Some skin lightening ingredients work extremely well in the short term, but when used over a longer period of time, damages our skin.
Hydroquinone is one of them.
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is a widely-used skin lightening ingredient found in some over-the-counter, cosmetic and prescription products.
It is usually combined with other ingredients (such as alpha hydroxy acids and tretinoin) to increase its penetration and effectiveness.
Hydroquinone lightens skin by inhibiting tyrosinase, which is responsible for catalyzing melanin production (it prevents the conversion of dopa to melanin).
Hydroquinone has also been shown to be toxic to melanocytes, the cells in our skin that produces pigment or melanin.
Safety and effectiveness of hydroquinone (2%, 4%, and higher)
The application of 2% hydroquinone will lead to some lightening in both normal skin and hyperpigmented skin.
While low 2% concentrations of hydroquinone appear to be safe, it should not be used for more than 6 months.
At higher concentrations of 4% and above, hydroquinone appears to be more effective in lightening skin. A 5% concentration of hydroquinone will reduce tyrosinase activity by 50%.
However, higher concentrations also raises the risk of irritation and may actually create or worsen hyperpigmentation.
Prolonged and continuous use may cause paradoxical hyperpigmentation or permanently damage skin through exogenous ochronosis.
No matter the concentration, hydroquinone creams can only produce a partial change in skin color at the most. They are more effective for treating light spots than dark ones. On darker spots, hydroquinone can produce about a 50% improvement at best.
Hydroquinone is banned in many countries and highly regulated in others
There have been many concerns about the toxicity of hydroquinone, and its potential ability to mutate cells.
Hydroquinone has been banned in Europe and Japan, and is highly regulated in Asia. The sale of over-the-counter skin bleaching creams containing hydroquinone was banned in South Africa in 1992.
In the US, 2% hydroquinone can be bought over-the-counter, while higher 4% concentrations require a doctor’s prescription.
In Canada, 2% or 4% hydroquinone can be bought without a prescription.
Skin lightening creams with dangerous levels of hydroquinone
This is not an inclusive list.
|
Product |
Brand | Hydroquinone concentration |
| Maxi White S1 Lightening Cream Gel – Strong Formula | Labo Farmax | 9% |
| Body Clear Cream – Lightening Body Cream | Picos-ci | 2.6% |
| Skin light, Super Lightening Body Lotion | Rodis | 5% |
Hydroquinone is not banned in Europe. It needs prescription. For anyone using hydroquinone, you should bot jump off it. You should slowly reduce the frequency and use it less and less over time until eventually your skin will not need it. After 6 months you should have a 3 month break and then you can reuse it if your darkness comes back. You should also always wear sunscreen during the day and find a safer alternative during your hydroquinone break. There has been no proof that hydroquinone causes cancer in humans, only in rats and humans and rats are not the same.
hii…i hv very oily skin n i hv got pimples scars blackheads all over my face.i tried many creams but not even one suits me…my face skin is very dark as compare to my body skin.Can i use hydroquinone 4% on my face with oily skin……..i m from India n can anyone suggest me where to find this cream n how much it cost?
with regards
Ranvir
hi,i havea medium complextion and i started using hydroquinone for about 3 months ago..i thought of stopping it and start taking vitamin c capsules or the serum (in your site).i stopped hydroquinone for about a week and my skin looked pale and damaged.for how long should i wait to take those vitamin c pills?
Hi yasmin
You can take Vitamin C anytime and ideally everyday, there’s no need to wait.
If Vitamic C doesn’t work, you can also try using a deep healing oil like castor or coconut oil.
How to heal your skin from deep, chemical damage due to harmful creams
hi …I hv Black acne scars on my legs en buttocks en thighs.
I am a 33yrs old South African Black Guy.
I am desperate to remove them…pls help me with an Effective Cream or Method?
I cant even wear Shorts…its so Embarrassing???
hi,m from india,my face and neck colour is too dark compare to my body so would you please suggest how to overcome wid it within a month
8 months is too long dude… you are in trouble!
hi, i’ve been using HQ 4% Prescribed by my docter for 8 mnths now. I had mild to severe acne scars, and by using this i have recieved instant changes in 4-6 week. i have continued using this to get better results, but when i stop using for like about 3-4 days, i see m scars comming up and darkening of face.so i went to my doctor and he changed it to salycylic acid 15% ointment – used this for 1 week and saw more scaring. well i know that it takes around 3 months for SA to work, iam continuing with HQ. Ijust want to know what is the maximum amount of time to use HQ- as said earlier i’ve used for 8 mnths.. when can i stop using.. to avoid high potential risks tat may occur later. thank you for this site
Hi
I use the maxi white s1 cream and gel
It doesnt mention that it has hydroquinone in the ingredients section.
I believe that it does but i want to know how do you know it attains 9% hydroquinone?
Did u reasearch
I would like to know in order to stop using it.
Regards
This article was written in 2010. That said, formulations can always change. It’s best to do your own checks and ask questions to the manufacturer directly.
