Extrapone Nutgrass for Skin Whitening and Age Spot Lightening
By Skin Care Editor | August 18, 2009
The subject of skin whitening has been somewhat controversial over the years. Bleaches and other solutions used to lighten or even out pigmentation have a bad reputation.
Today, there are some safe solutions, although the more hazardous ones are still on the market.
For those of you that are interested in lightening your complexion, here’s a look at what’s safe and what’s not. Let’s start with hydroquinone.
Hydroquinone has a long history of use. In ancient Persia, it was used by farmers and other workers, in its purest form. The goal was to keep the skin clear and soft.
But, now we know that skin whitening creams containing hydroquinone increase the individual’s risk of skin cancer, presumably by making the skin more sensitive to sunlight.
The skin’s tone, color, complexion or pigmentation, whatever you want to call it, is caused by melanin. Melanin is actually a hormone produced by specialized cells called melanocytes located in the dermis layer.
Sunlight stimulates melanin production. New cells being created by the skin’s stem cells, also located in the dermis layer, are injected with melanin. The darker cells work their way to the surface and after a few weeks, you start to see a tan. The tan protects the melanocytes and the stem cells from UV damage, which can eventually lead to skin cancer.
Skin whitening creams containing hydroquinone inhibit melanin production, but that also means that the deeper cells are more susceptible to UV radiation.
The use of hydroquinone has been banned in the European Union, because of a perceived cancer risk, but it is unclear if the cancer risk is caused by hydroquinone itself. The cancer risk could be due to continued exposure to sunlight, without the protective tan.
In other words, any skin whitening creams could be accompanied by a risk, if a person fails to protect themselves from UV rays of sun, either with clothing or an effective sun-block.
In the next paragraph, you will learn about a plant extract that is completely safe and non-irritating. But, as you use it, and after your complexion becomes lighter, you need to focus on sun protection, consistently.
One of the medicinal plants frequently use in Asia, India and Europe is thought of as a weed in many countries. The botanical name is cyperus rotundus, but it goes by many common names, including sedge grass and nut grass.
Its use for skin whitening is relatively new. But, researchers have shown that it inhibits melanin production by 41% at a .5% concentration. People that have tried it report a significant difference after only a few weeks of use.
It can be added to other anti-aging ingredients to provide additional benefits, such as reduced wrinkles and improved firmness. If those things are not problems for you now, the better anti-aging ingredients may help you avoid them in the future.
Today’s skin whitening creams are far less controversial, because they are used primarily by people that want to look younger, not just “whiter”.
To learn more about the natural skin whiteners and natural skincare products that the editors use and recommend visit the Xtend-Life website.
Topics: Age Spots, Natural Skin Care, Skin Whitening | Comments Off
Comments are closed.