Alternative natural extract for skin lightening

[Dahila]

I make a facial moisturizer which suppose to help with dark spots discoloration. A lot of light skinned people have this problem, My skin is kind of dark for Caucasian, Statements like this: "But mainly for cosmetic makers who target black people to lighten their skin." are completely wring and a bit of offensive for me

 

[Nanette]

That's where you are wrong. It's huge with Asian women (the OP ) as well as other ethnicity. I know quite a few women who use bleach for their dark pigments on their skin from sun damage. Don't just assume someone is being offensive. You're the only one who jumped to a conclusion/asumption. It never even crossed my mind to be honest.

I know people who use lighteners for hyperpigmentation...and they are not black or trying to lighten all over. My neighbor is very fair but she has dark patches on her face, like a spotted pony. I think shes rather beautiful but she chooses to lighten those spots.

 

[cmzaha]

I am asked almost weekly from customers looking for something to lighten their age and or sun damage spots. There are proven chemicals that will accomplish this with leave-on products and I recommend them to consult with their doctor or ask their doctor for a referral to a good dermatologist. I agree do no think someone is being offensive. Some folks have severe issues with darkening spots/areas. I see it in my market regularly.

While I have some of the actual chemicals, Kojic Acid, Tranexamic Acid Powder, I am not a doctor and do not use them in products for sale. I use them in a product for my husband.

 

[LilyJo]

Unfortunately skin lightening has a lot of negative connotations and whilst I understand why pigmentation may be a reason I know lightening products are often pushed to poc - which prompted the negative responses.

 

[Opeyemi]

am just finish my high school,thinking of what to do..when there is no employment ..iam so much interested in make soap in nigeria.i will be glad if i can teach me

 

[Kiti Williams]

I am interested in this, because of a very bad sunburn that has left the skin on my forearms blotchy. I would like to repair the damage that was done (I do not sit out and fry my skin to a tan). I will watch this thread and go and buy a few lemons.

 

[TheGecko]

Anyone else throw up in their mouths at reading the title, or am I alone?

You’re alone.

 

[violets2217]

Hmmm.... I keep following this post just hoping it will give some hints. But it has seemed to have gone off the rails. My daughter who is mixed has experienced an allergic reaction to cheap jewelry (a nickel allergy) and developed a rash around her neck and spread down her sides. They have now turned not brown spots. I’ve tried a few things but a lot of homemade remedies call for citrus ingredients and with living in Florida, photo sensitive ingredients scare me. Plus she’s young and not really too concerned. But we will keep looking. Just never thought to add something to her soap since it washes right off. But maybe some coffee to exfoliate?

 

[Dawni]

Hmmm.... I keep following this post just hoping it will give some hints. But it has seemed to have gone off the rails. My daughter who is mixed has experienced an allergic reaction to cheap jewelry (a nickel allergy) and developed a rash around her neck and spread down her sides. They have now turned not brown spots. I’ve tried a few things but a lot of homemade remedies call for citrus ingredients and with living in Florida, photo sensitive ingredients scare me. Plus she’s young and not really too concerned. But we will keep looking. Just never thought to add something to her soap since it washes right off. But maybe some coffee to exfoliate?

The south Asians use turmeric a lot in face masks.. If you search there are lots of recipes. Some mix with yogurt and/or honey and some other things. They leave it on for a while then wash it off.

On the other side of the continent they use pureed tomatoes or papayas as a mask or rice water as a toner.

Worth a try?

Soaps with these ingredients have been marketed as whitening too. I'm seriously thinking of making one or two and experimenting on myself and post before and after pics lol Not that I want or need whitening, but just to see if any of those claims have any basis.

 

[violets2217]

The south Asians use turmeric a lot in face masks.. If you search there are lots of recipes. Some mix with yogurt and/or honey and some other things. They leave it on for a while then wash it off.

On the other side of the continent they use pureed tomatoes or papayas as a mask or rice water as a toner.

Worth a try?

Soaps with these ingredients have been marketed as whitening too. I'm seriously thinking of making one or two and experimenting on myself and post before and after pics lol Not that I want or need whitening, but just to see if any of those claims have any basis.

I’ve read about turmeric and have made a rice flour mask... but not for lightening purposes. Thanks! I’ll check it out!

 

[DeeAnna]

I don't care for the "judgy" comments that have been made in this thread (and the "throwing up" comment was utterly out of line). I'm glad the conversation has drifted back to a more factual discussion.

