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6,943 Posts
Like many of you, I've tried a variety od treatments with disappointing results. After joining this forum & reading the posts, I decided to do more research before buying anything. Everyone seemed to be floundering & not getting results. There were even some scams with fake posts by people who obviously worked for the company whose products they were promoting. the worst & most blatant of these was for some crap called Fair & Lovely sold by Unilever; the people selling Dove & self-esteem & self- acceptance in the west BUT making coercive & blatantly manipulative & racist ads selling humiliation in the east. Shame on them! Their photoshopped 'before & afters' are totally misleading.
Here's what I'm doing (! week now, measurable & visible results!) I use Neo Strata HQ Plus lightening cream 2x/day. In the evenings, I use Avon Anew Regenerating Peel ( a white jar of pre moistened pads). I use 2 of them: one for my face, neck & upper chest & the other for both arms & the backs of my hands. You must, of course, avoid getting it in your eyes. What this does is greatly speed exfoliation & removes all dead skin cells & anything that would block the penetration of the cream. Before bed, after washing up (I use Spectro Jel on my face & neck) I then apply the Neo Strata.
Yes, it does contain Hydroquinone 4% & glycolic acid. BUT most of the horror stories you hear about hydroquinone are because of people who abuse the product & apply it 4-5 times a day & use harsh scrubs & soaps too ALL of which contain some bleaching chemicals. These compounded combinations are what is dangerous. You need to treat your skin with respect: NO hard scrubbing or rubbing: it will absorb the cream on its own.
I am using foundation shades to gauge success; not photos as lighting can mislead. When I began, I was wearing Dream Matte Mousse (Maybelline) in Dark 2. It would blend & lightem ny colour a little. Now, it disappears into my skin & I need to replace it with Dark 1 that blends nicely & slightly brightens. Before eginning my regimen, Dark 1 looked masky & was too light for me no matter how carefully I blended it.
The Neo Strata recommends using it for 12 wks to get maximum results: afterwards, in order to maintain the results, you can apply only once every other day (avoid the sun, use sunscreen etc.)While I do have 'white looking' features (very narrow nose & slim lips, oval face) I am NOT trying to turn my skin truly white. I want to have that nice golden tanned colour. The browner colour that made my knuckles look dirty is GONE! I am very happy with my results so far & I'll keep updating you on any further progress.
Here's what I'm doing (! week now, measurable & visible results!) I use Neo Strata HQ Plus lightening cream 2x/day. In the evenings, I use Avon Anew Regenerating Peel ( a white jar of pre moistened pads). I use 2 of them: one for my face, neck & upper chest & the other for both arms & the backs of my hands. You must, of course, avoid getting it in your eyes. What this does is greatly speed exfoliation & removes all dead skin cells & anything that would block the penetration of the cream. Before bed, after washing up (I use Spectro Jel on my face & neck) I then apply the Neo Strata.
Yes, it does contain Hydroquinone 4% & glycolic acid. BUT most of the horror stories you hear about hydroquinone are because of people who abuse the product & apply it 4-5 times a day & use harsh scrubs & soaps too ALL of which contain some bleaching chemicals. These compounded combinations are what is dangerous. You need to treat your skin with respect: NO hard scrubbing or rubbing: it will absorb the cream on its own.
I am using foundation shades to gauge success; not photos as lighting can mislead. When I began, I was wearing Dream Matte Mousse (Maybelline) in Dark 2. It would blend & lightem ny colour a little. Now, it disappears into my skin & I need to replace it with Dark 1 that blends nicely & slightly brightens. Before eginning my regimen, Dark 1 looked masky & was too light for me no matter how carefully I blended it.
The Neo Strata recommends using it for 12 wks to get maximum results: afterwards, in order to maintain the results, you can apply only once every other day (avoid the sun, use sunscreen etc.)While I do have 'white looking' features (very narrow nose & slim lips, oval face) I am NOT trying to turn my skin truly white. I want to have that nice golden tanned colour. The browner colour that made my knuckles look dirty is GONE! I am very happy with my results so far & I'll keep updating you on any further progress.