Skin Whitening
Extrapone Nutgrass for Skin Whitening and Age Spot Lightening
Tuesday, August 18th, 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.
Natural Age Spot Lighteners & Skin Whitening
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
Hydroquinone might be considered a natural age spot lightener, because it is one of the chemical compounds found in the defensive glands of bombardier beetles. It is also an aromatic “organic” compound, which actually means that the molecules of the substance contain carbon. But, is hydroquinone safe?
It is the active ingredient found in products like Esoterica and other products designed specifically to fade age spots and whiten tanned skin. It is less irritating when applied topically, than some of the other bleaches and whiteners that have been used over the years, but just because it is less irritating initially and has been used for years as a skin whitener does not mean that it is safe.
In addition to the carbon molecule, which classifies the chemical as an organic, there is a benzene ring in the compound. Benzene is a known carcinogen. There is no doubt that it causes cancer in humans.
The evidence concerning the carcinogenesis of hydroquinone is not strong enough to cause its ban in the US. But, it has been banned as a cosmetic ingredient in the European Union, because there is some evidence that it can cause cancer.
If you are like most consumers, you are looking for a natural age spot lightener, because you want something safe. Now that you have read the information above, you should be able to see that naturally occurring ingredients are not necessarily safe, even when they are organic.
That’s the biggest problem when shopping for cosmetics. It is difficult for the average consumer to determine what’s safe and what’s not. If you want a safe ingredient that will even out pigmentation, reduce brown spots and improve your skin’s health, here are a few suggestions.
Shea butter has been used as a natural age spot lightener for many years. The grades available in the US are not always the best, which are the cold-pressed forms. But, if you are able to find a company that includes the highest grade in their lotion, you should start to see a difference in 4-6 weeks.
Coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone is an antioxidant that has been shown in several studies to reverse sun damage when applied topically. The cause of most age spots is over-exposure to the sun. It could have occurred at any point during your life, but COQ10 can help to reverse it.
Another natural age spot lightener is avocado oil. The oil contains a variety of nutrients, as well as sterolins. Sterolins have been shown to reduce age spots. Another advantage of avocado oil, according to one study, is that its use increases the amount of collagen in the skin, something that normally becomes lower as we get older. Loss of collagen causes lost firmness and sagging.
If you want a safe, effective and natural age spot lightener, those are the ingredients to look for. The active form of the protein keratin helps, too, by stimulating the production of antioxidants within the skin’s cells.
The best night cream on the market contains all of the ingredients mentioned here. It is made by a little known company based in New Zealand but they ship their products worldwide. We have been using their products for years with excellent results. The company is called Xtend Life.
You may not have heard of them because instead of spending their time and money on advertising, they have spent it on clinical trials proving their natural skin care products are unmatched. Click Here to learn more about their products.