightening products continue to advance in terms of effectiveness and overall safety. However, may of these skin whitening products are simply not regulated enough including those products that contain Hydroquinone. Therefore, be sure to research each skin lightening product before making a decision.