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What is Hydroquinone?
Hydroquinone is an organic compound responsible for controlling skin pigment. It is present in skin lightening creams used to treat freckles, sun spots, melasma or dark spots. Recommended levels contain 2% hydroquinone concentration.
Hydroquinone is known to lighten skin in a short time. However, it faces serious criticism since its toxicity has the ability to cause cell mutations. These mutations lead to malignant formations.
Use of hydroquinone reduces melanin levels in the skin making the skin sensitive to the sun. This is the major hydroquinone danger. The skin becomes vulnerable to ultra-violet light and causes melanoma. It also brings about dark spots in future.
It is also a severely toxic & powerful chemical used to process photos, active in hair dyes and used in rubber manufacturing.
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Hydroquinone is also known by several other names, some of the names you might see are:
Hydrochinone
Benzene-1
Hydroquinol
P-Dihydroxylphenol
4-Diol
Quinol
P-Diphenol
P-Dihydroxyl benzene
Hydrochinonium
Remember to look out for these alternative names if you are attempting to locate hydroquinone in any products that you are researching or considering purchasing.
How Does Hydroquinone Affect The Skin?
Hydroquinone lightens dark spots. However, it has severe side effects that make its use a risky behavior. Usually, it is a key ingredient in some of the most common skin whitening creams in the market.
Skin dryness is the least serious and most common side effect. Some people will experience a burning sensation. Severe reactions include hives, chest pains, allergic reactions and rashes. Long term use results to thick and bumpy skin.
Despite its power to lighten skin efficiently, it is noted to cause far worse problems. Due to this fact, its use has been banned in many countries and causes scientific controversy.
In some people, use of hydroquinone is excess together with some foods like eggs, fish, beans and offal may result in unpleasant body odor from sweat & urine. UVA & UVB Rays Exposure Hydroquinone which is responsible for skin lightening increases your skin’s risk to UVA & UVB rays. These rays cause extreme sunburns and a prolonged use causes skin related cancer.
It also increases chances of damaging your skin from sun exposure the same way salicylic acid does. Most manufacturers advise users to limit themselves from sun exposure while using the product. However, most users find it hard to stay away from the sun completely. Most people get surprised by the extreme sunburn they get and skin irritation after a prolonged sun exposure while using hydroquinone.
Ochronosis
This is a prolonged skin condition caused by skin exposure to some chemicals. The skin darkens & becomes thicker than usual. It brings about an irregular blue-black stain brought about by deep deposits of melanin. However, exogenous ochronosis (alkaptonuria) may occur from other substances like quinine, resorcinol or phenol. Exogenous ochronosis causes loss of skin elasticity & impaired wound healing.
Is Hydroquinone a Possible Carcinogen?
Numerous medical studies state that hydroquinone is a compound that contains properties that causes cancer. However, there has not been any test done on human to prove that it causes cancer but it is medically known to be unsafe. It is not worth the risk to lighten your skin in exchange for a skin cancer. Is it?
Acne marks and age spots may be somehow embarrassing but there other better alternatives that would lighten your skin without using hydroquinone.
Are There Safer Alternatives?
Hydroquinone has been the main ingredient for most skin lightening creams on the market. However, with more research, it has been found to cause more harm than good. This has led researchers to come up with better modern products that do not cause harm to their users. Most of these products contain (or are) plant extracts with few side effects.
Plant extracts such as Uva ursi (Bearberry), Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry), Morus alba (white mulberry), Mitracarpus scaber (madder) and Morus bombycis (mulberry) are a natural skin lightening agents. Actually, they breakdown into hydroquinone once absorbed into the skin but have little/no side effects.
Other common ingredients include glycolic acid, kojic acid, vitamin C, arbutin and lactic acid. They are all natural and a better alternative to hydroquinone. These products are excellent in skin lightening especially without the risks that hydroquinone have.
Conclusion
Avoid topical skin lightening products which contain hydroquinone by making safe decisions. Avoid using those cheap products that promise what you are looking for but take advantage of your needs by including chemicals that have not yet been proven to be safe for use or are actually known to be harmful.
Meladerm is certainly a product which falls into the category of skin lighteners that have been formulated with safe ingredients. It is known to be effective and should be on the shortlist of anyone considering a skin whitening product.