There are many all natural skin lightening alternatives to commercial products that you can try at home if you’d like to whiten and brighten your skin. Some of these alternatives like using lemons for skin lightening we’ve discussed in previous articles but there are many other natural skin lighteners that aren’t as well known.

For those that like to make their own skin care treatments we encourage you to try your own homemade recipes by mixing some of these useful skin lightening ingredients with other ingredients like yogurt, honey and aloe vera all of which are great for your skin.  One of the biggest problems after the fact that nearly all natural skin lightening treatments are less effective than commercial products is that storing a homemade product for more than a few days is usually impossible for home users. Apply your recipes as a facial for 15-20 minutes before showering a few times a week..

Also a word of warning, just because it’s natural doesn’t mean that it can’t damage your skin. Many of these ingredients contain high amounts of citric acids which can cause skin irritation in high concentrations. If you notice any burning, uncomfortable sensations or anything out of the ordinary such as a rash you should wash off immediately and discontinue using.

Billberries

Billberries are a type of blueberry that contains an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory known as Tannis which also inhibits melanin production in the skin. These berries are one of the best all natural skin lightening ingredients.

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Cherries

Cherries are rich in Vitamin A and C and contain a lot of antioxidants to help give your skin a glowing brighter and lighter look.

Oranges

Skin bleach has many uses, some people change their overall skin color lightening their skin by any number of chosen shades. Others use it to brighten dull, blemished skin. It is an increasingly popular choice of skin treatment to treat melanin disorders and uneven pigmentation levels. It is suitable for all skin types and colors, correcting imperfections and improving self-confidence.

Some Potential Risks

• Possible allergic reactions to the product; ensure you do a test patch
• Chemical burns; ensure you leave on for the time advised only.
• Damage to eyes; use eye protection.
• Prolonged use can cause very thin skin
• Over use causes eradication of pigment, causing over white skin.
• Over use can cause excessive pigmentation in some areas.

Research before choosing which product and strength is right for you. Always opt for a reputable product from a trustworthy company or a qualified professional.

Skin bleach Uses

• Lightening liver spots, age spots
• Whitening darker areas such as armpits
• Balancing uneven skin pigmentation
• Lightening dark spots caused by sun damage
• Removal of freckles
• Treating acne spot discolouration
• Lightening genital & perianal discolouration
• Lightening dark skin to a lighter tone
• Treating melisma caused by pregnancy
• hypo-pigmentation
• Hyper-pigmentation
• Discolouration caused by birth control pills
• Reducing appearance of Scars
• Lightening burn marks and birthmarks

Skin Bleach Products

With the huge variety of skin bleach products on the market today, it is worth researching your options before deciding on the correct procedure for your skin’s needs. You can go see a skin care professional or opt for equally successful at home treatment options, which are considerably cheaper. There are also various products created for specific body regions or for particular treatment options, such as overall lightening of skin tone, removing dark circles around eyes or for genital areas.

The History of Skin Bleaching

It is reassuring to know that this skin procedure has been around for centuries, providing safe and effective resolutions for a variety of skin maladies. In addition to skin lightening, skin bleaching is a common treatment for birthmarks and skin melanin conditions all over the world throughout history.

If you’re looking for a high quality natural skin whitening ingredient, consider using lemons for skin bleaching because the lemon juice acts as an exfoliator and skin lightener both at the same time. You can also purchase skin bleaching products that have lemon juice or lemon oil in them as this is also beneficial for skin bleaching purposes.  The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a bleaching agent to your skin, it lightens over time depending on how often you apply it throughout the week.  Short-term skin bleaching effects usually occur after the first time you use the lemon juice on your skin. There should also be a reduction of blemishes and acne scars. You can also use lemon peel oil for skin bleaching purposes because it’s a natural astringent and antiseptic. Lemon is also excellent for skin lightening if you have a few acne scars, dark spots or sun spots. There are various other ways to use lemon as a skin whitening tool. You can take some lemon juice, raw sugar and almond oil and create a facial mask then apply to your face. Let it stay on your face for about fifteen minutes then rinse with warm water. Another way to bleach your skin with lemon is by soaking a cotton ball in lemon juice and then applying it to your face. If you have sun damage, lemon is especially beneficial for a number of reasons. Combine lemon juice and milk then rub all over your face nightly until you get the desired results. Another method is to combine olive oil and lemon juice then apply it your face. Drinking lemon juice will contribute to gradual skin lightening.

When looking for lemon-based skin bleaching creams at health food stores or drugstores, look for skin lightening products that combine lemon with ingredients such as aloe vera, vitamin C, vitamin E, mulberry extract, alpha arbutin, beta arbutin, glutathione, kojic acid or lactic acid. And look for some lemon-based skin bleaching gels because this works just as well as the lemon-based skin bleaching creams. If you’re unable to find lemon-based skin bleaching products at the store you can make your own by combining some plain yogurt, lemon juice, almond oil and honey and use on your skin for a few days until you get results.

