Black
is beautiful. I am sure you will all agree with me. But it is not that simple; the
complexion is controversial to many, especially women. All
around the world, you find people going to great lengths to alter their
complexion—from white to dark, from dark to white. This is not a scenario we
see only with black people. Today, white people strive to look black and use all sorts of products to achieve that. We have dark people striving to be
even darker, and then, of course, we have dark people wanting to change their
complexion to a lighter shade.

I am
not here to point fingers or stop anyone from doing what they wish with their
skin. I am here to enlighten you a little about those products that you use to
achieve your desired complexion, what they are made up of, and how they affect
the skin. The skin is the largest organ on the body and a very big snitch. It
tells people about you, what you eat, and what you use. It basically spreads
all the Tees on your lifestyle choices to everyone you come across.

What makes up the human complexion

According
to the dictionary, complexion is the natural color, texture, and appearance of
a person’s skin, especially the face. Human complexions range from very fair to
extremely dark, with many shades and variations in between. The skin's color is
determined by the amount of melanin in the skin. Melanin is a pigment produced
by specialized cells called melanocytes. How much melanin the skin has depends
mainly on its genetic makeup. People with dark skin have more melanin. There
are several factors that can affect melanin production, like sunlight exposure,
hormones, skin damage, and exposure to certain chemicals. Hormonal changes
usually resolve themselves over time, but certain changes linger due to age or
the inability of the skin cells to renew.

Hyperpigmentation
refers to any darkening of the skin. Exposure to sunlight is one of the major
causes of this common skin condition. This happens because melanin absorbs the
sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays in order to protect the skin from overexposure.
Hyperpigmentation can also be caused by hormonal changes, pregnancy, and the
use of birth control pills in the form of melasma. The factors listed prior can
cause the skin to overproduce melanin, leading to hyperpigmented patches on the
face, usually the cheeks, bridge of the nose, forehead, chin, and upper lip.
Acne and other skin diseases may also cause hyperpigmentation, leaving dark
spots in their wake.

Why do people use skin-lightening or brightening products?

Everyone,
regardless of color, has the desire to have even-toned skin that is smooth,
radiant, and clear. This can prove challenging for many reasons. Could be acne,
hormonal imbalance, pregnancy, or sun exposure. Whatever the cause, once it
leads to hyperpigmentation, the search for a solution begins in earnest, hence
the use of products that can reverse the darkening or even stop it completely.
Then there are people who just wish to appear different by changing their
original complexion.

Skin lightening and skin brightening products

The line differentiating skin
lightening and skin brightening products is blurring, which complicates the
conversation. The beauty industry is largely dependent on trends, be they a new
ingredient or a promised effect. So many times, the two terms lightening and
brightening are used interchangeably.

Skin lightening Vs skin brightening

The
term brightening can mean different things based on a product's formula or the
message the company is trying to convey. Typically, the term brightening is
used to explain how a product's formula can minimize skin discoloration caused
by the sun and pollution while helping the skin look more youthful and smooth.
It involves the radiance and vibrancy of the skin without affecting the amount
of pigment in the skin at all. This is done by giving the skin the right
ingredients it needs to maintain hydration, eliminate the buildup of dead skin
cells, repair its barrier, and be protected from environmental damage.

On
the other hand, the term lightening, also known as bleaching or whitening,
refers to the reduction or inhibition of melanin production in the skin seeking
to change color. Skin-lightening products contain ingredients that work by
lowering the number of melanocytes (the cells that produce melanin) in the
skin.

The
biggest difference between both products is the messaging because neither claim
is regulated. The best way to figure out the end result of your product is to
look at the ingredient lists.

Vitamin
C, retinol, and alpha and beta hydroxyl acids are ingredients to look out for
in a brightener.

Ingredients
to look out for in a lightener are hydroquinone, kojic acid, arbutin, Vitamin
C, and retinol.

There
is an overlap of ingredients between the two, but hydroquinone is the major
ingredient to look out for in lightening products. This can have an adverse
effect on particularly darker skin tones. It can cause allergies in some people
and can cause halo spots or a lighter ring of color around the spots you may be
trying to lighten.

So
it is important not to risk using products with hydroquinone and just stick to
ingredients like Vitamin C because they are safer for the skin. Other safe
lightening ingredients are; Liquorice roots, mulberry extract, papaya, glycolic
acid, kojic acid, Alpha Arbutin, Niacinamide, and lactic acid.

While it is your choice to go
for either brightening or lightening, I highly recommend that you take certain
precautions.

In
conclusion, it is never worth it to compromise your health for any reason. The
aim is to glow for a long time while staying healthy. So please let us not be
victims and have our skin looking all blotchy and with spots like a leopard.

Revealing the intricate differences between brightening and lightening skincare products. How to identify them and the safe way to use the products for the overall benefit of the skin.

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