Do Fairness Creams Really Work?

Skin Whitening Products:

They are all around us and nowadays we have got them for men too. After all, who in India doesn’t want to look like a European or a white American? The trend has reached maddening levels in India and in other countries of Africa where the market is growing by leaps and bounds with each passing year.

Why people use those products is a controversial issue and instead of delving into that we will just have a quick look at how they work, if they really work at all! To make things simpler, first we’ll see what makes the skin colored, if this process is reversible or not, and in the end the role of fairness creams in the process.

What makes the skin dark?

There is a compound that is found in our bodies and which is known as ‘melanin’. Melanin has got two major forms whose varying composition imparts our skin a color from yellow, reddish blue to brown.  It’s the quantity of this compound present in our skin which determines the color of our skin. Other reasons for different skin colors include wounds and genetic problems etc.

Why do we need melanin?

Those who live near the equator or where the climate is hot, receive a lot of sunlight, and with sunlight also come the UV rays. Because of this heavy exposure to UV rays, the skin has to find ways to protect itself, which results in the production of melanin and thus giving the skin a color in the process. In other words, black skin is less likely to have skin cancer because it is more protected.

Is there a way to get rid of the melanin that has already accumulated?

A common chemical compound that is used in this context is ‘hydroquinone’. It’s found in various skin lighting creams. It is an inhibitor of melanin production, or to put it simply, in its presence melanin doesn’t grow as fast as it would have if this chemical substance wasn’t there. But this compound is banned in Europe because it’s feared to cause skin diseases. There are alternatives to it which include mulberry, white mulberry, paper mulberry, fruits, kojic acid, vitamin C etc. Each of them works more or less the same way: they either inhibit the production of melanin or take out a layer of the skin and in turn exposing new skin. But to do away with the melanin that has already accumulated is not what the skin fairness creams can do on their own. An operation is an option.

Role of Fairness Creams:

Now, we know that the reason that makes a skin colored lies deep in our body and the chemicals or the fairness creams act superficially. Let’s see it this way: our skin is like the body of a car and if it is mopped on a daily basis it looks new, and the day one stops cleaning it, dust begins to accumulate on it. So the fairness creams are like a ‘mop’ for our skin and if the skin is mopped regularly (i.e. if the creams are used continuously) the skin looks fair, but the day its use is stopped the effect also simply vanishes.

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