Skin Whitening Versus Skin Bleaching: Which Is Better?

Melanin is responsible for the color of human skin. (1) An increase in melanin production in the skin can cause tanning (1) in response to environmental stresses such as heat, pollution, and bacteria.

It is challenging to alter the level of melanin already present in the skin. There are, however, surefire methods of removing the tan and pigmentation that result from excessive sun exposure and other factors such as stress and the use of too much makeup.

Skin whitening and bleaching refer to the same treatment that uses chemicals to lighten your skin. The two treatment options are vastly different, but both whitening and bleaching products aim to reduce hyperpigmentation and reveal healthier-looking skin.

What Is Skin Whitening?

Skin whitening is often used for cosmetic or aesthetic purposes because it makes the skin appear more radiant and healthier. (1) It refers to the practice of making one’s skin tone lighter through the use of various treatment options, which might include creams, lotions, gels, or serums.

What Is Skin Bleaching?

Bleaching the skin is generally accepted for medical purposes, such as depigmentation of darker parts of the body due to aging or acne scarring.

The vast majority of people, however, bleach their skin for aesthetic reasons. (2) People with lighter skin are privileged in societies that practice colorism. (2)

Skin-lightening practices, such as the use of skin-lightening creams and soaps to achieve a lighter skin tone or to “whiten” skin, are common among Asian and non-White populations throughout the world. (3)

Difference Between Skin Whitening and Skin Bleaching

Here are the differences between skin whitening and bleaching.

1. Based on ingredients

Ingredients present in skin-whitening products

Mercury, steroids, hydroquinone, and other chemicals in skin-whitening products may provide some benefit to some extent. However, they may also harm the skin if used differently than as prescribed. (1)(4)

Natural ingredients in skin-whitening products

Natural skin-whitening ingredients include flavonoids, terpenoids, polysaccharides, and coumarin derivatives, which possess antimelanogenesis (inhibiting melanin production) functions. (5)

Ingredients in skin-bleaching products

Skin-bleaching agents include hydroquinone, kojic acid, (6) mercury (Hg), and steroids. (3)

Natural skin-bleaching ingredients

Natural ingredients that act as bleach agents are honey, milk, turmeric, gram flour, tender coconut milk, licorice, mint, asafetida, oranges and other citrus fruits, cucumber, almonds, papayas, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, milk thistle, carrots, and many others.

2. Based on side effects

Side effects of skin whitening

Hydroquinone is the active ingredient in skin whiteners. It can cause unwanted side effects such as leukoderma and exogenous ochronosis (which manifests as blue-black pigmentation as a complication of long-term use). Hydroquinone’s potential dangers were (5) widely speculated.

Erythema, scaling, and an increased risk of sunburn have been linked to hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, linoleic acid, and retinoic acid. (6)

Severe itching, dryness, and cracking of the skin in case of over sensitive skin. (5) A disorder characterized by excessive skin pigmentation (melasma) and toxic mercury exposure, especially during pregnancy. Also, conditions like Cushing’s, cirrhosis of the liver, and cancer of the skin have been linked to skin whitening agents. (7)

Side effects of skin bleaching

Skin bleaching can lead to allergic and irritant contact dermatitis, systematized contact dermatitis, eczema, and photosensitivity. There are still some women who bleach their skin despite knowing the risks. (2)

3. Based on benefits

Benefits of skin whitening

Skin whitening helps minimize dark spots, evens out skin tone, and reduces the appearance of acne scars.

Studies have shown that glutathione acts as a skin-whitening agent by reducing the amount of melanin in the skin; it also increases skin elasticity, decreases wrinkles, and improves skin tone and brightness. (8)(9)

Benefits of skin bleaching

Reducing the skin’s melanin production is one of the goals of skin bleaching. Removing melanin from the skin will leave it vulnerable to the sun’s rays, which can increase the risk of skin cancer and other sun-related illnesses in some women, especially if they do not take additional precautions to prevent sun damage, such as wearing sunscreen. (2)

Is Skin Whitening and Bleaching a Permanent Fix?

