I've been reading post on this board for some time now, so I thought it was time for me to start posting too, lol.
Now a little about my self:
I'm 20, of nigerian decent (both my parents are nigerian), according to that skin chart I'm about "red tone 9", and I was born and raised on the east coast of America.

I first realized skin bleaching was a common practice in America and around the world when I saw that Tyra Banks episode. I knew it was commin amonst nigerians but I never thought americans did it... how niave I was, lol.

I knew that my mother had been bleaching her skin for years, but never really thought nothing of it. For as long as I can remember my mother has always been light skinned. But I remember as a kid see older pics of her where she was brown skinned and it always used to stun me that the was once brown skinned. It wasn't until I was arould 10 that I realized she was bleaching her skin.
She would mix moisturizing cream with crusader cream (a bleaching cream that contains 2% hydroquinone) and Top-Gel (some cream but I'm not sure what it does). She would also shower with the crusader soap. It wasn't until about 8yrs ago that she stared adding hydroquinone powder to mix. Based on pictures, I believe she started bleaching her skin shortly after I was born.
She was originally around "olive tone 9" and became somewhere between a Rihanna and Beyonce tone. And she has been that color for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure how long it took her to reach that tone but read below.

Now, like I said my parents are both nigerian. My father became a US citizen but my mother never did. And late last year my mother had problems with immigration (thanks Bush!). She was in immigration custody for 1yr. Needless to say she had no access to her cream. She is back home now (thanks to god!) but while she was in custody she did get about 2 shades darker but she was no way as dark as she originally was. This leads me to believe that hydroquinone is perment in some way. She didn't return to original color or get darker than her original color.

When she came home she began using her cream again. And I started to see results after the first week. She has been home for a month now and has already lightened up about 1 shade on her body and 2 on her face. She puts the cream on her face several times a day and on her body once a day. She also showers with the crusader soap.

So, she has been using hydroquinone for nearly 20 yrs and she said she has never been burned by it, never suffered from thining skin, nor has she ever had any medical problems from it. So I'm not sure why every one is scared to use it. She is a pharmacist and nows all about it, and she wasn't even scared. I don't ever even remember her using sunblock, though I think the crusader cream contains some. She would always go out in the sun. She would tan (never to her original color though) but then lighten back up.

The only way you will get burned is if you don't use it properly or your skin is just very sensitive. I got burned from it the first time I used because I didn't dissolve the powder in the cream, I just mixed it in.
Now, I have started using the same cream mix as my mom, but I also added alpha arbutin powder to it.
I mixed moisturizing cream (eucerin about 7oz), about 20g of hydroquinone powder, 5g alpha arbutin powder and 4oz of crusader cream (a bleaching cream that my mother used and contains 2% hydroquinone). I mixed them all together then held the cream in boiling water for 8-10 minutes until I could no longer feel the hydroquinone in it.
I also shower with l-glutathione soap, AHA soap, Kojic Acid soap, and that Tone sugar exfoliating soap. I shower once a day and apply the cream twice a day. I just started this routine 2 days ago, so I'll keep you guys updated.

It seems like a lot but after I reach my desired tone, I'll stick to the cream and one soap. Many of you seem to be concerned about having to do this every day for ever, but it really isn't even that much. My mother bathed once a day with bleaching soap and applied her cream once after her bath. It wasn't a task that dominated her life, lol. If she wasn't bleaching her skin she would have been doing the same thing, bathing and moisturizing, but with regular soap and cream.

Sorry for the long essay, lol. I just wanted to share my experience with you all. If you have any questions I'll be glad to answer!

Hi, so your mom used Crusader medicated soap... I'm using that at the moment for my face and body... does the soap lighten skin?.

How do you dissolve your powder?
?
'

I would like to hear more updates from you! Lol I know hq works but people keep talking about the horror of it and not the nice effects. Thank u for taking the time and posting.

@PurpleInk
-Yes, she uses the soap. I'm not 100% sure if it lightens the skin but I know it clears up pimples, bumps, and blemishes. The cream definatley lightens the skin though.

@ Super shallow
-I dissovle it by mixing it in with my cream then boiling the cream(in its jar) in water for about 10 minutes or until I can no longer feel the hydroquinone in the cream.

