The Fine Line Between Forced and Arranged Marriage, Khushi Kapoor makes Her Instagram Profile Public, The Most Searched Indian Celebrities on Google in 2020, Planets Jupiter & Saturn Conjunction seen in India, Unique Gifts to Buy for Men for Christmas, 12 Indian Celebrities feature in Forbes Asia’s 100 Digital Stars, COVID-19 Impact on Hair and Beauty in Birmingham. Gahongayire says when people affected go to the hospital, they are advised to stop but also cautioned on the complications, and guided on how to go about it. Skin lightening creams have been a popular cosmetic product in South Africa for many decades and are still widely used for its skin bleaching effects. Skin lightening creams contain mainly two chemicals, hydroquinone or mercury. Skin Cancer: Compounds used in skin lightening creams such as Hydroquinone, mercury, and steroids have carcinogenic properties. Box: 3354, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, /doi/full/10.1080/02772248.2011.631925?needAccess=true. We undertake this study on some of the most popular skin-lightening creams on the market to test for toxic ingredients such as mercury, titanium dioxide, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids. Share. Some skin lightening creams are banned in the UK because their ingredients pose a risk to health. Many of them are banned products and should not to be used because of their hazardous chemical content. After several months she noticed strange dark, blotchy marks on her thighs, legs and the sides of her face. More product is then applied in an attempt to correct the darker blotchy appearance. Skin-lightening creams are extensively promoted online and in the media. Toxic levels of mercury can lead to mercury poisoning which causes neurological and kidney damage, and may also lead to psychiatric disorders. Dangers of Skin Lightening Creams by Dean Anderson. Copyright © 2008-2021 DESIblitz. Skin lightening products marketed at bleaching darker-toned skins have been critiqued for their racist overtones. Hydroquinone – The most common bleaching ingredient used in skin lightening products and is also found in film developing products. Checking Your Skin Care is Free of Dangerous Compounds. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. Tottenham vs Fulham gets Postponed due to Covid-19 Outbreak, The Massive Support for Chelsea FC in India, Poor Women in India have to ‘ignore’ Sex Abuse at Work. For more than a decade, we found high mercury content in many products sold on Saudi markets. High blood sugar can lead to diabetes, and using skin whitening creams that elevate the blood sugar can be dangerous if you already have diabetes. 3099067 Among the four tested corticosteroid compounds, the most frequently detected was cortisone and 18 products from 13 different brands were above 6 µg g−1 (MDL) with a maximum of up to 0.32% (w/w). Beware of skin bleaches and lightening creams, most especially be scornful of creams manufactured outside of the United States. A total of 33 different brands were selected for the analysis of titanium (50 samples), hydroquinone (55 samples), and corticosteroids (56 samples) with the exception of mercury in which only 23 brands (34 samples) were tested. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. Some skin lighteners do contain this as an ingredient. Many skin lighteners still contain chemicals that pose serious health risks if used for prolonged periods. Nazhat is an ambitious 'Desi' woman with interests in news and lifestyle. Mpumalanga – Desperate women have fallen prey to scams that promise ‘amazing results’ and some have joined social media groups where they buy home-made skin products that have never been tested. Steroids have three different stages that are dangerous in terms of lightening the skin. Hydroquinone or Mercury applied to the skin will react with the sun’s rays and re-oxidise, leading to more skin pigmentation and premature ageing and loss of the natural protective barrier. Mercury – Many skin lightening creams have this chemical in them usually in the form of Mercury Chloride and Ammoniated Mercury, which is a carcinogenic. If you are using such creams always strictly check the ingredients and make sure you are not doing yourself more harm than the perceived good. Over-the-counter skin-lightening creams are “like paint stripper,” according to a new public health alert. These so-called beauty products increase the … Most skin lightening products are not recommended for darker skin tones and could cause hyperpigmentation. They can bleach the skin by constricting blood vessels and allow for less … Because it is considered a possible carcinogen (a substance that encourages cells to develop cancer) and has risks of causing respiratory issues, it is banned for use in cosmetics in the UK , EU, Japan and Canada, however, it is still allowed in the U.S. Mercury – Many skin lightening creams have this chemical in them usually in the form of Mercury Chloride and Ammoniated Mercury, which is a carcinogenic. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Are Indian Women Afraid of Exercising in Public? People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. Skin-lightening products include creams, scrubs, pills and even injections designed to slow the production of melanin. Diljit Dosanjh to Star in Film on 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots? This study showed that 2 of 34 skin-lightening creams had mercury above the US FDA limit of 1 µg g−1. Gina used it twice a day and noticed that after a few days her skin looked fairer. Indicating the huge growth of this market and use of such products. A lot of the products developed to lighten skin contain chemicals that react differently to different skin tones within the Asian population too. Skin whitening or skin lightening creams can be used to treat a range of problems including dark spots, acne scarring, freckles and melasma but be care should be taken when choosing a product. 2) Hyperpigmentation Using hydroquinone in doses higher than 2% or for periods longer than 3 months will lead to darkening of the skin … However, some as we can see from the popularity of skin lightening treatments are very drawn towards attitude that fair skin is always advantageous. 