HydroquinoneLet's unpack this popular ingredient!

Skin bleaching, skin lightening, andskin brightening all refer to onecentral ingredient: hydroquinone(HQ).

It is the only FDA approved skinlightening ingredient in the U.S. and isvery effective in fading dark spots. Thispopular product has become controversialtopic in Black skincare, so we are going togive you the facts and bust all of the mythsassociated with hydroquinone.

HQ works by decreasing the amountof melanin being produced in thetreated area. Melanin is thecompound in skin that gives us ourcolor. One critique of HQ is that itcauses skin darkening rather thanskin lightening.

Because melanin is the substance thatgive protection from UV rays, the skinwill become more sensitive once themelanin production begins to slow down.If the treated area is not protected bysome sort of sun screen, the skin canbecome darker. To combat this, it isimperative that the treated area isfollowed up with sun screen.

Some hydroquinone products, like ClearEssence's Skin Beautifying Milk withSPF 15, already include sun protection.This type of product is great because itprotects the skin while evening outcomplexion.

While hydroquinone is veryeffective and works wonders formany people, it may not work thesame for everyone. To see howyour body will react to a certainproduct, it is important to test theproduct on yourself prior toactually using it.

The best way to do this is byapplying a small amount of theproduct on the inside of your armand waiting 24 hours.

If you notice any type of irritation, try using a productfor sensitive skin instead. There are Black skincareproducts, such as Clear Essence's Lemon Plus VitaminC Perfecting Serum, that help to fade dark spotswithout hydroquinone.

“I' am proud of my complexion, Idon't want to bleach my skin.”

A common misconception about hydroquinoneis that anyone who uses the chemical is ashamedof their skin color. This is the unfortunatestigma associated with HQ.

Anyone can get dark spots, whetherit be from acne or injury,hydroquinone can diminish thosetell-tale scars.

African American Skincare is allabout embracing and enhancing ournatural hues. When used properly,hydroquinone does exactly that, itenhances the beauty of the naturalskin complexion.