@RedDiamond
-Well I posted that one day after I started my routine so its been about 9 days now. I haven't noticed that big of a change yet. I think I look a tad bit lighter. But my family has noticed that I am lighter so I guess its noticeable. I haven't had none of the negative side affects that people say happen. No burning, no darkening, no nothing. I'm even surprised that I didn't break out, because I have eczema and breakout easily. I've also added Fair&White and Bio Claire to my routine a few days ago. I will keep you guys updated on my progress and possibly post pics.

@PurpleInk
-Yes, she uses the soap. I'm not 100% sure if it lightens the skin but i know it clears up pimples, bumps, and blemishes. The cream definatley lightens the skin though.

@ Super shallow
-I dissovle it by mixing it in with my cream then boiling the cream(in its jar) in water for about 10 mins or until I can no longer feel the hydroquinone in the cream.

@RedDiamond
-Well i posted that one day after I started my routine so its been about 9 days now. I haven't noticed that big of a change yet. I think i look a tad bit lighter. But my family has noticed that i am lighter so I guess its noticeable. I haven't had none of the negative side affects that ppl say happen. No burning, no darkening, no nothing. I'm even surprised that I didn't break out, because I have eczema and breakout easily. I've also added Fair&White and Bio Claire to my routine a few days ago. I will keep you guys updated on my progress and possibly post pics.

Hey I don't want to bleach my entire skin, I just want to lighten my discolored spots. Like my knees, elbows, knuckles, neck and forehead and stomach... so which crusader products do you recommend I use for this?. thank you :)

I wanted to ask you where did you get the hydroquinone from?

Hey I've heard that the soap contains Mercury... read thiz

Dangerous soaps on sale in UK. (Crusader Safety Soap & Roberts Medicated Soap found to contain mercury) | Article from Cosmetics International | HighBeam Research (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-9085295.html)

Mercury in soap and creams - a serious health hazard (http://www.geus.dk/program-areas/common/health_hazard_1-uk.htm)

hey I've heard that the soap contains Mercury ...read thiz

Dangerous soaps on sale in UK. (Crusader Safety Soap & Roberts Medicated Soap found to contain mercury) | Article from Cosmetics International | HighBeam Research (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-9085295.html)

Mercury in soap and creams - a serious health hazard (http://www.geus.dk/program-areas/common/health_hazard_1-uk.htm)



Yeah I know... so what are you using then?

Please tell me where to buy those products... You presented an excellent post. Can you email me at [email protected]

Crusader medicated soap contains mercury for a fact and is very true and so do so many other medicated soaps like roberts,mekako,pharmapur etc.I have a friend who is half lebanese and half black and she bleaches her skin with all these soaps and they work like wonders.she lightened like 6 shades lighter and is now a rosy complexion but she looks older now.when we walk together people think I am younger than her,but in fact I am like 6year older than her.and when she stopped using the medicated soaps for a while she got very very dark almost instantly(not even a gradual change in skin color like going from rosy white to maybe light tan,then to tan and so on till dark),in like a couple of days there was a very drastic change in her skin tone and wasn't good at all.but when she starts back up with the soaps her rosy complexion comes again but boy!! Is she aging fast and God know what disease she will get later in life using mercury based soaps to lighten her skin!! she never listens when I talk to her so I let her be.but those soaps really do lighten your skin bigtime but the health risks later on may not be good for your health so please be careful.I would never put my health at a risk for fair skin so I am using glutathione soap and it's working for me well.sometimes I use kojic soap too and I am not worried because glutathione and kojic are not harmful ingredients for skin whitening.so please be careful and consider whether to use those medicated soaps or not.

You can get the Crusader soap and cream at the african store.

Hey did u know how to mix the bleaching soap?

U cut the soap in little pieces mix it in a blender and add a little bit of water and make it like a round big ball and put it in a empty vase or plastic bowl
That's how I used to do when I was mixing my soaps..
BE CAREFUL THEY ARE VERY STRONG

@PurpleInk
-Yes, she uses the soap. I'm not 100% sure if it lightens the skin but i know it clears up pimples, bumps, and blemishes. The cream definatley lightens the skin though.

@ Super shallow
-I dissovle it by mixing it in with my cream then boiling the cream(in its jar) in water for about 10 mins or until I can no longer feel the hydroquinone in the cream.

