[Meagan91]

Some of you might remember what I wrote about Bio claire some time ago.

I found a swiss link about illegal skin lightening creams and the testings they did. Here are the results. As it is in written in German Ill roughly translate the most important part:
Two of 17 skin bleaching creams contained hq in high percentages between 3.7 and 5.6%. The use of hq is forbidden in the EU. One of the products was lacking the declaration that it contained hq. According to the declaration the lightening effect is to be achieved by the use of kojic acid which is prohibited in Switzerland as well as bearberry extract. Bearberry extract contains the hydroquinone-glucosid p-Arbutin. The way the product was declared it would have been tradeable in Europe. So either this is a case of a rough deception or of a mistake with the bottling of the product. The product is sold under a french brand, however it is produced in ivory coast, where hq is eventually still allowed to be used as bleaching agent legally.

Here's the link: http://www.kantonslabor-bs.ch/files/...mittel2006.pdf

Back then it was only my assumption. But now I got 100% evidence. This time its an Austrian site warning explicitly about Bio claire.
Here is the new link: OMCL - Arzneimittel-Fälschungen - Warnungen - Bio Claire Lightening Body Creme : BASG

My English isn't that good but I'll try to translate my best:4

In the Netherlands a cream called Bio Claire has been detected. Its active pharmaceutical agent is clobetasolpropionate (a glucocorticosteroide). Thus, this cream is considered an illegal drug.

According to its declaration the skin lightening is supposed to happen in a natural way.
According to the application order this cream is meant to be applied up to three times daily. Due to the dosage of the active ingredient the cream can have detrimental effects on health in the long term. Even more so if used excessively ( 2,5 tubes/per week and onwards)

Usage is strongly disadvised.
People who possess Bio Claire lightening Body Crème, are requested to hand the cream over to a pharmacy promptly for the purpose of destruction. If undesirble effects occur, it is recommended to contact a doctor immediately.
The warning is quite new. It dates back to 21/07/09

Clobetasolpropionate is very potent (10 times as strong as hydrocortisone)
For further information look it up on wikipedia:
Clobetasol propionate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now we know what their ominous bio vegetal is.

Its not worth it. People stop using it immediately. There are so many other things that work. Just be patient.

[Golden_Girl]

Thanks for this post, now we know what their bio vegetal activator really is

[davonte44]

Wow!. scary!. so what can we use now??

[Golden_Girl]

Wow!..............scary!......so what can we use now???

Who knows :confused: I have been trying to figure that out for some time now. It seems like all that stuff comes with strings attached one way or another. I feel like I'm running out of options, but I know there's some things out there that helps you to reach your lightening goal and no scaring, and possible to hopefully afford.

[davonte44]

Who knows :confused: I have been trying to figure that out for some time now. It seems like all that stuff comes with strings attached one way or another. I feel like I'm running out of options, but I know theres some things out there that helps you to reach your lightening goal and no scaring, and possible to hopefully afford.

I know!. but I think we just have to alternate products may be... I have never tried it but um just going to try for a month than may be apply it once a day and also use a good sunscreen and moisturiser

You are so very helpful...

Thank you!! :)

[Golden_Girl]

Well, take it easy and see how your skin reacts to it. Because it does come with strings attached.

[dessaml]

... Hmm, well I am not going to stop using my bio claire, just a personal decision. I don't want to lighten my skin per se I just want to correct the hyperpigmentation my "darkness" is a non issue. I just want clear beautiful skin, I hate having to lather myself in makeup just to look pretty, I'm a very good looking girl, but my skin just ruins it! And I can't afford laser surgery or light impulse therapy etc... what to do?:confused:

[chocobrownie]

I onli used this for 3 days and I've got an infection fuk bio claire fake asss killing black people brand

[Golden_Girl]

...Hmm, well I am not gonna stop using my bio claire, just a personal decision. I don't wanna lighten my skin per se I just wanna correct the hyperpigmentation my "darkness" is a non issue. I just want clear beautiful skin, I hate having to lather myself in makeup just to look pretty, I'm a very good looking girl, but my skin just ruins it! And I can't afford laser surgery or light impulse therapy ect...what to do?:confused:

You ever tried facial scrubs or microdremabrasion? They work pretty good too.

[ozchick]

In Australia they still use Hydroquinone at skin specialists. I have found a very good doctor who specialises in pigmentation and he has prescribed a cream that is made up in a compounding chemist. This started with 4% hQ and 5% glycolic acid, and has been increased to 5% HQ and 7.5% Glycolic acid. Both are mixed in cetaphil lotion. Have been using this now for a few months every evening for 5 days a week and the lightening effects have been remarkable. I asked the doctor whether it was safe to use this and he said it was. Having tried many many other ways of getting rid of dark marks on my face I can say that HQ is the only thing that has worked. I also have microdermabrasion and facial peels at the salon every few weeks to help the process.

You have to stay out of the sun and use factor 50 or above suncream always otherwise the treated areas will go even darker with exposure to the sun. I also use this on my hands and arms, but have been considering Bio Claire and wonder if anyone has been using this for a long period with success? I know there is a site in the UK on eBay where you can buy it, has anyone every bought it from there?

