Maybe its just me... but it seems like some skin lightening products either give a glow or make the skin look ashy and rough with a bad appearance... so what can you do when this happens?

You have to exfoliate!! It's a must!
Whether your using a peel or scrubbing type cleanser it should be done.
It helps the creams penetrate the skin evenly so your complexion won't be so dull, have to rid of those dead skin cells. Latic Acid is good for beginners.

Yeah PATIENCE and exfoliate gently.

Take breaks. Usually when you take BREAKS after a few months u can appreciate the lightness left behind, as the dryness or redness fades.

Oh I definitely exfoliate but I kind of tend to get carried away... LOL I have to try moisturising more maybe but my face is kind of oily in the forehead area... I wonder if there are any products that will help because just exfoliating hasn't been working out good for me because it seems as if when my skin cells regenerate my skin appears even more blotchy

Yeah I would say the apricot scrub, papaya kojic soap, and I was taking vitamin C liquid capsules along with a multivitamin... will have to get more.

I might try the vitamin C too and a multi vitamin... maybe it will help my lack of energy also

I may help with the lack of energy. I think I would have to take a whole bottle a week to get some energy from it.. lol. But I take liquid Geratol for the energy, it's not like an energy drink but does help quite a bit since it is a liquid vitamin/iron mix but it does taste awful :p

A vitamin B-Complex is good for energy

A vitamin B-Complex is good for energy

Any particular brand you recommend is best?

any particular brand you recommend is best?

Nature Made brand is what my mom bought so that's what Im using by default, but most brands are OK. With certain vitamins and/or minerals some are more potent than others so it is always best to research potency as some have a lot of fillers. I have found this to be true with glutathione in the past, with some brands having too many fillers reducing the potency.

I like Nature Made, that was the brand of vitamin C that I had used.