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She says that the best … Asian skin has a more compact surface layer of skin, it has higher levels of melanin, it has larger sized melanosomes which makes the degradation and dispersal much slower than the smaller melanosomes found in the white skin and it produces more melanin in response to UVB light than most white skin. These compounds have carcinogenic properties and long term use can lead to lethal health concerns like skin cancer and liver damage. Soon she was applying it more frequently, up to six times a day. Prolonged use of Hydroquinone based products will thicken collagen fibres damaging the connective tissues. Possible risks of skin-lightening creams containing hydroquinone, corticosteroids or mercury include: skin turning dark or too light ; thinning of the skin Arsenic – This is immediately thought of as “poison,” which is exactly what it is. Should Bollywood writers and composers get more royalties? Thinning of the Skin: Exploitation of skin whitening creams … Therefore, you should read all ingredients very carefully before applying any skin lightening cream or treatment bought from a non-professional outlet. It is used in cosmetics, hair dyes, and medical preparations. Derby Pervert jailed for Sexually Assaulting Underage Girls. The UK market for skin whitening products is growing all the time, and there are many unscrupulous sellers of products which promise much, but either do not deliver what they promise, or are either dangerous to skin or banned for other reasons, possibly because of the ingredients used in their production. Uneven skin tones and areas of hyperpigmentation can occur as a result of sun damage, skin irritation, hormonal imbalances or birth control pills. They may contain a wide variety of active ingredients such as mercury, hydroquinone, and steroids that are highly toxic, especially after prolonged application. DESIblitz is a ® registered trade mark | Email:info@desiblitz.com. Skin lightening treatments are also not recommended for use by children or … In Africa, at least four in ten women bleach their skin. We use cookies to improve your website experience. Skin-lightening creams are extensively promoted online and in the media. Although one might argue that these corticosteroids are of mild or low potency, and they may be unlikely to have any adverse effects, these products are marketed as personal-care products on the assumption that they are safe and free of steroids. Though effects are treatable, she says using these products for long can make management hard and sometimes impossible. By altering the skins natural structure and inhibiting the production of Melanin, it’s natural protection, the skin is more susceptible to skin cancer. They have been shown to cause leukemia in mice and other animals. However, it does have a greater numbers of hyperpigmentory spots and scarring of spots. You do not want to put these chemicals on your beautiful skin. Mercury will slowly accumulate within the skin cells striping the skin of it’s natural pigment leaving behind the tell tale signs of grey/blue pigmentation in the folds of the skin. There's an increase in demand for anti-ageing and skin-lightening products all over the world. However, what is not promoted is the harm that a lot of these products can do in the medium to long term. So, using skin lightening products is dramatically on the increase amongst Asians. Liver, kidney or nerve damage: The long-term use of creams containing mercury and its compounds can lead to severe organ damage. In this study, we found 8 creams from 7 different brands had hydroquinone above 1.5% (w/w), the newly proposed FDA limit of hydroquinone in OTC skin-lightening drug products. Some of the creams are manufactured in India and Pakistan containing high toxic levels. Mercury is the very dangerous chemical that medical officials found in the skin lightening creams that sickened the women. For more than a decade, we found high mercury content in many products sold on Saudi markets. Veronica, a 17-year-old from Ermelo who asked to remain … But, most creams sold in the market are a dangerous cocktail of compounds like steroids and tretinoin, alongside hydroquinone. The idealism of fair-skin within the South Asian communities is especially important in women – would-be mothers-in-law crave for fair-skinned brides for their sons; men young and old, prefer lighter-skinned partners (if they have a choice) and amazingly, Asian women from all socio-economic backgrounds go to unbelievable lengths to become just a little whiter. Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab. Skin lightening creams, lotions and soaps are designed to give users that ‘fair’ complexion but not everyone knows about their side effects or dangers. Topical Hydroquinone and Tretinoin are skin lighteners and dangerous substances. In addition, it can lead to severe birth defects. Banned products containing Hydroquinone and Mercury will not stop the products from entering the UK and being sold under the counter. Dexamethasone was found in 7 creams from 5 different brands with only 3 above the MDL of 9 µg g−1. Alpha Hydroxy Acids – Commonly found in facial chemical peels, these are not ideal to be used without professional guidance. Skin whitening / lightening creams. Skin whitening or skin lightening creams can be used to treat a range of problems including dark spots, acne scarring, freckles and melasma but be care should be taken when choosing a product. This means that they have the potential to cause cancer when used for long. Despite warnings on the dangers of using illegal skin lightening products, women continue to use these creams. We recommend that consumers who wish to use lightening skin creams try a more natural alternative such as Uva Ursi leaf to lighten their skin tone or hyperpigmentation. However, this does not mean it’s fine to incorporate them in your skincare regimen. Here are some of the brands of products banned due to their content of Hydroquinone or Mercury. Did Katrina Kaif & Vicky Kaushal celebrate New Year together? Why are Desi Women Blamed for Miscarriages? Do you agree with using Skin Lightening products? For years, Allison Ross rubbed in skin-lightening creams with names like Hyprogel and Fair & White. However, the presence of other ingredients has not been documented. Therefore, the products created to ‘lighten’ the skin can affect these genetics of Asian skin and destroy the natural elements within it. All products had titanium dioxide at less than 25% (w/w) of the EU and US FDA safety limits for personal products but 8 products from 7 different brands contained titanium dioxide above 1%, the permissible limit in cosmetics as color additives. If you are someone who has used steroids or corticosteroids previously, then you may have noticed visible results of skin lightening from taking them regularly. When it comes to skin bleaching, it really is what’s on the inside that counts. 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Accepted author version posted online: 17 Oct 2011, Register to receive personalised research and resources by email, Environmental Health Section, Biological & Medical Research Department , King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre , P.O. High blood sugar can result from regular use of skin lightening creams that contain high levels of steroids. Skin-lightening creams are heavily promoted by many dermatologists and skin care experts to even out cosmetic conditions like vitiligo, liver spots, and other superficial blemishes. Organ Failure. Skin-lightening creams are extensively promoted online and in the media. Preity Zinta signs Hrithik Roshan for Web Series? Side effects of skin-lightening creams can include: redness and swelling (skin irritation and inflammation) a burning or stinging sensation ; itchy and flaky skin ; What could go wrong. Consumers are being warned to steer clear of skin lightening creams that can "act like paint stripper". 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