Skin Brightening
All women, regardless of age or ethnicity want even, clear and radiant skin. For most women, the challenge to achieve radiant skin begins with dark spots or hyperpigmentation caused by the accumulation of melanin (your natural skin pigment). Hyperpigmentation can be intensified by genetics and ethnicity.
Spots caused by sun damage and the aging process stand in the way of clear and radiant skin. Other roadblocks to clear skin are dryness and breakouts caused by hormonal fluctuations related to life changes like menopause and stress.
Even though they sound the same, there is actually a significant difference between skin lightening, whitening & brightening. Before deciding on your skin care routine, it is very important to understand all three of these categories, their pluses & minuses, and even the potential risks to your health which may be involved.
Brightening is more about increasing radiance and restoring vibrancy to skin. Skin brightening products remove dull cells and reveal radiant, glowing skin. Skin brightening products are an integral part of a skin care regimen to combat aging and for a smooth even skin tone.
Skin whitening
Skin whitening also known as skin bleaching, is a treatment designed to give you a skin tone lighter than the one you were born with. This is generally achieved by the use of chemicals. These chemicals are often dangerous and the treatments are often painful.
The goal of skin whitening is to lighten or fade your complexion beyond the natural skin tone. To see your natural skin tone, just look at your underarms. Skin whitening is controversial and could have potentially dangerous side effects. We do not recommend “skin whitening”.
Skin Lightening
The goal of skin lightening is not to bleach your skin, but to fade out unwanted blemishes by inhibiting melanin, which gives your skin its color.
Within the many different layers of our skin, there is a layer called the basal layer. In this layer, our skin cells form and divide to create the outer skin layer. In this layer, there is a cell called a melanocyte. This cell is responsible for transporting melanosomes which are cells that contain pigment (melanin) which gives us our skin color. Located in the melanocyte is an enzyme called tyrosinase. This enzyme is responsible for the production of melanin. Hyperpigmentation is caused by this enzyme over producing melanin.
To remedy this, many skin lightening products have been formulated to inhibit tyrosinase, essentially stopping it from over producing melanin. Skin lightening products that include tyrosinase inhibitors are not only for people with hyperpigmentation. Many people with even skin use these products to prevent hyperpigmentation in the future as it is far easier to prevent hyperpigmentation than to correct it once it is present in your skin. Unfortunately even if hyperpigmentation is corrected it can return due to our skin having a memory. Another reason skin lightening is recommended for people with even skin is sometimes hyperpigmentation lies beneath the surface of the skin and will emerge in later life.
“Skin Lightening” reduces pigmentation, lightens discoloration, eliminates blemishes and evens skin tone. Importantly, it can be done through simple skin care products, and does not require any type of medical procedure. Skin lightening products target particular areas of discolorations like age spots and hyperpigmentation from acne breakouts and bruising. Lightening creams work to reduce the melanin pigmentation in a particular area on the skin. Lightening products are best used for a limited period of time.