Transitioning from Hydroquinone products to Non-Hydroquinone products

If you've used hydroquinone based skin lighteners and bleaching creams in the past, you may (or may not) have figured out that there is a difference between them and non-HQ skin lighteners. The main difference lies within their composition and the speed in which they produce results.

Now, like many people who started out skin lightening, I, too have used a hydroquinone based product before (Neostrata's HQ to be specific). This was way back when I first started out, and was desperate to fade a deep, deep tan that I acquired from a school summer trip to France (in which I spent a lot of time at the beach and wore absolutley NO sunscreen!). I got a hold of the Neostrata Hydroquinone (2%) cream and used it religiously day and night. My skin lightened about half a shade overall, but it was very uneven (some blotches here and there). A lot of that has to do with the fact that I didn't wear sunscreen everyday and I just wasn't that knowledgable about skincare like I am now.

Suffice to say, that hydroquinone product lightened my skin (not completley) in a matter of 4 weeks. You can imagine what a high or great feeling I got from that. I planned on using it until I removed all the freckles, scars and sun damage completley but then I started to read about the risks and precautions regarding HQ. Shortly after this, I discovered the Bright Skin Forum and learned a lot about hydroquinone and how it is definitley NOT the ultimate option out there, despite it being one of the fastest ways to lighten skin.

Much like any 'get something quick scheme' (i.e. weightloss, get rich schemes) hydroquinone is a substance that needs to be used carefully. It is much different than natural, safe skin lighteners in almost every aspect.

If you use hydroquinone based products, like Ambi, Nadinola or Obagi and are looking for a safer, healthier alternatives that you can use for more than 6 months, then this blog post if for you.

I'm not going to go into the reasons why I don't advocate for hydroquinone use for overall skin lightening, because I already did that in my post on Hydroquinone & Monobenzone. If you haven't read that, I highly recommend that one since I state clearly all the reasons, as well as facts and real life experiences involving the substance.

However what I am going to do is try to help people who use hydroquinone products understand the benefits of using products that are hydroquinone-free, and their ability to provide similar results.

If you use Nadinola or Obagi to lighten a melasma patch, or a large, stubborn acne mark or dark patch on your face - that is fine. Hydroquinone is actually designed for localized spot treatments. There is no denying that it works very well at suppressing and eliminating melanin synthesis in areas of irregular pigmentation (especially when mixed with an rx retinoid). But, using it all over your face and neck is where things get complicated.

Hydroquinone is highly cytotoxic (causes cell death, mutates nucleus blah blah all that scientific stuff). Anything that is harmful to your cells is a possible carcinogenic ingredient. THAT is why hydroquinone is banned in places like Europe and such, because of this one fact. It is true that there is no concrete study of hydroquinone linked to cancer 100%, but in a study involving lab rats, and lightening of their color, the ones that were treated with hydroquinone ended up with cancer. That is an alarming study and fact. Also there is no denying there are people in rural areas of Africa and Asia that use hydroquinone as skin lighteners for years develop many health ailments.

You just can't deny all the facts. That is the whole reason non-hydroquinone based skin lighteners have emerged since people got smarter and don't want to take that risk.

The first thing I say to anyone who is (or was) an avid hydroquinone product user is that they have to change thier perspective on skin lightening and how it is correcly approached (check out Motivation & Skin Lightening and Permanent Skin Lightening for advice that I personally follow, and what has kept me from being discouraged). We all know hydroquinone works. It works fast. It gets the job done, but you have to understand skin lightening like EVERYTHING else in life is a maintenance thing. You have to keep up with it, and there is no possible, healthy way to maintain the use of hydroquinone. Once the 6 month mark is up, I will go as far as saying you are putting yourself in danger. The 'danger' may not hit you now, but it will hit you eventually if you continue using it.

Understand that skin lightening is process, it's not just one miracle product that gets the job done and you are at your goal skin tone for life. It is the combination of prevention (sunscreen use), treatment (safe, natural lightener or antioxidant) and exfoliation (gentle, consistent exfoliation through AHA, BHA, peels or retinoids). Those 3 concepts = skin lightening, in a completley safe way that can easily be used for life.

Also patience is really important, decreasing melanin content in the skin takes time. Years, I am so close to my goal and it has taken me almost 5 years. But in those 5 years, my skin has altered dramatically and is much healthier looking, free of acne and yes, lighter than it's been in a long time. I am happy with the way my skin looks now, especially my face and neck which seems to have lightened very well, and is even toned. The point is, I got that by using non-hydroquinone products.

So, once your mindset is in the right place and has a realistic viewpoint the first thing you need is a way to compensate for that 'quick' result that you are used to getting from hydroquinone. The best way to get a quick, visible result in terms of skin lightening is to get a peel, or an AHA mask. These are highly concentrated alpha hydroxy acids, they exfoliate very well and help to break up melanin. That is a great first step for anyone who is transitioining from an HQ product to a non-HQ product - use AHAs, I mention many really good peels and masks throughout my blog.

Once that desire to get a visible result is fulfilled, move on to leave-on products. They can be skin lighteners that have botanical extracts, or antioxidants. And not all Vitamin C serums are expensive or what not, the cheapest and freshest way is to make your own Vitamin C serum using L-ascorbic acid crystals and tap water. That's it. Fresh, vitamin C. So, cost really doesn't have much to do with it.

Hopefully people who use (or used) hydroquinone products also used sunscreen since that is a given, no matter what.

If you are reading this blog, that means you are interested in ways to lighten your skin in a safe, healthy way. That is ultimatley the first step in transitioning from using hydroquinone to non-hydroquinone - wanting to try a less risky way to lighten skin. If you've read this post, and my other posts on my blog and still continue to use hydroquinone, well that is your choice and no one can stop you. Just know that you are ignoring options out there that are better for you, and will eventually produce the exact same results, only not as fast, but a hell of a lot more safely.

=)