If you’re always on the go and you still want to keep up with your lemon-based skin lightening regimen, you can get a spray bottle and put in it a cup of lemon juice, a few teaspoons of almond oil, a few teaspoons of honey and two cups of water. Apply this to your skin every night and also purchase a medium-sized tube of a good skin bleaching cream to enhance the lemon treatment.

Skin lightening and skin bleaching are often used by people to lighten their complexion. A popular example of this is Beyoncé who has considerably lightened her skin tone. With certain skin abnormalities people often turn to skin whitening products to lighten their skin and treat hyperpigmentation areas. Skin lightening products can help in eliminating scars, discolorations and blemishes. Here are some of the substances that you can use to lighten your skin.

• Arbutin: Arbutin can be derived from the leaves of bearberry and it is one of the most common ingredients in various skin lightening creams, gels and lotions. Arbutin prevents l-tyrosine oxidation; l-tyrosine is an amino acid. Though it is non-essential, l-tyrosine is converted into melanin. Melanin is the substance that is responsible in giving our skin color.
• Kojic Acid: Kojic acid is a derived from the fermenting and malting process of creating rice wine aka sake in Japan. It’s widely used in the food industry and is a relatively safe skin lightener and tyrosinase inhibitor to decrease and inhibit melanin production.
• Vitamins: Specifically, vitamin A is responsible for stimulating collagen while vitamin C is required in synthesizing collagen. As such, if you are going to use skin lightening creams with vitamins A and C, natural collagen production can be improved, leading to skin renewal. As your skin exfoliates through the continued use of creams or lotions containing vitamins A and C, a brighter and lighter toned skin color can be achieved.
• Licorice: Licorice contains glabridin which inhibits the production of melanin in our skin. Many of the skin lightening creams in the market today contain licorice extract because it is proven effective in lightening skin tone.

No matter which of these substances you choose, you have to ensure that the skin lightening cream will work for you. You have to consider doing a patch test to determine any adverse reactions like allergies. Put a pea-sized amount of the cream or lotion in your palm and apply it on your both hands. Wait for at least 2 to 3 hours, and decide later if you will use the product or not. If the patch test proved that your skin type is compatible with the product then you may continue using it.

You have to remember that skin lightening creams cannot yield overnight results. You still have to allow an experimental period before you decide whether to discard the skin lightening product or not. Give it about two weeks of continued use considering that you are using it based on the direction at the back of the label. Some people easily jumps to conclusion of switching to another brand when the product doesn’t work for them without really considering reading how to properly apply or use the product.

There are numerous reasons why some people bleach their skin. Some people bleach their skin in order to even out their skin tone while others bleach their skin to eliminate age spots and sun spots from overexposure to the sun’s harsh rays.  Others bleach their skin because they experienced a skin trauma which led to a skin disorder and they feel that skin bleaching will improve the quality of their skin.  Other people lighten their skin because they realize that skin bleaching will give them a social and economic advantage if they had lighter skin.

For example, if someone grew up in a culture where lighter skin was valued by potential employers, they may use skin bleaching as a way of getting ahead. Or another person may use skin bleaching in order to gain advantage when meeting potential marriage partners.  This is in light of recent studies which show that those with lighter skin have a better chance of advancement than those who are darker-skinned.  However, it should be noted that not all minorities bleach their skin because they want a more European look to their appearance but instead it’s for skin discoloration and hyperpigmentation issues.

Acne is another major reason why some people use skin bleaching creams. Although many people struggle with acne during their adolescent years, sometimes they still may experience this condition as adults and the result could be dark and unattractive acne scars that won’t go away on its’ own. In these cases they turn to bleaching creams to reduce the visibility of or eliminate the scars. For some who struggle with acne scars, they may experience a loss of self-confidence and occasionally depression. This is especially true of adolescents who are bullied because of their acne scars. In some cases, the acne scars could decrease their chances of successful dating and sometimes getting the best job in certain occupations. For example, if one wants to become a model or actor, they would likely benefit from skin bleaching creams if they have bad acne scars.

Finally, people use skin bleaching cream to not only lighten their skin but for anti-aging purposes.  This is because most anti-aging creams have the same vitamins and other natural ingredients that are beneficial for skin lightening and maintaining a youthful look as you get older. For example, vitamin E is good for helping the skin repair itself and it keeps harmful bacteria from your skin while vitamin A is effective in increasing the collagen and moisture in your skin. And skin bleaching creams that have alpha hydroxy acids also do double duty in lightening your skin and keep your skin healthy as you age.