What to do if you've been poisoned by mercury from whitening creams

The first thing to remember is: Don’t Panic

While it can be a long and slow process, it is very possible to remove mercury from your body.

If you suspect that you’ve been poisoned by mercury, there are two routes you can take. The first is to see a specialist, who [...]

The use of pearl powder for beautiful, youthful skin through the ages

Scientists have discovered that pearl powder stimulates fibroblasts, regenerates collagen and promotes skin healing.

The use of pearl powder as a cosmetic agent to beautify and lighten skin has been well-documented throughout history.

So what is pearl powder and how is it used? Read on…

Pearl powder in Ancient China and India (2,000 years ago)

The use of pearl powder as medicine can be traced back to 2,000 years ago [...]

Beware deceptive labeling in skin lightening creams

toxicbeauty

There’s something about seeing something in print that leads us to believe what it says without question. And why not?

Why would anyone go through all the trouble of producing a product, packaging it in a nice jar, spend money advertising and marketing, only to lie about what it actually contains? And [...]

History lesson: lead, mercury and leeches were used to whiten complexions in the 1400s

A white face and reddened lips and cheeks were the ideal during the Renaissance period

Time for a fun little history lesson. (I just love history, don’t you?)

Did you know women during the Renaissance period (1400s-1600s) used to be obsessed about getting their skin as pale and as white as possible? In those times, only very rich, white women pursued porcelain skin.

Why was white skin so [...]

Rice Powder: an Asian skin whitening secret

Add water to uncooked rice to make your very own

Asian women are known for their delicate beauty and smooth, fair skin. This is probably why I’m always intrigued by any traditional skin lightening remedies from the Orient.

One of these remedies is rice powder and rice water.

What is rice powder? What is rice water?

Rice powder is simply uncooked rice [...]

Skin lightening with hydroquinone

hydroquinone

Some skin lightening ingredients work extremely well in the short-term but when used over a longer period of time, actually damages our skin. Hydroquinone is one of them.

What is hydroquinone?

Hydroquinone is a widely used skin lightening ingredient found in over-the-counter, cosmetic and prescription products. Hydroquinone is usually combined with other ingredients (such as [...]

Skin bleaching with monobenzone

monobenzoneisserious

Using monobenzone can have serious consequences

If you’re considering using monobenzone to achieve a lighter complexion – stop. If you have already started using monobenzone and you do not have vitiligo, stop immediately.

(Did that grab your attention? I hope it did!)

Of all the chemicals that bleach the skin, monobenzone is [...]

Corticosteroid creams should not be used to lighten skin

killercream

What are corticosteroid creams?

Corticosteroid and steroid creams are prescribed by doctors to treat inflammation from skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis. These corticosteroid and steroid creams contain powerful ingredients like Clobetasol Propionate, Fluocinolone Acetonide or Betamethasone Dipropionate. They also come with specific usage instructions because of the potentially [...]

Mercury is a dangerous skin lightening ingredient

killercream

Some skin lightening ingredients work extremely well in the short-term but are dangerous to our health and the long-term health of our skin. Mercury is one of them.

History of mercury use in skin lightening creams

The use of mercury in commercial skin bleaching creams and soaps goes back to the early 1900s. [...]

List of commercial skin lightening / skin whitening ingredients

skinlighteningingredients

Skin whitening ingredient
Description
How it works
Efficacy
Safe to use
on darker skin?

Arbutin
A hydroquinone derivative (glycosylated benzoquinone) extracted from the bearberry shrub.
Inhibits tyrosinase to prevent the formation of melanin.
Arbutin found to inhibit melanin production in B16 cells induced with alpha-MSH and decreases tyrosinase activity. Less effective than kojic acid.
Yes.

Alpha-Arbutin
Alpha-Arbutin is an epimer of arbutin (4-hydroxyphenyl alpha-glucopyranoside)
Inhibits tyrosinase to [...]

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