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8 Best Natural Skin Whitening Ingredients

By Tiffany Moore

Most Asian women desire fair complexion, and many are willing to spend thousand of dollars on skin lightening products to pursue beautiful crystal clear white skin tone.

SK-II, a well-known premium brand is very popular because the key ingredient, Pitera® is scientifically proven to help you achieve a brighter, fairer porcelain skin that glows from within. However, not everyone can afford SK-II skincare products as they all come with a huge price tag. If you're looking for just-as-good but cheaper alternatives, be very careful. Certain skin whitening ingredients are dangerous and can harm your skin as well as your health if used for an extended period of time.

Therefore, I suggest you find out more about the many different skin lightening ingredients available on the market and then decide which are the safe skin whitening ingredients that will work best for your skin.

Safe Skin Lightening Ingredients

1. Alpha Arbutin/ Beta Alpha

Beta-Arbutin or Arbutin is a natural extract of the Bearberry (Uva Ursi) shrub which can whiten and lighten skin by inhibiting tyrosinase activity (formation of melanin pigment) without the side effects commonly associated with long term use of synthetic hydroquinone. It can be used as a safer alternative to hydroquinone to promote skin whitening, to prevent liver spots and freckles, to treat sunburn marks and to regulate melanogenesis.

It is best to look for skin lightening products with alpha-arbutin since it has a stronger skin whitening effect than beta-arbutin. Also, beta-arbutin may cause skin irritation in some individuals with sensitive skin.

2. Kojic Acid

Kojic acid, discovered in 1989, is a natural substance derived from Japanese Koji mushroom. As a skin lightening agent, kojic acid works by inhibiting melanin production (dark spots and brown pigments). Although not harmful to human health, kojic acid have a few adverse effects on skin, if used excessively. It may cause skin irritation, and continual use after irritation may result in allergic contact dermatitis.

3. Licorice Extract

Licorice extract is a very popular skin whitener and has been used for years to effectively lighten skin discolorations. The main compound for skin whitening is glabridin, a potent skin lightener that inhibits pigmentation by preventing tyrosinase activation. Studies have shown that licorice extract can brighten dull skin while remaining non-toxic to the melanin forming cells.

Licorice root also has anti-inflammatory properties and is especially effective at evening out or fading sun tan.

4. Mulberry

Mulberry, white mulberry and/or paper mulberry are powerful inhibitors of Tyrosinase enzyme than hydroquinone. And, skin irritation with mulberry extract is less than other skin lightener agents.

5. Glycolic Acid

Glycolic acid, a substance derived from AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) exfoliates skin to allow deeper penetration of other skin lightener ingredients into the skin. By accelerating skin cell turnover, glycolic acid brightens and evens skin tone naturally, and also helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

6. Lactic Acid

Lactic acid works similarly to Glycolic acid but is typically better suited for people with sensitive skin. Lactic acid removes dead skin cells to reveal new healthy cells underneath. As a result, the dry flaky skin disappears and skin becomes smoother, fairer and brighter with a youthful glow.

7. Lemon Juice Extract

The citric acid in lemon juice is one of nature's most potent skin bleaching ingredients. However, it can irritate skin and should only be used at small concentrations in skin lighteners. Also, do not expose your skin to sunlight with lemon juice as it could have the opposite effect and make your skin darker. Lemon juice can be extremely drying to the skin if applied directly.

8. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that occurs in many different forms ((L-ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate) each with distinct properties. Studies have indicated that Vitamin C has the ability to suppress melanin formation and whiten skin naturally when applied.

Vitamin C also protects skin from the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Exposure to ultraviolet light (UVA or UVB) can speed up aging by damaging the collagen fibers of the skin.

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