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A skin lightening cream contains chemicals which will react with the skin's composition. Majority of skin lightening creams restrict or control the production of melanin in the epidermal structure. Melanin is the pigment responsible for giving the skin its color. Obviously, the complexion of the people significantly varies and this is because of the individual genetic makeup. Sunlight is also partly responsible in the darkening of the complexion. How sunlight can do such might be a little complicated to understand. Nonetheless, as a paying consumer, you have to understand the components of skin lightening creams that you apply onto your skin to change its color. The most commonly included ingredient is hydroquinone. Sure, the use of hydroquinone is banned in some countries but in other countries, the use of hydroquinone is still allowed. The allowable concentration for skin lightening creams is 2% or less. Anything higher than this is considered harmful to your health. Hydroquinone works through disrupting melanin production. Through this, discoloration may be lessened. Arbutin is also commonly used in making skin lightening creams. Derived from bearberry plants, arbutin can also inhibit melanin production. Medical studies proved that arbutin with 1% concentration can effectively lighten the skin tone. The advisable concentration is at least 1% and anything below this cannot necessarily provide relevant lightening effects. Arbutin is very mild wherein it only causes very minor and temporary side effects. Yet another common active ingredient is tretinoin. Also known as all-trans retinoic acid, tretinoin is known to correct skin discoloration. Tretinoin works by itself but it can also work wonders when combined with other active ingredients like alpha arbutin. Tretinoin is basically a Vitamin A derivative, and we all know that Vitamin A can effectively nourish the skin while taking away its imperfections. Majority of the skin lightening creams today, further, contain all or one of these active ingredients. After checking the labels, make sure that the container is tightly sealed. At home, you have to preserve the skin lightening cream container since improper storage can definitely affect the quality of the cream. You have to place the cream in a cool and dry place and of course, away from direct sunlight since this can also affect its quality. When exposed to the sun for longer period, the cream will discolor and thus make the cream ineffective.
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