People have different shades of skin. While many white people go to the beaches to get a tan, go sun bathing or even use machines to get an even tanned color, many women with brown and darker-colored skin want a fairer, lighter skin. Most people seem to want something than what they have, and wise businessmen are always on the look-out to fill people’s needs and wants. Skin whitening products utilize chemical substances to achieve skin lightening or even up the complexion by working on the melanin biosynthesis in the skin surface.

There are many chemicals that have been found to be toxic and were banned but the quest for the effective bleaching cream and skin whitening products continues. Agelessderma offers several skin whitening and anti-aging products from safe and natural formulations for maximum efficacy. Natural ingredients are combined with synthetic base and materials to come up with the most effective and non-toxic combinations that will not only make the skin lighter and fairer but make it smoother, suppler and younger.

Several chemicals have been proven to be effective as skin whitening ingredients that are now widely used, including Alpha-arbutin which is in the list of International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI). Alpha-arbutin chemically identified as 4-hydroxyphenyl-D-lucopyranoside is a biosynthetic, water soluble crystalline white powder. The substance used as an ingredient in anti-aging preparations helps skin lighten up by blocking melanin biosynthesis in the epidermis. As an active ingredient, it has been found effective and works faster and safer in brightening skin and making skin tone more even on all types of skin. Alpha-arbutin also helps in minimizing the dark color of liver spots and in de-pigmenting other skin discolorations.

The compound alpha-arbutin has been proven to more effectively and efficiently lighten skin color than other single components. The concentration recommended is 0.2% in formulations with penetration enhancers or an exfoliant, but may be used up to 2% as skin lighten ingredient. Formulations containing Alpha-arbutin are best used for a minimum of 2-3 months for best results. Skin whitening products containing Alpha-arbutin includes makeup products, lotions, creams and gels.

Even people with moles and birthmarks will benefit in using a bleaching cream which can lighten the high pigmentation of these marks to match the color of the surrounding skin. A bleaching cream can also be used, formulated to lighten dark facial hair on the upper lips or on the temples, making the complexion appear fairer and lighter with golden undertones. Skin whitening is also applied in the genital area and in the anal area to reduce the pigmentation of the typically darker perianal and upper thigh genital area.

Skin whitening treatments generally inhibit tyrosinase to reduce or block the production of melanin. Typically, the treatments combine topical lotions and gels with ingredients inhibiting melanin production as well as a sunscreen and retinoid. The response of the skin to the natural and topical ingredients is evaluated so that exfoliants, chemical peels and perhaps lasers may be used for further treatments. The newly developed modern systems use LED lights which have shown very promising results.

Retinoic acid or Tretinoin is another ingredient used in the treatment of skin discolorations. However, those who use the product are advised to avoid sunlight because its use makes the user’s skin more sensitive to UVB and UVA rays. In dermatologic and medical circles, the primary ingredient for topical use effective in inhibiting the production of melanin is hydroquinone which is used alone or combined with tretinoin. According to research, hydroquinone and tretinoin are the main ingredients in a bleaching cream proven to prevent skin melasma.

Alternative skin whiteners are derived from natural sources of hydroquinone including white mulberry extract, bearberry extract and paper mulberry extract. These sources contain hydroquinone-beta-D-glucoside, commonly known as arbutin, an effective ingredient for inhibiting the production of melanin. The pure forms of arbutin are deoxy-arbutin, beta-arbutin and alpha-arbutin, all considered potent chemicals used for skin whitening and skin lightening. Bearberry extract is the common name of beta-arbutin. The alpha conformation of arbutin has higher stability than the beta conformation and is the most common form used in skin whitening products.

The leaves of blueberry shrubs, mulberry, cranberry and bearberry produces extracts containing arbutin as well as most types of pears. Because they are sourced from plants, they are considered safe ingredients unlike other depigmenting agents commonly used as skin lighten formulations. Skin whitening products and anti-aging preparations by Ageless derma use mostly natural and safe ingredients proven for their effectiveness. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) and Vitamin E are some of the antioxidants used in skin whitening preparations for its ability to raise the levels of glutathione in the body and helps in skin lightening.