Hello, I'm new on the forum so I wanted to share my experience on skin lightening and hydroquinone.
To begin with I tried in the last 5 years 2 main skin lightening ingredients: kojic and hydroquinone and both worked great for me. I am African American by the way.
My first skin ligtening was a 4% hydroquinone cream : in few days I went fromdark skin girl to a light skin girl (on the face... ). The results were so dramatic that I had to stop because my Dad noticed (he was damn mad and ask me to stop right away). I stopped to not argue with m parents and of course I went back little by little to my normal skin (I did not get darker, just normal skin colour). About a year later I tried Kojic acid (to have a less dramatic result), I was happy it lightened me up about 2 shades but a yearlater a runed out of it (and did not buy some more) and stopped... I wanted to get back on kojic but my skin became more resistant to it and I did not see so much result. I tried to get back to hydroquinone... same thing,% was not working anymore... I tried 10% but it just lightened up my dark spot (that was nice), so I decided to try 20% to see... Well I was scared at first because it is high but I tried by using it with almon oil, vitamin C lotion and time to time peeling (retinol). So I peeled of course annd lighten dramatically on the face and the neck (I stopped the body because my skin develop an allergy but not on the face)... so dramatically that I stopput sunscreen on my neck for some day to try to dark it back (I know it does not make sense but there was like a line between my chest and neck). After a week my neck and face is light and I think in a week I will stop and switch to a kojic and sunscreen because I achieved the colour. So in conclusion, if you are dark skin and never used skin lighten product start with kojic (safer) and stick with it and sunscreen. If you want quick result hydroquinone in a low dosage should work well (if u did not try any other lotion before), if like me u tried and stop and went back u might need a higgher concentration to jump start but swich little by little as soon as you get the desire result... Hydroquinone 20% is too high in my experience, by using it you should know what you are doing, and mix with your dayli lotion in a small quantity, it is very strong... so strong that my body made me understand to stop it through the allergy... what is weard is I did not get the allergy on my face or neck.

I hope my story will help.

What are you using on your bosy? Don't tell me you have a light face & dark bodyy 0.0 lol

Did you compound the 20% hq?

OMG! Hydroquinone 20% is waay to strong. You did give some good tips and we appreciate that. I much prefer the natural ingredients, they are more consistent and gives you an even tone. Kojic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin are good natural ingredients. Watch out for anything with steroids... they catch up with you sooner or later.

Thank you for your answers.
I am going to give you some update on my story. I finally get back to the 20% hydroquinone on my body, and to avoid allergy I used in same time those lotion they sell at CVS for people who got burned by the sun... it is weird but it stopped the allergy... my back, belly, breast, neck and face is light, but I have hard time with the legs and hands for some reason.
If you want some before and after pics of me I can send you in private by email, since I started a month ago the hydroquinone regimen I lost 4 shades, and now maintain with sunscreen.
The 20% or 10% hydroquinone has to be used VERY VERY carefully, it is very strong: the first week of use, mix with you lotion in a small quantity, the second week, more hydroquinone and less lotion, the third week or 4th week you can start using the full hydroquinone... but not more than 2 month. If you want good result, mix with vitamin C and retinol (to peel and speed up the process).
I am still amazed by my result, I was a dark skinned girl now Im light. But again I advice you to use natural skin lightener if you start this regimen and stick with it, it is much safer :-)

Can you please tell me where you got the hydroquionone 20%, or if you compounded it yourself. If you did compound it yourself, how did you do it?

I want to know too!

Isis-cosmeceuticals.com

Isis-cosmeceuticals.com

Can you tell me where you bought the hydroquinone 20% from please?

I've been researching different skin lightening products and ran across that company. I was impressed with them so I'm going to order my hydroquinone from them. Not sure if I'm going to start with 10% or 20% though.

Why do you “black girls” feel the need to lighten your skin tone? Are you not happy with your beautiful natural skin tone? Perhaps there is a need for you to dig deep within and come to the realization that you are uniquely beautiful; all bestowed with various gifts, talents, and yes physical beauty.

As a 50 year old bi-racial woman (former model now plagued with melasma) I find it quite disconcerting that women today still believe the lies that popular media spoon feeds this generation. The propaganda touches your lips like a well-disguised poison appearing to be a delectable and exquisite delicacy. You open your mouths, allow it to rest on the tongue for a moment then eagerly take one huge gulp to swallow it down. You devour and digest the distortion and guile. The effectual indoctrination and defamation get in your blood stream, subsequently polluting your entire existence. It is a process which begins with both your spirit and mind. There lies an astounding sadness in that fact. I suppose that is why many women have a sense of inadequacy.

Beauty honestly begins within. My current appearance does not diminish my beauty. Why do I know that? I know that wholly by virtue of my spirit as it unites, meditates, gives gratitude, and dances with what is true, good, healthy, giving, loving , the list goes on. I don't "feel" the beauty, I am the beauty. Therefore, I give beauty. Ladies, please give yourselves a break. Love yourself first, allow your mind and spirit to find out who you are, appreciate who you are and the many awesome gifts you possess. Accept who you are.. . Entirely. Now, if you have acquired unusual new blotches that were absolutely never present before - please seek a dermatologist. Then decide on the proper method to rectify the "minor" marks. But to entirely change one's skin color as a result of media hype. I say this only to encourage you, not to judge you. Peace and Love to all!!

I have used hydroquinone like 2% and got a nice skin when I was in 20s, the it all stopped working, I used betamethasones (ignorantly) the results were amazing, for like 3yrs then I got to undrstand the side effects and stopped went back to hydroquinone based cremes worked but not to a good level, then stopped every chemical when I was pregnant and I became a navy blue! After breast feeding whatever I tried was not working at all, I went through another pregnant and breastfeeding I got out so so dark! Resently I tried hyroquinone 4% gel with a crème of 3% plus betamethasone 0.05 I got good results for two months, the stopped and went to hydroquinone 2% gel and a crème of 3% now I am almost back to navy blue colour, I am detarmained to start monobenzone 10% to get rid of this colour once and for-all. Please has anyone with any experience out there?
Cause there are some online shops wich says you can use carefully until you get the desired colour and stop using daily, just few times a week to maintain the colour but some are saying keep out of it unless you have got vitiligo skin condition!? Please heeeeelp

All u have said is true and well appreciated, but I know myself better, even my makeups looks better when I am a shade or two lighter!! I can put on more colors on my hair than when I am dark, and I feel good, high selfesteem etc

Dear Brinti6,

What lafille meant is that you are aspiring to a concept of beauty that focuses on light/white skin. Black skin is different: different color, different aspects. And you know what is the best about black/dark skin? Is the fact that our skin does not age as fast as light skin, so we always look younger than our counterpart whites. Take that as a blessing in disguise. Love who you are, love your heritage.

Used mercury, hydroquinone, trinitoin, kojic acid, arbuntin, and mix all this creams and apply at night, after week your face colour will be fair

Melacare cream, kojivit gel, radant, retino a cream, stillman bleach cream all this cream mix in a pot and used u will be lightening like egg

White face colour doesn't mean u have to white from heart

Are you still using Hydroquinone 20%. How long one can use this product, and if we stopped once and use again a year later, will it work?

Hii can you please email me the pics as I want to see the progress thanksss