@RedDiamond
-Well i posted that one day after I started my routine so its been about 9 days now. I haven't noticed that big of a change yet. I think i look a tad bit lighter. But my family has noticed that i am lighter so I guess its noticeable. I haven't had none of the negative side affects that ppl say happen. No burning, no darkening, no nothing. I'm even surprised that I didn't break out, because I have eczema and breakout easily. I've also added Fair&White and Bio Claire to my routine a few days ago. I will keep you guys updated on my progress and possibly post pics.

------------------------------------

You may never see real results if you boil the cream for 10 minutes in water... its like your cooking your food where nutrients get destroyed afte rsome time...

If you need to boil it do it for lesser time.. 10 minutes means your surely using hydroquinone neutralised to the core...

Hey miss c I am also using hq20% and it works great thanks for your post.


Your fellow whitening buddy

RECALL INFORMATION
Feb 13---Bio Claire recalls Natural Bio-vegetal Activator BODY LOTION---Ireland

Manufacturer: See Below


Product: Home

Start Date: 2009-02-13 End Date: 2009-03-13


Product: Lightening body lotion without hydroquinone – Natural Bio-vegetal Activator

Brand: Bio Claire

Type/number of model: P:05/08 E:05/11 082657 “S3”

Description: White 8” (200ml) high container with white screw-top lid.

Country of origin: Ivory Coast

Chemical

The product poses a chemical risk because it contains 0.06% of hydroquinone.

The product does not comply with the Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC.

Voluntary withdrawal from the market and recall from consumers.

I don't understand your post all honesty are you trying to tell us that bio clair is bad, I don't use it personaly but there are no safe natural highly effective whitening agents available on the market currently.

It's true that PROBABLY there's no safe natural highly effective whitening agent available on the market now but I think some of them could be more harmful than others

I posted that up there (about Bio Claire) to show that it does contain HQ even if it says it doesn't have it in there. Also, and that it's not so "wonderful". I've heard the this lotion/creme called Dermo White is pretty good. It DOES NOT contain HQ and its made from France. They sell it all over Brooklyn (NY) and also this website, Guesso.com. If you want more info on it (Dermo White) call the Guesso company or look it up. [I'll add a link to the lotion]. I've used Bio Claire (which contains 6% of HQ) on my face a couple of times and it irritated it and got a lot of rashes on my face... it was embarrassing. I've been using Dermaclair lotion since forever and it contains 2% of HQ and has done NOTHING to my face... it only lightening it up a little and gave me a blemish- free look. It gave me a natural look, which I love. Now, they've stopped distributing Dermaclair Beauty lotion in the U.S so I'm going to try the Dermo White, which I've heard its pretty good. I just want to maintain my complextion... not get any lighter...

Dermo White link: Dermo White Complexion Beauty Milk 500ml (DERMO-L1) (http://www.guesso.com/dewhcobemid.html)

hey miss c i am also using hq20% and it works great thanks for your post.


your fellow whitening buddy

Where did you get your HQ20%

Where did you get your HQ20%

Please message me as well.. Did you MIX or buy your HQ 10%?

I tried to mix the hydroquinone powder into a 4% hydroquinone cream that I already had and it didn't dissolve. I had it in hot water for like 30 minutes, and the crystals still formed after like 3 days... I tried again, but this time for like 15 minutes in hot water and instead of the hydroquinone cream, I mixed it in a moisturizer. But the cream turned into a liquid form and stayed that way. I guess the whole mixing thing is not going to happen for me. Im stressed out to the point where I'm thinking about getting steroid based whitening creams... :(

You have to dissolve the powder in warmed proplye gycol (sp) then add to cream after its dissolved

Kligman's original forumula was indeed:

Hydroquinone powder 5%
Dexamethasone powder 0.1%
Tretinoin powder 0.1%
Hydrophilic ung qs ad 60gm

The reference is O.H. Mills and A.M. Kligman, J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem. 1978,
29, 147.
There are of course other variations. One pharmacist I know dissolves the HQ
Powder in propylene glycol prior to mixing in hydrocortisone powder,
Tretinoin powder, and then blending with Unibase cream.

