The skin care market in Nigeria is very diverse, but the three categories of products are particularly popular with women of all ages. We are talking about skin whitening, lightening, and brightening products. But what is the difference between all three and which one should you go for? Find out from our guide!
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1. Skin brightening
Skin brightening products are not designed to change the colour of your skin – they are intended to rejuvenate dry and dull skin and give your skin a glowing look. If you want to make your skin somewhat lighter, then brightening products are not for you, but if you are dreaming of healthy and radiant skin, this is the way to go.
Many of the skin brightening products are serums and creams, although the most important step to achieving refreshed skin is exfoliation. That is why you need to find a brightening exfoliator that works for your skin type, whether it’s a scrub, an enzyme peeling, and AHA/BHA serum, or a gentle gel for sensitive skin.
A good way to tell which products are supposed to brighten your skin is to look at the list of ingredients. Look for products that contain vitamin C, which is known to rejuvenate dull skill. You can also do some homemade treatments with an acidic component – for example, lemon.
Read more: Top 5 Best Do It Yourself Face Masks
2. Skin lightening
With regular use of skin brightening products, you can achieve a visibly smoother look of your skin. Some of them can even diminish the appearance of dark spots and other imperfections. However, if you want a stronger effect, you will need to introduce a skin lightening routine.
An effective skin lightening product can not only subtly correct the shade of your skin, but also make the acne scars, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation more visible. However, you should not expect a drastic whitening effect – making your skin several shades lighter with lightening cream is hardly possible.
So what are the main ingredients responsible for the skin lightening effect? One of the most popular, but also the most controversial ones is hydroquinone. It is known for its strong lightening ability, but it also has some serious side effects and is not recommended for long-term use. Other ingredients to look for in skin lightening products are kojic acid and azelaic acid.
Read more: Light Up! Top Lightening Products For Nigerian Ladies
3. Skin whitening
Judging by their name, various skin whitening products are designed to give you an even more visible skin lightening effect. However, you should know that in many cases it is nothing more than a marketing tactic and the whitening effect of these products is comparable to the lightening skin care products.
Still, some skin whitening products actually do have a stronger effect in lightening the pigment of your skin. It can happen when the concentration of the whitening ingredient – for example, hydroquinone – is higher than in other products, or when the product contains mequinol and other ingredients that remove your natural pigment.
In this case, you should use these skin whitening products with caution. They are known to have numerous side effects and can drastically change the look of your skin. It can be very difficult to reverse this effect, which means the potential damage to your skin can be permanent.
Read more: Oils For Skin Whitening: Top 8 List For The Maximal Result!
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