Hydroquinone

Hydroquinone

Hydroquinone is an aromatic organic compound, which is a type of phenol. Hydroquinone has many uses, basically based on its function as a reducing agent that is soluble in water. It is a major ingredient in photographic developers and currently it is a rising star in the beauty industry. In the beauty industry its main purpose is skin whitening. It is supposed to give a less allergic reaction than other skin whitening products. However, in France it is an illegal substance because of its possible risk for cancer.

Some generic names for hydroquinone in the beauty-and cosmetics jargon are hydroquinone-with-sunscreens, hydroquinone cream, skin bleaching cream or skin lightening cream.. It is used to lighten dark patches of skin, such as for example birth marks, liver spots, age spots and acne scars. Some people get dark patches of skin from pregnancy or the taking of birth control pills. Others get it from hormonal medication, or from an injury.

Skin whitening through hydroquinone works by blocking the process that causes colouring of the skin. The generic medicine contains sunscreens to avoid the sun and other ultra violet lights to penetrate the skin, causing darkening of the skin.

Side effects can occur when using a skin bleaching cream containing hydroquinone. The most common side-effects are skin redness, or a slightly burning sensation. If you are allergic to one of the components in hydroquinone cream, you should contact your doctor immediately.

Skin bleaching creams with hydroquinone can be purchased at your pharmacy. There are several brands selling hydroquinone products, so ask your pharmacist which one they have in store. The working of hydroquinone usually becomes visible after four weeks of treatment. It can take longer, but if you don’t see any skin lightening after three months, you should probably try another drug to fight your patches of dark skin. To increase the working of hydroquinone cream, try to wear protective clothing and to stay out of the sun. Use hydroquinone cream regularly. It is mild in use, and although some side effects were mentioned, people are usually very tolerant towards the skin bleaching cream.

However, the safety limit of hydroquinone concentration in any skin bleaching cream is up to 4% only. Higher concentrations may be used but only for a very limited amount of time. Concentrations of 10% or higher should be absolutely prevented.

This content is not written by a medical specialist. It just serves to provide basic information about hydroquinone. At Hydroquinone.org, we try to provide you with the resources to get better informed about the usability of hydroquinone. Do not use hydroquinone when pregnant or breast feeding.

Hydroquinone cream is used by many people for a variety of different cosmetic purposes. Hydroquinone cream is actually a bleaching agent which is most commonly used on the skin. Read more about Hydroquinone Cream at the Hydroquinone Cream page.