Neither skin whitening nor bleaching therapies are long-term solutions. Skin whitening products are only a temporary fix. They will deliver the desired outcomes, but when you stop using them, the effects will fade within a few weeks.

In the long run, skin bleaching won’t help with issues such as pigmentation on your skin. Moreover, bleaching your skin too often can be harmful, but the effects will last nearly four weeks if you take good care of your skin.

The recommended time between bleaching sessions is between 4 and 8 weeks.

Which Is Better for the Skin and What Is the Main Difference Exactly?

Skin lightening is also known as skin bleaching and skin whitening. (10) Skin bleaching is a term that was more popular in the 80s than it is today and is essentially the same as skin whitening.

Chemical bleaching is used to lighten the skin beyond its standard color to achieve a whiter complexion. People talking about “skin whitening” usually mean using products to lighten hyperpigmentation.

Skin bleaching products help to alter your skin’s natural color through the use of harsh and possibly harmful chemicals. Researchers found that both skin-whitening products (5) and skin-bleaching products (4) contain both naturally occurring bioactive compounds (5) and skin-lightening chemicals. (3)

It is reasonable to conclude that skin whitening is preferable to skin bleaching, according to the opinions of those in the know.

Science-Backed Evidence for Skin Whitening and Skin Bleaching

• About 15% of the global population spends money on skin-lightening products. (11)
• Investing in skin-lightening products is rising due to the expanding demand in Asian countries such as China, India, and Japan.
• African women are disproportionately represented in reports of skin bleaching for cosmetic purposes. (2) Many African countries began using skin bleaching as a form of cosmetic treatment in the 1950s, which has led to the widespread use of this procedure today. About 75% of Nigerian women and 60% of Senegalese women use bleaching creams; it is around 50% in Mali and 30% in Ghana, with similar rates across the whole of Africa. (12)
• About 52% of women in East Africa use skin-lightening products for pigmentary disorders, 38% prefer a lighter skin color, and 9% report both reasons. (12)
• In 2020, a bill prohibiting the advertising of skin-lightening products across India was signed into law by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Since 1973, the FDA in the United States has prohibited the use of cosmetics containing mercury concentrations of more than 1 ppm. (12)
• One study found that the hyperpigmentation of 20 women with a clinical diagnosis of melisma was significantly reduced with liquiritin, a flavonoid glycoside of licorice. (5)

Why Do Women Bleach Their Skin?

When women were questioned about their motivations for skin bleaching, 49.38% of them said they bleached their skin so they would have smooth and healthy skin, 30.86% said they did so to improve their appearance, and the remaining women said they did so to gain social favors such as marriage and good jobs. (2)

Natural Skin Bleaching Agents

These ingredients have been to bleach the skin naturally:

• Milk: One of the most accessible products for skin lightening is raw milk. The production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color, is regulated by this gene. (13)
• Potatoes: Potatoes are rich in vitamin C (14) and have a mild bleaching property (15) They are a popular vegetable for skin lightening. They remove age spots and sun damage spots from the skin.
• Besan: Also called gram flour, besan has amazing effects when regularly applied to the skin. It can be used as an exfoliant to get rid of dead skin and bring out the skin’s natural glow. Besan can be used as a skin lightener. (15)
• Turmeric: Turmeric is abundant in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents and is used to treat dull skin and improve overall complexion. (16)

General Queries

Final Word

Skin whitening and bleaching are one of the most common cosmetic practices worldwide. However, whitening products are generally used it to lighten specific areas of hyperpigmentation.

Contrast this with skin bleaching products which change the color of your natural skin and even lighten facial hair. Bleaching is achieved through the use of very harsh and possibly dangerous chemicals and is not recommended.

However, both have certain side effects and there is no complete safe or reliable way to lighten someone’s skin tone. But instead of bleaching, whitening is safer.