“Beauty is defined by the beholder.” But cosmetics companies will persuade you otherwise, establishing their own “standard” of beauty. This is what our culture does since most people believe that pale skin is the benchmark of beauty. Everyone will give you one or two “remedies” to whiten your complexion if you have brown or dusky skin. Commercials and advertisements illustrate how having fair skin may help you acquire a decent career or a life mate. Even in the entertainment industry, producers prefer to cast people with pale skin tones. The same is true for cosmetics brands. They take advantage of people’s prejudices towards dark-toned skin and make millions with these fairness cream products.
Their advertisements appear to imply that having fair skin “creates” chances for you, that it gives you more confidence to succeed, and so on. What were the outcomes? We buy and use these things on a regular basis to get fair skin. Setting a “standard” of beauty and prejudice against skin tone are not the only challenges. The use of these fairness creams or cosmetics might be hazardous to our health.
The Skin Tone Science:
Melanin is a pigment that determines skin color. Each person has a different quantity of melanin. The greater the amount of melanin in your skin cells, the darker your skin will be. Melanin concentrations in the body are controlled by hormone secretion. This is why pigmentation on the face can occur when there is a hormonal imbalance, such as during pregnancy. Fairness creams work by lowering the quantities of melanin molecules in skin cells. Let us examine the toxic chemicals and adverse effects of fairness creams…
Fairness creams include potentially harmful chemicals.
Fairness creams, like other cosmetics and beauty products, include a number of potentially dangerous components.
1. Hydroquinone
This has been used for a decade and is a popular element in practically every fairness cream or skin care product. Benzene is present in hydroquinone, C6H4 (OH), 2. They both prevent melanin synthesis in skin cells. This results in fair skin. Both, on the other hand, are carcinogenic, meaning they may cause cancer. These are found not just in skin lightening treatments but also in several medications used to treat hyperpigmentation and acne scars.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suggested a restriction on the use of hydroquinone in cosmetics. In cosmetics, a maximum of 2% hydroquinone is permissible and not dangerous.
What you should know about hydroquinone
Hydroquinone may cause everything from modest skin rashes and allergies to serious kinds of skin cancer.
Short-term exposure to this chemical causes skin rashes, irritation, itching, and allergy-like symptoms.
Prolonged usage causes ochronosis, a disorder characterised by blue-black patches on the skin where it is administered. Furthermore, according to some research, compounds are carcinogenic and increase the chance of genetic abnormalities.
Many skin care products and treatments include steroids, sometimes known as corticosteroids. Acne scars, eczema, and hyperpigmentation are examples of them.
Steroid side effects
Steroid usage over an extended period of time causes skin thinning, skin scrapes, easy bruising, expanded blood vessels, and increased facial hair development. Topical steroid cream usage causes increased facial hair growth and skin bruising. Some people who use steroid-based cosmetics may get serious skin infections.
3. Mercury Mercury
is also found in fairness creams. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA): The FDA and other health-care agencies have acknowledged the dangers of mercury and its widespread usage in cosmetics. The officials also advised consumers to restrict their use of cosmetics containing mercury.
Mercury toxicity
Mercury is a toxic chemical that is easily absorbed into a person’s body. The problem is that its elimination from the body is more difficult than its intake. For short-term usage, this chemical produces skin rashes, discoloration, and scarring. According to World Health Organization data, continuous use of mercury-containing items causes liver and nervous system harm.It is especially dangerous during pregnancy since it interferes with the child’s mental development. Mercury possesses bleaching agent-like characteristics. Because it interacts with the neurological system, inorganic mercury causes psychological problems such as anxiety and sadness.
Fairness cream side effects
The list of potentially dangerous chemical compounds in fairness creams is lengthy, as are their possible side effects. Here’s a quick rundown of the possible harm that these so-called fairness products might cause:
1. cancer of the skin
Chemicals with bleaching qualities, such as mercury and hydroquinone, are hazardous. Their continued use may result in the development of skin cancer.
2.Damage to vital organs
The kidney, liver, and nervous system are all critical organs that are overly susceptible to the hazardous compounds included in cosmetics. Mercury buildup in the body causes substantial harm to these organs.
3.Skin problem
While we use these cosmetics to make ourselves look fairer, they really harm our skin. The skin layer thins and loses its natural capacity to repair. As a result, the skin becomes swollen and bruised.
4. Blood vessels
These products cause blood vessels to dilate and expose the skin’s surface. While the epidermis is thin, dilated blood vessels cause rashes, redness, and heat sensitivity.
5.Photosensitivity of the skin
Because skin is so thin, it is extremely sensitive to harmful ultraviolet rays and sunlight. Deeply penetrating UV rays cause skin cancer to develop.
6. Pregnancy:
The use of fairness creams on a regular basis is more dangerous. Mercury accumulates in the skin and interferes with a baby’s neurological development. As a result, the infant is at a considerable risk of developing nervous system disorders.
All of the above adverse effects are permanent and, as a result, extremely difficult to cure. So it’s best to avoid or minimise them because health is a far more essential and genuine worry than having white skin.
Cosmetics businesses generate millions from these cosmetics but never deliver on their promises. While some of their goods may have labels, none of the cosmetic companies would admit to the harm their products might cause. It is the consumer’s responsibility to be aware of what they are using. An alternative to whitening creams
One of the most delicate organs in the human body is the skin. Having clean and fresh skin enhances one’s personality without a doubt. Nobody enjoys having dull or dry skin. However, there is a significant difference between having clean skin and having white or light skin.
- Given the dangers of fairness creams, it is preferable to utilise a natural alternative. Fruits, hydration, and a stress-free lifestyle all contribute to glowing, youthful skin.
- Not all cosmetics are dangerous. You only need to select a well-recognized brand and a product that lists its components.
- For dry skin, apply a moisturiser.
- To eliminate dry skin, use DIY masks made of natural ingredients like fruit peel and milk.
- To remove dead skin cells, exfoliate your skin twice a week. This results in clean, spot-free skin.
- Increasing your vitamin intake directly or indirectly
- Fresh juices and fruits are an excellent method to supplement your vitamin consumption.
Above all, life is more than just skin color.
Bottom line
Because fairness creams include chemicals that are damaging to the skin and body, it is best to avoid using them.
Your skin color is natural, and you try to maintain it that way. There is much more for us women to achieve than just having light skin. Unfortunately, many cosmetic businesses portray fair skin as the key to success and that it is the only thing that gives you self-confidence and social acceptance. This is not just absurd, but also terrifying. This is absurd since it suggests that our education, talents, and abilities are irrelevant in light of our skin tone. And this is concerning because it raises the question of what message we are sending to society and individuals with naturally dark complexion tones.
Acceptance is synonymous with self-assurance. Whatever skin tone you have, it is wonderful, and you do not need to modify it in order to appear attractive. Accept your skin hue and wear it with pride, as if it were a gift!
