Important note for anybeing who is thinking about potentially using skin lightening products:
WATCH FOR MERCURY!!!!! Be SO VERY careful!!!!!!!
Mercury works to lighten your skin, but it can also kill you. And not just "potential side effects include xyz, abc, and death"; Mercury WILL kill you once you are exposed to enough of it. And before it kills you, it will make you suffer. Your death will not be quick, and it will sure as hell not be painless.
When it doesn't kill you, it will cause you majorβ often permanentβ issues, such as kidney failure and nerve damage.
Read the ingredients thoroughly. When a product contains Mercury, you will often find the following ingredients (according to the world health organization) listed:
"Mercury" or "Mercuric" anything (e.g., mercuric amidochloride, mercury oxide, mercury salts, ect)
You can also check for a warning that tells you to keep the product away from things like silver, gold, rubber, aluminum, and jewelryβ Mercury can damage them. Products that contains a lot of mercury are often gray or cream colored, as well, though it's important to note that a product being grey or cream colored is not always, or even in an overwhelming majority, indicative of mercury.
If there aren't any Mercury containing ingredients listed, or if you're not sure whether or not the product contains Mercury, here is an ongoing database for mercury containing products. You can also find a list of common (and some uncommon) skin lightening products that contain mercury on this page.
Some safe ingredients are:
Vitamin C and it's derivatives
Kojic acid and it's derivatives
Resorcinol and it's derivatives
This page gives a list of 6 safe and high performing skin lightening ingredients, what they are, and how they work
