Comments on: Does The Skin Lightening Ingredient Hydroquinone Cause Cancer http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/ Cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions! We are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:12:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Debbie http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-44310 Debbie Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:10:29 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/#comment-44310 Thank you for all your advice. There's a product that i found and i wanted to hear what you have to say about it. its called LEMONVATE GEL enhanced with Vit-C. You see, i have the worst case of hyperpigmentation only on my feet, my feet and the rest of my body is like night and day. I have seen so many dermatologist and they could not help me, two biopsy later they still cant help me. So i decided to use bleaching cream, all i want is to be able to wear my sandals without worring about the color of my foot. Thank you for all your advice. There’s a product that i found and i wanted to hear what you have to say about it. its called LEMONVATE GEL enhanced with Vit-C. You see, i have the worst case of hyperpigmentation only on my feet, my feet and the rest of my body is like night and day. I have seen so many dermatologist and they could not help me, two biopsy later they still cant help me. So i decided to use bleaching cream, all i want is to be able to wear my sandals without worring about the color of my foot.

]]> By: Left Brain http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-34019 Left Brain Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:57:18 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/#comment-34019 @Maria - Thanks for your information. While your personal experiences with products will be helpful to some people, you state some things as facts without providing any references to back them up. For example, whether an ingredient is listed 3rd or 4th on an ingredient list is not necessarily indicative of anything. See our post on "How to read an ingredient list" for the rules followed by companies in the US. Also, 50-100 reviews mean nothing. It is a simple matter for companies to generate fake reviews. I wouldn't trust reviews of any products on the Internet. Your assertion that hydroquinone causes cancer has not been proven by good science. @Maria – Thanks for your information. While your personal experiences with products will be helpful to some people, you state some things as facts without providing any references to back them up.

For example, whether an ingredient is listed 3rd or 4th on an ingredient list is not necessarily indicative of anything. See our post on “How to read an ingredient list” for the rules followed by companies in the US.

Also, 50-100 reviews mean nothing. It is a simple matter for companies to generate fake reviews. I wouldn’t trust reviews of any products on the Internet.

Your assertion that hydroquinone causes cancer has not been proven by good science.

]]> By: Maria http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-33972 Maria Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:24:18 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/#comment-33972 The reason hydroquinone was banned in certain countries is that manufactuers were putting in more hydroquinone in the product than was safe. People were ignorant and not following directions. They were using it 365 days of the year, day and night. Which caused ochronosis (cancer), purplish color of the skin. Sometimes grayish color as well. When using hydroquinone, use for 3 months. Take a break for one month, continue that cycle, for one year. Never use hydroquinone for more than a year in the cycle. Hydroquinone will stop working for you if you don't take a break from it. When reading if something works, go to other websites where at least a 50-100 people have left a review, don't take a companies word on their website. Get educated and realize, hyperpigmentation is hard to get rid of, it can take a long time. Be diligent in your routine and above all wear a sunscreen that doesn't break down, everyday, even when it's raining. If not your treatment of hyperpigmentation will all have been in vain! The reason hydroquinone was banned in certain countries is that manufactuers were putting in more hydroquinone in the product than was safe. People were ignorant and not following directions.

They were using it 365 days of the year, day and night. Which caused ochronosis (cancer), purplish color of the skin. Sometimes grayish color as well. When using hydroquinone, use for 3 months. Take a break for one month, continue that cycle, for one year. Never use hydroquinone for more than a year in the cycle. Hydroquinone will stop working for you if you don’t take a break from it. When reading if something works, go to other websites where at least a 50-100 people have left a review, don’t take a companies word on their website. Get educated and realize, hyperpigmentation is hard to get rid of, it can take a long time. Be diligent in your routine and above all wear a sunscreen that doesn’t break down, everyday, even when it’s raining. If not your treatment of hyperpigmentation will all have been in vain!

]]> By: Maria http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-33971 Maria Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:18:01 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/#comment-33971 Makari is just another overpriced jar of cream, there is not a significant amount of ingredients in it to work. I used it for 4 months. Nothing, waste of money. I used Meladerm, nothing, waste of money. Finally, I broke down, purchased a tube of 4% hydroquinone and a jar of glycolic acid. That took a year for my hyperpigmentation to go away. Hyperpigmentation doesn't appear overnight and will not go away over night. I tried Olay Definity for 2 months, nothing there as well. Be careful when purchasing a lightening cream. Many creams will have AHA, BHA's in them and that takes off the top part of your skin, making you think your skin is lightening, also the citric acid will lighten the skin, but will not remove the hyperpigmentation. Make sure your active ingredient is at least 3rd on the list, if not, there is very little active ingredients in it. Niacinamide doesn't take away hyperpigmentation it prevents it. Mixed with glucosamine with a certain level of ingredeints it will work. Glucosamine 4% and Niacinamide 2%. That high amount is being prescribed to acne patients. List the % of ingredients or at least show the list in order, that will determine if the product is worthy. Makari is just another overpriced jar of cream, there is not a significant amount of ingredients in it to work. I used it for 4 months. Nothing, waste of money.
I used Meladerm, nothing, waste of money.
Finally, I broke down, purchased a tube of 4% hydroquinone and a jar of glycolic acid. That took a year for my hyperpigmentation to go away.

Hyperpigmentation doesn’t appear overnight and will not go away over night. I tried Olay Definity for 2 months, nothing there as well.
Be careful when purchasing a lightening cream. Many creams will have AHA, BHA’s in them and that takes off the top part of your skin, making you think your skin is lightening, also the citric acid will lighten the skin, but will not remove the hyperpigmentation. Make sure your active ingredient is at least 3rd on the list, if not, there is very little active ingredients in it.
Niacinamide doesn’t take away hyperpigmentation it prevents it. Mixed with glucosamine with a certain level of ingredeints it will work. Glucosamine 4% and Niacinamide 2%. That high amount is being prescribed to acne patients. List the % of ingredients or at least show the list in order, that will determine if the product is worthy.

]]> By: Nancy Russ http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/comment-page-1/#comment-30695 Nancy Russ Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:01:49 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/16/does-the-skin-lightening-ingredient-hydroquinone-cause-cancer/#comment-30695 One of the reasons that hydroquinone is banned in Europe, Japan and South Africa is that is is being abused by those that want to have whiter, lighter skin. This IS dangerous. I am a medical aesthetician and our patients do have better results with 2% Hydroquinone or prescription strength 4%, however, they are medically supervised and are not on it for more than 3-6 months. I have some non-hydroquinone products that might lighten and brighten which include 2% Kojic Acid, Arbutin, Emblica, Citric Acid and Glycolic Acid to name a few, however, the results do take longer. Also, if one does not consistently protect their skin with a physical UV block, discoloration will become more evident. One of the reasons that hydroquinone is banned in Europe, Japan and South Africa is that is is being abused by those that want to have whiter, lighter skin. This IS dangerous.

I am a medical aesthetician and our patients do have better results with 2% Hydroquinone or prescription strength 4%, however, they are medically supervised and are not on it for more than 3-6 months.

I have some non-hydroquinone products that might lighten and brighten which include 2% Kojic Acid, Arbutin, Emblica, Citric Acid and Glycolic Acid to name a few, however, the results do take longer.

Also, if one does not consistently protect their skin with a physical UV block, discoloration will become more evident.

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