The BCTMA stated that the booming cosmetic industry earned TK 150 billion in 2015. From only this simple information, we can predict how obsessed we are with fair skin. And to get a fair skin tone overnight, many of us tend to use fairness creams even without knowing about their harmful effects. The advertising industry made this trend of 'skin-whitening' just to increase their revenue. They succeeded to brainwash us in the end. As a conscious human, we need to acknowledge the adverse effects of these fairness creams. It is because of our benefits and also for possessing sound health. So, let's get started without any delay.
Risks of Applying Fairness Creams:
1. Skin Cancer
Using fairness creams in excess level can lead skin to be prone to damage in normal sunlight and eventually causing skin cancer. If you are obsessed with using fairness creams to lighten your skin color, think twice before applying it. Your addiction in this regard can take your face to permanent damage and cost unnecessarily in the long run.
2. Itching
Maximum people feel like their skin seems to be itchy most of the time after the usage of these fairness creams. The chances of feeling this problem are higher in sensitive skin as it is prone to damage quickly.
3. Photosensitivity
Whoever uses all these fairness creams for a long period, will notice difficulty while exposing to even limited sunlight. The main reason for occurring this is the thinning of the skin. The harmful chemicals in them make the skin thin and increase the tendency to damage more. Whenever the skin comes in contact with the sunlight (the ultra-violet ray), it develops sunburn, rashes, and even skin cancer.
4. Dry Skin
Skin generates sebum and sweat to protect it from being dry out and rough. But fairness creams consume this natural sweat, oil and make the face dull. Even in extreme conditions, you will notice the peeling off skin stage.
5. Allergy
Most of the fairness creams consist of Hydroquinone, Steroid, Paraben, and heavy metals. In the initial stage, the excessive usage of these creams causes allergy. This process of degradation of skin continues after applying them on regular basis.
6. Pimples and Acne
Applying oily fairness creams to the skin can lead to pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, puss-filled lumps, and eventually acne. Usually face, chest, shoulder, and lower back gets affected mostly by acne. If this leaves permanent marks, then it is quite stressful for anyone. It is curable but needs quite a long time to repair.
All of these problems occur because of the excessive harmful chemical substances in fairness creams.
Harmful Components of Fairness Creams
1. Steroid
The maximum cosmetic industry adds topical steroids to their fairness creams for lightening up the skin tone instantly. Using topical steroids based creams leads to thinning of the skin, showing prominent blood vessels, increased facial hair, redness, irritation, burning sensation. Clobetasol, halobetasol, mometasone, betamethasone, fluticasone are some of the clinical names of harmful topical steroids.
2. Hydroquinone
The most popular bleaching agent, hydroquinone is banned in Japan, Australia, and Europe for its lethal action. Under some dermatologists' supervision and prescribed medication, only up to 5ppm hydroquinone is allowed in BSTI standard. It lightens up the skin color instantly causing harmful consequences. It leads to fatal kidney and liver damage in the long run.
3. Heavy Metals
Only 1 ppm usage of mercury is permissible in BSTI skincare standards. Whereas we use thousands or even more multiplication of this number in fairness creams. The branded or most popular skin whitening creams add more mercury and leads in their products. Yes, your skin tone will change but temporarily. In the meantime, these toxic heavy metals will leave everlasting scars. Not only that, these are carcinogenic (has the potential to cause cancer).
4. Parabens
Almost every skin-whitening cream has paraben as a preservative in it. All cosmetics industry uses it in their products as they are cheap to buy. But they are harmful too.
5. Fragrance
The exciting scent of many skin lightening products catches the attention of customers first. It does not have any health benefits rather harms us. Instead of doing any good, it irritates.
Recently, BSTI has banned 8 fairness or skin-whitening creams including Goree Whitening Cream, Chandni Whitening Cream, New Face Whitening Cream, Due Cream, Faiza Cream, Noor Cream, Golden Pearl Cream, and White Pearl Plus Whitening Cream due to their excessive mercury and hydroquinone level. The hydroquinone was in between 434 ppm to 1980 ppm there. On the other hand, being quite high in an amount from 193 ppm to 948 ppm mercury was present.
Our topmost priority should be on possessing sound health and maintaining proper hygiene instead of being addicted to fair skin color. The skin tone defines who we are and there is nothing wrong to born with a dark skin tone.
Mostly we get this gift genetically. It is not possible to change the skin tone completely in a healthy way. But it's possible to lighten dark patches, acne, scars, and many skin problems. Without the proper instruction and consultation from a dermatologist (medical supervision), don't buy any fairness creams over the counter.
The local chemist does not know in details regarding this and hence they won't give you the appropriate solution to it. Instead of running after skin whitening products, embrace the real you first, and love enormously that self. Your life is more valuable than those prejudices. Don't put your life in danger just to get fairer.
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