Like I told the original poster, I accept there are chemicals that can lighten skin; I just don't see how these chemicals in a soap will do much good. They need time to work, and even if a person left the soap lather on the skin for some minutes while bathing the rest of the body, that's really not much time.

Like Carolyn (cmzaha), I think these chemicals are going to be a lot more effective in a leave-on product that stays on the skin for hours, not minutes. I have a blotch of hyper-pigmentation on my face, and I'd be formulating a leave-on product if I wanted to lighten that area.

 

[Nanette]

I have read that tamanu oil is used for hyperpigmentation, and sandalwood powder is used as a mask for same...just what I have come across in looking into the properties of these two things..tamanu is also supposidly good for scar tissue--helping in the reduction of --and wrinkles and fine lines....

 

[true blue]

Like Carolyn (cmzaha), I think these chemicals are going to be a lot more effective in a leave-on product that stays on the skin for hours, not minutes.

Absolutely. Using a soap with those type of ingredients would be relatively useless, as it just gets rinsed off. They would have to be in a cream. Even then, if you're targeting age spots, you'd only want to cover the actual spots. Think about it ... if it's meant to lighten skin, the product doesn't know to pick between dark/light skin. Slather it over the entire area and, even if it were to technically work, the whole area would lighten together and you wouldn't really see much change.

My daughter who is mixed has experienced an allergic reaction to cheap jewelry (a nickel allergy) and developed a rash around her neck and spread down her sides. They have now turned not brown spots.

Wow! I've had reactions to cheap jewelry myself and have know others to also. But the skin developing spots from it later? That's odd. How long has it been? Are the spots right where the jewelry was?

As for age spots ... my MIL has had them for many many years (she's very light) and nothing has ever helped.

When it comes to blotchy hyper pigmentation on the face for most women, though ... that's typically experienced by either pregnant women (hence it's name, 'pregnancy mask' as many times it will disappear afterwards, though not always) or other women as we get older. There's really nothing you can do from the outside ... makeup doesn't even cover it well ... as it's a sign of unbalanced hormones in the body. I had it for years, then started taking particular supplements and it has since disappeared.

I know there's other types of hyper pigmentation or spottyness also, but unfortunatley, skin whiteners don't always work very well for them. Historically, skin whiteners were used by women to whiten their skin overall, as a tan of any kind was looked down upon. Apparently, the best thing that works best for it is arsnic ... which I've heard is also fed to chickens on a commercial scale (in 'small enough' amounts) to keep their meat pale. But yes, women used to commonly smear arsnic-laced cream all over their hands & faces.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...arsnic ... which I've heard is also fed to chickens on a commercial scale (in 'small enough' amounts) to keep their meat pale..."

It was used as a medicine in the days when there were no better options. But at least in the US, that was many decades ago.

For a class in grad school, we studied the groundwater test results for one company that produced products like this in the mid 1900s. The groundwater was contaminated with heavy metals like arsenic, and the area was (maybe still is) listed as a US EPA Superfund site. Quite the mess.

 

[xuledywo]

I don't care for the "judgy" comments that have been made in this thread (and the "throwing up" comment was utterly out of line). I'm glad the conversation has drifted back to a more factual discussion.

Like I told the original poster, I accept there are chemicals that can lighten skin; I just don't see how these chemicals in a soap will do much good. They need time to work, and even if a person left the soap lather on the skin for some minutes while bathing the rest of the body, that's really not much time.

Like Carolyn (cmzaha), I think these chemicals are going to be a lot more effective in a leave-on skincare product that stays on the skin for hours, not minutes. I have a blotch of hyper-pigmentation on my face, and I'd be formulating a leave-on skin care product if I wanted to lighten that area.

Does anyone know how I can make my skin get lighter? Any skin lightening/whitening products to recommend? Thanks

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Bearberry extract worked for a Latina lady who cleaned for me. She had dark circles under her eyes and dark areas from her cheekbones to her jawline on both sides of her face. It took about 2 months of daily application before her face cleared completely. Don't over do it. Add the extract to your favorite face lotion or face cream or sunscreen.

Bearberry Extract for Skin Lightening

Bearberry is a powerful skin-lightener that fights both wrinkles and dark spots. It's considered a hydroquinone derivative because it works much in the same way. But it's not hydroquinone and doesn't break down into hydroquinone. It's arbutin that gives bearberry its powerful skin-lightening properties.