Hi everyone I Have been lurking around this site for quite sometimes but never registered. I was looking for tips on lightening and have read some crazy advices. I first have tried makari which broke me out in hives. Then I tried hypercreme which gave me stretch marks on my thighs and legs ( I think that sh*t had steroid in it, it lightened me like crazy but stretch marks were also the other prize). Anyway I then tried thienna's method and drank tonnes of MSM with no results. Then followed kojic acid which lightened me unevenly. So I finally decided to go the dark side and bought some hydroquinone cream. I bought obagi 4% which lightened me but stopped after a while. I was so tired of this results so I purchased some photographic grade hydroquinone powder. I study chemistry at university so I asked questions about HQ and what kind of product to best mix it with. I found out HQ powder is moderatly soluble in water and freely soluble in alcohol. But don't go rushing into your medical cabinet and grabbing medical grade alcohol. You will need for a 20% concentration:

Dpg di propylene glycol: Used in skin care products, has a glycerin like consistence and a good carrier. You can buy it on eBay or Google it for about £15 or $22

HQ powder I got 600 grams for about £30 or $45

A good moisturizer: I use E 45 moisturizing lotion for face and body 500ml for £4.60 or $7. it is perfect because the bottle has a pump which stops the HQ from oxidising.

And retin A gel or cream 0.1% I use the gel because it penetrates the skin better.

So when you get all of these, buy some gloves, lab mixing spatula or get plastic spoons that you can throw away, mixing clear tub with a lid that is clear so you can see if there is any crystals that have not dissolve.

First heat up some water in a pot you are not going to use for cooking, then pour about 25 to 30 ml of. The propylene glycol in the tub close it and put it in the pot and heat it until it goes from the glycerin like consistence to water like ( really fluid).

Cool it for about 30 secs, then add the 10 grams of HQ powder rapidly so air doesn't get in it too much. Close the tub and let it in there for 5mins. It will dissolves slowly.

After the 5 minutes, shake the tub rapidly, look if there is anymore crystals and let it sit if you observe any.

After the crystals have dissolved pour about 50 to 75 ml of your lotion in little by little, mixing it with the propylene glycol. Then add about 10 grams of retin a. This is optional. I do not mix my retin a to the lotion because it irritates my neck and chest. So I put some lotion in my hand then add a pea size of retin a and mix them together when I apply it.

Pour the solution in a opaque pump bottle so no light and air can get inside it.

Now you are ready to use it.

Happy lightening.:D

Ps: for those of you have been dissolving your HQ in water, it will probably not dissolve and will oxidise straight away. And I have read about others who received brown HQ creams, People trust me this has long oxidised and will hardly be effective.

I forgot to add I have been using this for 3 weeks and have gone up about 3 shades on my face and 1.5 shade for my body although my back and stomach are still so stubborn and are lightening slowly. Your skin is going to peel a lot because of the retin a and reveal light pathes of skin. It happened mainly on my thighs and upper arms but it all blends in after a while. The retin a is used to allow an even penetration of the product therefore your lighten skin will be even.:)

Hi Doloress, this sounds very interesting, I want to try it but where did u get the hq? I am from the uk.

So what kind of alcohol did you use?

And you also didn't let us know how to mix it with everything and how much to use!!

Where is dolores, I have other questions too... hehe

Hiya wannabe I have been so busy. What would you like to know? I will be glad to answer :)

It's OK dolores... I have a lot of questions, and I'm sorry in advance for asking you all these questions. But here it goes... so I was wondering 1. where did you purchase the hq powder and other materials for the cream, you can even pm if you like... 2. do you have to heat up the water to a certain degree or when we feel like it can be dissolable? We heat up the water in like a regular pan or something and then put the bottle that we are going to make the cream in inside the hot water, right? Can we use any type of lotion or should we use a specific one? I also wanted to add vitamin c and e into my hydroquinone cream to get a better affect, do you know if that would be OK to do? If so, when do you think I should add them to the mix? I also read somewhere that cetyl alcohol should be used to dissolve the hq, would that work, or have you ever tried it? Another thing I was wondering was, what strength of hq would the mix you listed above create? Will it be like a 10%, 20% etc... I know I have lots of questions and they might be stupid, but I want to make sure I have everything clear before I make my own mix.