Hi Hessa,
My Dermalogist prescribed me to use DEPIDERM cream for skin lightning(Pigmentation). Could you pls suggest me how effective this cream is & is it containing Mercury or hydroquinine.
Thanks in advance.
how safe is topiclear, it contains 2% HQ
hi, i am a Nigerian, and fair but not too light, i need a cream to use or what to do to have a fair and pimples free skin, cos i have pimples on my face. just give me the name of the cream and a natural beauty routine to follow for a glowing skin. thanks
Regards
hello,thnx for your page,i have found very interesting information. i was wondering for how long i can use a hydroquinone treatment,. well my mom is mexican and shes not as white but shes tanned skin, so we moved to Colorado where is usually very cold, and comin from mexico where its usually very hot,and she started gettin this black spots on her face,then on her neck and finally on her arms, but she got it after exposing herself to the sun in Denver CO and it started itching,and she scratched and then those black spots came up. so i was wondering if you reccomnd any treatment and for how long she shud use it and how much she should apply every night or so. this was like 2 years ago and they keep gettin darkk,it doesnt look good.. help please 🙂 will appreciate it
Hi
Thank you for the information, I am looking to purchase a skin lightening product, I am Indian, is there a product that is safe and results orientated that you can recommend?
looking fwd to your response.
I’ve been using a cream called fair and white and it kinda of lightens me up but not really and what makes me upset is that i’m trying to look for a cream that will even my arms and legs back to my really lighgt complexion i already have.
hi
I am a caucasian male leaving for 3 years in singapore now, here the sun is extremely hot, my head from neck above has become much darker than the other parts, I have used sun block creams (40) and have avoided sun for a year now but no improvements is observed, is it permanent or it will go by time?
tnx
****By extras, I meant I only bought 2 more. Not selling wholesale or fakes, etc. The names of the place/physician I went to is on the bottle.
I used a 7% doctor prescribed hydroquinone for a couple weeks, maybe 3. Doctor said to stop after a couple months, but I’ve been told 2 weeks. Since then I use it off and on. not more than once or twice every 3 months. I can’t say whether it made an improvement or not, I just have darker skin on my face from too much sun exposure, while the rest of my body has already returned to lighter color. I will probably use it again this winter, more regularly.I have found your site very helpful. Made my own vitamin c serum 🙂
For anyone interested in 7% hydroquinone, I did buy extras since I thought I would need a lot more, so if you are interested, please contact me ([email protected]) It has to be kept refrigerated and apparently has no expiration date. I bought it one year ago.
Hi Steph, thanks for your comment. I’m always happy to hear that this site is helpful 🙂
Yes I Wil take them
Hi,
Hope you are doing good, Saw your comment on whiteskin. Just going on a limp here. Would like to ask if you still have any more of the 7% as your commenT was in August, i have come up with some dark spots that have refused to leave and i know this product is very safe. Kindly let me know if you still have any left.
Tell the above 7% hydroquinone cream brands to glow my skin
Can I buy it from u
Where can you buy labo farmax, i couldnt find. Please email me if you know and thanks.
how did you figure out how much hydroquinone is in those products listed above?? where did the data come from??? POOF PLEASE!
You have to key the product name in your search browser, and also the word ingredients. This will give you a list of ingredients along with the percentage as well. I hope this is helpful. For example, Nadinola extra strength has 3% hydroquine and black & white product has only 2% of the skin bleaching ingredient.
And you say, a 50% improvement at best. 50% improvement on previous tone? that’s not a mild improvement, i believe!
You should go deeper about the hydroquinine. It seems to me that most of the info is contradictory.
But, in my very particular case, i would like to know where it is appropiate to use.
I’m a spaniard of Celtic decent.I live in latin america, and the sun is quite…hot.I’m all white, but, some parts of my face,noose forehead in example, are radically darker (morethan my tanned arms!) than say, my neck (This happened right after i applied a anti-acne cream, danm, it felt hot and burn my face badly in those spots, i had it still applied when i went to the street). I still need to go to a dermatologist, but asking this there would be kinda embarrasing…
Also, a consults section would be cool, since this is more like a cosmetic-like thing than medical.
Hi John, yes the information on hydroquinone can be quite contradictory (and confusing). If you’re worried about your skin’s reaction to hydroquinone, it’s best to do a test patch on your arm first.
I can’t be 100% sure of course, but based on your description of what happened (a burning sensation after applying the acne cream), it sounds like what you have could be post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is quite common, but immediate sun exposure after skin damage can make the spots darker and more stubborn.
Most cases of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation will resolve on their own given enough time (up to several months). And since you’re white (with Type II/III skin?), the odds are good that your spots will fade over time. I would suggest using a good zinc oxide sunscreen everyday to help things along.
Hydro quinine is not banned in Europe or Asia, it is a myth. Hydro quinine can be found in coffee, blueberries and many other foods that are consumed in a daily basis. When applied topically, it is metabolized out of the sustem within 24 hours. Hydro quinine does not cause cancer, another myth!!!