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Is Hydroquinone Safe
A little too much “YOLO”-ing and basking in the sun in your youth can lead to a few pesky skin hangovers like hyperpigmentation, freckles, and age spots later in life. Ideally, you should be obsessively applying sunscreen 365 days a year to protect your skin, but what happens if the damage has already been done?
Enter, hydroquinone, the controversial ingredient for fading brown or dark spots, smoothing uneven skin tone, and skin lightening. It’s a chemical compound that is super effective in limiting excess melanin being produced. Usually hydroquinone delivers visible results within 2-3 months of consistent use. But, before you start lathering it on, is it even safe to use?
IS HYDROQUINONE CARCENOGENIC?
The British Cancer Journal published a study that linked very high doses of hydroquinone to an increase of neoplasm, abnormal tissue growth, in rats. To date, there are no studies that show that hydroquinone affects humans in the same way. Use of hydroquinone does make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, so using that SPF50 is even more important than usual if you’re treating your skin with hydroquinone.
DOES IT CAUSE OCHRONOSIS?
There have been reported cases of prolonged use of hydroquinone in high doses being linked to ochronosis, particularly in people with olive or dark skin. In some countries, the use of hydroquinone is not regulated, which can lead to the overuse and abuse of the products to achieve the desired affect. Ochronosis is a rare disease that encourages the appearance of black and dark blue pigment. A case report by the Indian Journal of Dermatology describes a 50-year old Indian female who had been using hydroquinone for 7-8 years as a topical treatment. The diagnosis of exogenous ochronosis due to prolonged use of topical hydroquinone was made. It is recommended that you discontinue use of products that contain hydroquinone after five months.
NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
If you’d prefer to use a natural skin-lightening product, there are natural skin-lightening options available.
Plant based acids – Not all acids are created in a lab, there are a lot of naturally occurring acids that are derived from plants used in skincare. For hyperpigmentation problems, glycolic acid, kojic or ellagic acids could be worth a try.
Vitamin B3 – Or, more specifically, niacinamide, is a physiologically active derivative of Vitamin B3 that decreases pigmentation and boosts the skin’s immune system. It’s also used to treat other skin conditions like rosacea, acne and eczema.
Antioxidants – Vitamins C protects skin from oxidative stress caused by UV rays, and it also decreases melanin formation. Before you start double downing on the OJ though, ingested Vitamin C won’t benefit your skin, so it needs to be applied topically.
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