Anyone used hydroquinone liquid rather than powder, or anyone know where I can get some powder in the UK?

Hiya wannabewhite I am really sorry I haven't reply to your question. Ihave not been well and was at the A&E after falling sick.
I am also from the UK and if you send me your email I can PM the photographic website as soon as possible. I have never used cetyl alcohol but you can try and tell me the results. I used about 25 to 30 ml of Propylene Glycol.
1. I first boil water in a regular pan and then pour propylene glycol in a clear jar that I then place in the water. When the water has boiled, I take out the jar and let it sit for about 30 secs max and add my 10 grams HQ powder in it. Mix it using a spoon. There will still be a few Crystals that have not dissolve; let it sit and then look if they have dissolved, if not shake the jar vigourously and try to grind the crystals left with your spoon by pressing it against the jar walls. Once they are all gone, Add any cream you prefer I use E45 but you can use Eucerin and so on, and then mix it altogether. You can add vit e and vit c but I really don't know the effect of that as I have never tried that before.
This is to make a 20% solution.
If you are still not clear do not hesitate. I also use retin A 0.1%. It is so hard to find anything in this country like HQ powder and retin A but I did I if you would like to know just ask the retin a is shipped from the US and I have to wait for around 1.5 week to 2 weeks but its worth it.

Hey dolores if I pour propylene glycol in clear jar, and then later on add hq to it, wouldn't the hq oxidize from the clear jar, or oxidize when we are mixing it because there's no lid on the jar at that time?

The clear jar I use has a lid on it and I placed the jar in a brown paper bag when I mixed it with the HQ powder. I mix the 2 rapidly so the minimum air enter it, then I place the closed jar in the paper bag in a closet to shelter it from light. My cream does not turn brown at all. I avoid making big batches because after about 2 weeks it starts turning slightly brown so I make a jar that will last for about 1 tp 1.5week.

Thanks for the advice now that I'm in africa I have to be mixing my own 20%, I do it a little differently though, I also put lemon in my mix so I can get an instant peel

Hi lighter, with the retin A gel I use, I got a lot of peeling and no irritation. I have used lemon before but it irritated my skin and made scrath like crazy. You are so lucky I wished I could visit africa. Have a nice time!

Sorry lighter but do you mind sharing how you do your mix. It is interesting to see other people method and how are your results?

So lighterrr you make your own mix to? I thot you always purchased from the .net people... girl I guess your lucky because you had good results with their products, because I sure haven't... I tried to be patient and apply it throughout the day, but there are hecka other people who are on the same boat as me... I wish I was as lucky as you, because I hate wasting my hard earned money! Hey if you don't mind is there any way you can pm me your before and after pics... I would love to see your results...

Thanks dolores for helping me out, now all I need to do is figure out where to get good hq powder from and then ill mix it at home too.. can you private messege me with that info if you don't mind... I sent you a pm last night, I don't know if you got it yet...

doloress the propylene glycol I bought wasn't glycerin like its already water like, is that normal? And also you said you don't make a lot, enuf to last like a week and a half, so actuaully how may ounces do you make at a time?

Hi wannabewhite I have pm the website for the HQ powder.
Krazycee, the propylene lglycol I use like I said in my very first post is dpg gi propylene glycol because that is the kind used in cosmetic. Did you first check if the propylene glycol you bought could be used in skincare products? There are many kind of propylene glycol and it is important to buy the right one. Please check with the person you bought it from to avoid any kind of trouble with your skin. I make 100 ml of the cream that can last a week so I know for sure that it won't oxidise.

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Originally Posted by wannabwhite

so lighterrr u make ur own mix to? i thot u always purchased from the .net people... girl i guess ur lucky because u had good results with their products, because i sure haven't.... i tried to be patient and apply it throughtout the day, but there are hecka other people who are on the same boat as me... i wish i was as lucky as you, because i hate wasting my hard earned money! hey if you don't mind is there any way u can pm me ur before and after pics... i would love to see ur results...

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Hi want to be
Yes I am in africa right now that's whyy I don't post that much anymore internet over here is very challenging anyway here is my recipe

Pure 99% hq powder, rubbing alcohol, lemon, and cream of my choice, but I really wwant to stop using hq soon thought I think its to dangerous healthwise and I am now realizing that I have a son that I want to be around to see for some time:)