[ozchick]

In Australia they still use Hydroquinone at skin specialists. I have found a very good doctor who specialises in pigmentation and he has prescribed a cream that is made up in a compounding chemist. This started with 4% hQ and 5% glycolic acid, and has been increased to 5% HQ and 7.5% Glycolic acid. Both are mixed in cetaphil lotion. Have been using this now for a few months every evening for 5 days a week and the lightening effects have been remarkable. I asked the doctor whether it was safe to use this and he said it was. Having tried many many other ways of getting rid of dark marks on my face I can say that HQ is the only thing that has worked. I also have microdermabrasion and facial peels at the salon every few weeks to help the process.

You have to stay out of the sun and use factor 50 or above suncream always otherwise the treated areas will go even darker with exposure to the sun. I also use this on my hands and arms, but have been considering Bio Claire and wonder if anyone has been using this for a long period with success? I know there is a site in the UK on eBay where you can buy it, has anyone every bought it from there?

[Meagan91]

...Hmm, well I am not gonna stop using my bio claire, just a personal decision. I don't wanna lighten my skin per se I just wanna correct the hyperpigmentation my "darkness" is a non issue. I just want clear beautiful skin, I hate having to lather myself in makeup just to look pretty, I'm a very good looking girl, but my skin just ruins it! And I can't afford laser surgery or light impulse therapy ect...what to do?:confused:

Maybe u should use hq and retin a instead. I have a cream that contains 5% hq and
0.1% tretinoin and it worked very well. Hq can be used up to six months. Recommended by dermatologist) clobetasolepropionate however can be used two weeks maximum. Its very health-demaging and illegal.

[lighterrr]

Thanks for the great post megan, clobesterol is the same active ingredient in movate, very dangerous to people with prior medical issues and even health people too

[dessaml]

maybe u should use hq and retin a instead. I have a cream that contains 5% hq and
0.1% tretinoin and it worked very well. Hq can be used up to six months. recommended by dermatologist) clobetasolepropionate however can be used two weeks maximum. Its very health-demaging and illegal.

Woah woah woah, where did you get an HQ of 5%?? The highest I ever got was Obagi 4% and Obagi is crap and doesn't work.

[lighterrr]

Just do a Google search I used hq 20% before and had good results

[Meagan91]

woah woah woah, where did you get an HQ of 5%?????? The highest I ever got was Obagi 4% and Obagi is crap and doesnt work.

I got it from my dermatologist because of the hyperpigmentation covering my forehead. It only took 3 days to work. The retin-a peeled away the skin and the skin underneath was much lighter. The cream is called pigmanorm by widmer.

[PunkChic]

Oh my!

Thank you so much for the info, Meagan91! You're a staaar!

[Golden_Girl]

maybe u should use hq and retin a instead. I have a cream that contains 5% hq and
0.1% tretinoin and it worked very well. Hq can be used up to six months. recommended by dermatologist) clobetasolepropionate however can be used two weeks maximum. Its very health-demaging and illegal.

Meagan91 can you tell me where you get your Hq 5% from? You can pm it to me, thanks.

[Meagan91]

Oh my!

Thank you so much for the info, Meagan91! You're a staaar!

No Im a dumbass. I should have never even used it in first place. So many reported thinning of skin, stretchmark, etc. These are clearly signs of steroids.
When I read about all the harmful side-effects of clobetasol propionate, I could just cry that I was so stupid to put my health on hazard for the sake of a more even, brighter skin.

I didn't want to use hq, but what I got was way worse. Bio claire.
You just can't trust most skin lightening companies.

And for all of you who want to avoid hq. If a jar states hq-free. Don't fall for it. If an ingredient makes up less than two percent of the actual product, companies are not bound to declare it. This might not be the exact rule but its something along this lines. Many companies make use of this rule.

Don't fall for miracle products. If they work this fast, they must have some harmful stuff, like hq, mercury, steroid.

In case of bio claire: Its stated the active ingredients were really kojic acid and bearberry.
Now if you mix your own cream with these ingredients it should work just as well or even better, because the companies use much tinier amounts in order to produce cheap. (Mind you kojic acid is a bit pricey whereas bio claire is not.)

There are only a few active ingredients known to work in terms of skin lightening. Buy them and make your own creams. Cheaper AND safer.

If you use ready-made creams use only those you get by your derm or have it tested.

[Golden_Girl]

So true. I shouldve known something was seriously wrong with using bio claire when I opened the jar, it smells like poison. Like something you would use to dissolve paint or something. I was foolish to use that mess. It's sad there are companies who are only thinking about their pockets and don't care what they put in their products like mercury and steroids. To be honest I would rather prefer using Hq and retin-a for 6 months than using something I am skeptical about... bio claire say they have no Hq and they lied, and then if you look at their ingredients list their so called "active ingredients" are listed way at the bottom which usually in most cases represent they have very small amounts, and maybe even lless than 0.01% from an article I once read. So, it's now obvious they use bio vegetal activator steroids.