I credit Kligman with all variations of the concept of hydroquinone,
Tretinioin, steroid creams. The exact method of preparation of what I was
Using with great success was combining in order

Water 3ml
Hydroquinone powder (Kodak) 5gm
Retin A 0.05% cream (DNS) 15gm
Lidex cream (DNS) 15gm
Eucerin cream (DNS) qs ad 50 gm

The HQ is dissolved in the water first, then the creams are combined, and
Finally all are mixed thourougly by hand. This makes 50gm of a very nice
Stable bleaching cream which emulsifies nicely. The fluocinonide content is
0.015% and use is carefully monitored by giving the patient 10gm jars at a
Time. I have never seen atrophy or steroid induced rosacea from use of this,
But it is a concern of course. The patient is instructed to apply at hs and
Use high SPF sunscreen every AM. The advantages are: 1) Patients love it, a
Prescription made just for them by the dermatologist, and they don't have to
Pay for it. NO prescription cost to the patient 2) minimal cost to the
Dermatologist since ingredients are free samples except for the HQ powder
Which is inexpensive 3) very individualized treatment with control of supply
By the dermatologist. The problem is that samples of Lidex cream (DNS) are
No longer available, and I have had problems with the emulsification of other
Steroid creams (they tend to separate in a few days). Horror of horrors, I
May actually have to buy ingredients?

All of this raises the question: how many dermatolgists and pharmacists are
Doing traditional compounding? What are favorite recipes for various things?
Is traditional compounding becoming a lost art?

Walter H. Wood, M.D.
--------------------

In our setting, we have tried from low potency: hydrocortisone to mid
Potency fluocinonide or betamethasone combination in our bleaching
Preparation. We find the combination hydroquinone + Tretinoin .05 +
Hydrocortisone to be the most effective in terms of effect and cost.
Hydrocortisone is cheaper in Manila. Lately we are trying to use desonide
Cream (DesOwen) to see if it is better than hydrocortisone.
In regards to separation in your Lidex E, how to you prepare your
Hydroquinone powder? Do you use propylene glycol to dissolve it? It might
Be the diluent that is reacting with the emollient base of Lidex E.



Jonathan Yu, MD
Skin & Cancer Foundation
Makati, Philippines
-------------------


Perhaps I should try propylene glycol instead of water. There does seem to
Be something unique about the emulsification of regular Lidex cream that
Made everything work. Mixing already optimized creams is definitely tricky.


Walter H. Wood, M.D.
--------------------


------------
AZELAIC ACID
------------


How about asking the company which makes azelaic acid for acne to supply some
To you on an investigative basis for depigmentation? Dr. Nazzaro-Poro in
Italy reported its use for depigmentation about 10 years ago. If Benoquin is
Unavailable, there might be a good market for azelaic acid as a substitute.

Yelva Lynfield, MD
------------------



In the literature at least, azeleic acid is about as effective as
Hydroquinone for melasma, therefore I have not considered it an effective
Substitute for the much more potent benoquin.

Mark Ling, M.D. Ph.D.
Emory University Department of Dermatology
Clinical Pharmacology Unit
Atlanta, GA
-----------



Azeleic acid will not depigment normal skin and only works well on areas
Where the pigment is active, i.e. melasma. Old post inflammatory pigment or
Deep dermal pigment isn't touched.However, melanex applied first,
Followed by azeleic acid, is better than melanex alone by quite a
Bit.

Haines ELy MD
-------------




-------
4.17.96

This might help

I was reading this post, and I have some experience in creams preparation and a little of knowloegde in chemistry, So is think that is best to mix hydroquinone in propilenglicol previosly and then mix it in a cream. But you will neeed to have caution with several problems

1)hydroquinone will precipitate and separate from the cream within a few days so you will have to shake it strongly before every use.
2) hydroquinone exposed to the air oxides rapidly, and your mixture will last no more than a week (researching the duration of hydroquinone powder in 1L, it has a duration depending of the storage, in a full botle can keep it for longer than in a half bottle for example, and in galon can take longer in get oxidized . When this happen, it could get worst hyperpigmentation.(that's because you cannot take sun using HQ! Because it gets oxidized) So I recommend to prepare minimal volumes that you will use in no more than a week, and then re-prepare.

These are helpful securrity tips. Remember that HQ have severely potencial complications, so use it with responsibility and controlling every factors (oxidation of HQ, sun exposure, % tolerated and tested for your skin (never more than 10%) , interaction with other agents, I know that Hydrogen peroxide can react strongly with HQ resulting horrible burns, Remember that HQ is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for skin type V and VI.