There has been a common misconception surrounding these skin care terms and most people do not know the difference between Skin brightening, lightening and whitening Skincare as all are said to be synonymous to each other.
I will be discussing these different concepts briefly and the effect of each of them on the skin.
BRIGHTENING. This is the process of increasing radiance and glow of the skin. This has to do with restoring vibrancy to the skin. Our skin is continuously creating new skin cells to replace older skin cells, and often, these dead skin cells remain on the skin’s surface and can cause it to appear dull. Exfoliation removes these dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, thereby revitalizing it and making it look more radiant and “brighter”
. It simply speeds up the process of natural skin cell renewal. By regularly sloughing off the build-up of dead skin cells, you quickly remove the dirt that is hiding the fresh, radiant skin cells underneath. Sure the difference between Skin brightening, lightening and whitening Skincare is not far fetched as
Brightening here is achieved with ingredients such as alpha hydroxy acids like lactic and mandelic acid and beta hydroxy acids, retinoid, vitamins A, E and C that help the skin to naturally shed dead skin cells.
Some brightening products may also contain natural extracts and antioxidants that have lightening properties e.g. licorice root extract to help gradually fade dark spots. When you are in your teens, your skin cells can experience turnover every 28 days.
This is a huge reason why youngsters have that natural, radiant glow. As you get older, this process of cell renewal gets sluggish. By the time you hit your mid-30s, your skin cell turnover levels will slow down to every 40 days.
LIGHTENING. Lightening is reducing pigmentation. It has to do with discoloration and evening of skin tone. It helps get rid of hyperpigmentation like acne spots, age spots and sun damage and helps prevent skin conditions like melisma. It also helps in diminishing out a tan or restoring the skin back to its pre-sun or light-exposed skin color.
Lightening can be achieved with ingredients like kojic acid, arbutin, vitamin C, retinol, azelaic acid, licorice root and mulberry extract.
Most people choose brightening because it makes skin glow. But not all want lightening because lightening the skin seems to be more of an issue with skin of color because their skin can produce irregular patches of pigmentation, than fair skinned individuals.
A brightened face is typically described as looking fresher and more vibrant while a lightened face is more likely described as looking shades lighter as can be seen on products sold on Jumia or Amazon
WHITENING. Skin whitening is essentially the same as skin bleaching. It involves stronger bleaching of the skin to produce an intense whitening effect that is several shades lighter than your natural skin tone. The difference between skin lightening and whitening is largely based on the degree or severity with which melanin production is reduced. Skin lightening is used when the method is more gradual and the effect less obvious while whitening is used to describe a more aggressive technique.
Both techniques use tyrosinase inhibitors to block the skin’s production of melanin. Skin whitening uses stronger inhibitors such as hydroquinone or mercury to strip the skin of its melanin.
In Asia, the difference between Skin brightening, lightening and whitening Skincare is well described as you can see whiter skin prized as a beauty ideal, many skin brightening and lightening products simply get labelled as ‘skin whitening’ products.
This is to appeal to consumers. If you check the ingredients, you’ll find that the definite ‘skin whitening’ product is not some novel formulation. Instead it is a mixture of brightening exfoliants along with melanin blocking skin lighteners.
Melanin-blocking ingredients can lighten skin, but there are also stronger skin bleaching agents that may strip the skin of its natural pigments.
This produces dramatic skin whitening. Mequinol, for example, is a derivative of hydroquinone. This substance kills the melanocytes in your epidermis. It also makes the skin look extremely pale. Unlike skin brightening and skin
lightening products, skin whitening products may contain strong bleaching agents, so please read carefully the labels when exploring these products.
Regardless of whether a product is labeled lightening or brightening, it is very important to pay attention to its list of ingredients. This is a better indicator of what the product is likely to do for your skin. Ingredients like hydroquinone and ammoniated mercury commonly found in lightening products have been shown to harm the skin with prolonged use.
Just so you know The Difference between Skin brightening, lightening and whitening Skincare is of value to anyone who wants to take care of her skin. The ability to decipher what your skin needs at any point in time is very essential. It is important to know what your skin really need before shopping for your skin. You no red not go around buying product, you need to look at the content and be sure the cream ingredients is what your skin actually needs.
So many people want to change their skin tone, bit do not know the Difference between Skin brightening, lightening and whitening Skincare products to choose from
• Do not jump from product to product either preferred to you by someone or you think you are not seeing immediate result. The damage was not done in one day so you do not expect the result to be so immediate. changing products without giving it time to show results can also damage the skin in its way.
The last advice I will give to those reading this that you should be gentle on your skin. A good and healthy skin is a process and it may take longer than you imagined to start seeing results. Do not be in a rush and in the process be hard on yourself or your skin. Just be consistent. `uou sure will get there
