Irish Gold Body Lotion is a brand of skin nourishing lotion that, among a number of functions, improve the tone of the skin, improve radiance and fade out dark spots and scars from the surface of your skin.
The Irish Gold Cream range comes in 4 popular variants which include the Complexion Maxi tone body lotion, Fade milk body lotion, Carotene extract toning formula and the egg yolk extract toning formula.
Why Do People Bleach Their Skin?
People who have birthmarks, moles or other hyper pigmentation conditions might consider bleaching as an option to return their skin to a more uniform tone. Others just bleach due to need to fit in society. Others believe that when your light skinned, people recognize you more and want to associate with you.
However, there is no health benefit to skin bleaching or lightening. Results aren’t guaranteed and there’s evidence that skin lightening can result in serious side effects and complications. From a medical standpoint, there’s no need to lighten the skin. But if you’re considering skin bleaching, it’s important to understand the risks.
What is hydroquinone?
Hydroquinone also known as benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is a skin-lightening agent in many skin care products. It bleaches the skin, which can be helpful when treating different forms of hyperpigmentation.
Historically, there’s been some back-and-forth on the safety of hydroquinone. In 1982, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognized the ingredient as safe and effective. Several years later, concerns about safety prompted retailers to pull hydroquinone from the market. The FDA went on to discover that many of the products in question contained contaminants like mercury. They established that these contaminants were behind reports of adverse effects. When you apply a skin bleaching product to the skin, such as hydroquinone, it decreases the number of melanocytes in your skin. This can result in lighter skin and a more even appearance to the skin.
Does Irish Gold Cream Contain Hydroquinone?
Available information indicates that Irish Gold Cream range does NOT contain Hydroquinone. The Irish Gold Egg Yolk Extract Toning Formula contain the following ingredients: Deonized water, Mineral oil, Glycerine, Coswax NF, Simethicone, Stearic acid, Petroleum jelly, Polysorbate 20, Castor oil, Cety alcohol, Isopropyl myristate, Silicon oil, Egg yolk (lecithine), Tinogard, Carboxyl methyl cellulose, Allantoin, Propyl paraben, Methyl paraben, and Fragrance.
The Irish Gold Complexion Maxi-Tone Body Lotion contain the following ingredients: Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Canola Oil, Glycerin Glycol Stearate, PEG-4, Lactic Acid, Kodjic Acid, Butylene, Glycol, Mulberry (Morus Bom Bycis) Root Extract, Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) Extract, Licorice I (Glycyrrhiza galabra) Extract, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol Isopropylparaben, Isobu-tylparaben, n-Butylparaben, Fragrance, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Tocopheyl Acetate (Vtamine E).
Finally, the Irish Gold Fade milk is made with deionized water, mineral oil, glycerin, coswax NF, simethicone, stearic acid, petroleum jelly, polysorbate 20,castor oil, cetyl alcohol, isopropyl myristate, silicon oil, Tinogard, carboxylic methyl cellulose, allantoin, propyl paraben, methyl paraben, and fragrance.
Skin bleaching side effects
A number of countries have banned the use of skin bleaching products because of the dangers associated with them. In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also issued a notice that over-the-counter (OTC) skin bleaching products are not recognized as safe and effective. The products were deemed not safe for human use based on a review of evidence. Skin bleaching has been associated with a number of adverse health effects.
Before buying any skin lightening product make sure you check the ingredients before you buy it. Avoid it if hydroquinone, corticosteroids or mercury are listed in the ingredients, or if the product does not list the ingredients.
Creams that contain hydroquinone, corticosteroids or mercury, which have not been prescribed by a doctor, are banned in many countries because they can cause serious side effects if used incorrectly.
Many skin-lightening creams containing natural ingredients are also available. These are legal and unlikely to be harmful, but there’s no guarantee they work.
Skin lightening precautions
Skin lightening poses several risks. If you try to lower melanin, you may have:
- Higher chances of sun damage. Less melanin means less protection from the sun’s rays. This raises the risk of wrinkles, uneven texture, and discoloration.
- Increased risk of skin cancer. The high risk of sun damage also increases your chances of developing skin cancer.
- Irritation and sensitivity. The actual process of skin lightening is harsh on the skin. Many treatments can cause side effects like redness, itchiness, and contact dermatitis.
Skin lightening treatments can temporarily reduce your skin’s melanin production. Most of them work by suppressing the enzyme that’s needed to form melanin.
However, aside from wearing sunscreen and limiting sun exposure, you can’t lower your body’s overall melanin production. Permanent reduction isn’t possible, since melanin formation is determined by genetics.
If you have hyperpigmentation, ask a doctor how to reduce melanin in the affected areas. They can suggest the appropriate treatments or remedies for your needs.
