Skin lightening is popular in some parts of Africa, Asia and in America. There can be many reasons for skin lightening. One reason maybe to move up the social ladder, second to find a more suitable partner in marriage, third to hide some blemishes. It is known that in Japan geisha girls used to lighten their skins especially their face, hands and feet to show that they belonged to a higher social class. In Asia especially in India a woman with a dark complexion may feel that she will not get a suitable marriage proposal and may want to use a skin lightener to lighten her complexion so that her chances of finding a suitable life partner are improved. In America skin lighteners are used in case one has a scar, blemish or vertigo and they may want to lighten the area surrounding the lighter skin to achieve an even tone. Some people may go to the extent of getting depigmentation done to have an even colored skin. Michael Jackson created quite a stir with his getting depigmentation done to cover his vitiligo.

Skin lightener is a controversial topic as some of the active ingredients sold in skin lightener creams, lotions; etc can actually cause adverse effects in the long run. People with uneven skin color go in for depigmentation to achieve a uniform skin color. Most skin lightener products are used topically and they can be categorized. Hydroquinone is considered by dermatologists to be a better and safer option in skin lighteners as compared to other skin lighteners. Hydroquinone skin lightener is available in over the counter creams and the concentration is not more then 2% and if one needs a stronger percentage one has to consult with a doctor and get a prescription. But getting anything stronger is impossible in America and it can damage the skin. What hydroquinone does is that it reduces the production of pigmentation which gives the color to our skin. Topical skin lightener creams only effect the upper most layer of the skin if a deeper penetration is required then one will have to turn to other therapies like laser. Using skin lightener or getting laser treatment done would all go down the drain if one does not protect oneself from sunlight so using sunscreen is also important. Some skin lightener creams have sun protection also in them. If one has an allergic reaction to hydroquinone then one can try azelaic acid as an alternative. Some skin lighteners have mercury as the active ingredient in them. There are a number of alternates to hydroquinone which are arbutin, tretinoin, AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), kojic acid, azelaic acid, vitamin C and laser treatments. Each of them have there own properties and are used in skin lightening creams.

If one wants to avoid using harsh chemicals on their skin for balancing the color of the skin or to lighten it, one can use a natural skin lightener or a herbal skin lightener. There are recipes for homemade skin lightener also available on the internet. So if one really feels that they need to get their skin lightened they have a number of options available to them. There are a number of sellers on the internet who sell all natural skin lightener and skin lightener natural products. So the field is wide open. Neoprosone gel skin lightener and super skin lightener kojic acid 3 are two over the counter skin lightener products that are quite popular and affordable. A skin lightener can range from $20 to $200 and it is not necessary that the more expensive ones are going to do a better job. What is important to remember that which skin lightener is going to work depends on the skin of the person.