[BiegeCaramel]

Its the steroids, they use steroids + hydroquinone. Not really mercury tbh but steroids works well with hydroquinone and will WHITEN you. They also use a bunch of anti reactives to counter the side effects from steroids, once they get their colour then they reduce to using it usually 3x weekly. Steroids can be fine to use as long as its short term and you slowly wean off into something more natural to stop you loosing shades. Arab women use the same, Asian whitening products are usually the ones laced with mercury.

 

[BiegeCaramel]

Well I can guarantee some use mercury as these products were tested. As for anti reactive, maybe short term.nothing will counter the effect of steroids per se and there is nothing as “ weaning off steroids to natural)
Natural can’t maintain the results of steroids because by the time you come off it , you can suffer from steroid withdrawal which can be severe for some people.
Either way it’s usually not a good sight

I understand, but from a clinical perspective you are supposed to wean off steroids. It may take some weeks or months but it is possible to wean off into a more natural route without having major relapse. I am not recommending it unless you suffer from skin issues your dermatologist prescribes it for but the question was what are these girls using and this is the reality of it. You're more likely to suffer steroid withdrawal if you use it long term, this is true which is why it clinically is not recommended for more than 2 weeks of daily use and requires it to be weaned off.

 

[BiegeCaramel]

Hmmm...

I do like Mimi Von Snatch, she gives good advice and is real with her routine. I also like her skin tone.

About a year and a half ago, I decided to lighten my skin ( I was already quite fair but I was always unsure about going all the way) and Mimi von snatch and May skincare on youtube were the people I used to kinda lead my skincare routine. Also, I did get a lady mixologist but the difference this time was before she mixed/whilst mixing we had a sit down to analyse my skin type and we worked with products that have worked for me in the past to create a mix and that was when I began seeing a massive difference in my skin tone. Another thing was the mix was not a strong mix and this paired with a routine of exfoliation and also taking rest days, one would never ever believe that I was never as light as this 2 years ago.

Another thing I also know is that yes, gluta IV works but it works slowly and over a long period of time. This I know because the lady who mixed my lotions explained and broke it down to me. She explained that yes, the IV takes but almost all the light-skinned girls who use IV also follow up with supplements, strong skin-lightening products, spa sessions, full body scrubs etc and that's when they usually go from one shade to like 4 shades lighter. She told me it costs a fortune to go down that route, the results can be very drastic but they work really well.

I don't want drastic, I want steady hence the lotion route and rest days in between. This is about all I know.
All those influencers definitely do a lot more than we know.

PS: I am in Nigeria.

In Nigeria its alot easier and cheaper to go to the spas, to gluta IV ect compared to the West. Depending where you are also, there are no body whitening spa's like in 9ja but its possible to lighten without gluta IV and body spa's, there are other youtube promixers that have achieved 4-5 shades lighter with just topicals and maybe some supplements but I won't recommend them because its always some steroids or some African product with not so clear ingredients involved. I guess it depends how desperate you are lol. I achieved NC42 from NC50 within 2 months before by using natural products alone (IKB - same company Mimi Von Snatch uses) but since its discontinued and Mimi's routine did not work for me at alllll. Do you know what the lady mixologist put in your mix?

 

[BiegeCaramel]

Has anyone seen the results of Rwandan celebrity Lea Umutesi? She was a Miss Rwanda finalist. On her Instagram you will see her after photos only.

https://instagram.com/lea_umutesi?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Google Image her to see her Before. The results are outstanding and unbelievably natural. I though she was mixed raced until I Googled her and realised she naturally dark skinned.

She really has great results like you said! Verryyy natural looking, and tbh she didn't even lighten like crazy. You start to look crazy when you're NC50+ trying to become NC35 lol I wonder how she's been maintaining her complexion during her pregnancy.

 

[BiegeCaramel]

Getting this light in 3 years is pretty reasonable imo.

Could be just glutathione shots. Tutsis Rwandese women ( same for the indian and peulhs women ) can be dark skinned but their melanin is very diluted and not very concentrated. This kind of complexion react very well to glutathione ( or even mild topical lighteners) as there isn't that much work to begin.

And glutathione can be used during pregnancy. Watch out for the complexion of her baby when she gives birth. If the baby is very light skinned ( beyond normal), that would mean it's probably glutathione she is using. If the baby is dark skinned like mom and dad, then she is using probably mild topicals.

Actually glutathione CAN increase chances of complications. There's differing opinions on glutathione for pregnant women because it has been shown to cause complications to some (like miscarriage) and also has protective properties for mother and baby. Its a risk not even worth taking and because of that, doctors generally would not advise it as there is no clear understanding.
In addition, i don't believe in gluta IV - Its a gimick which does not have proper scientific backing to whitening the skin, people who do it ALWAYS use topicals also. Its easier to work on people who are already pale to begin with (like kojic acid). I wish we could dead the concept of gluta IV for whitening dark skin. Scientifically, it should but in reality...it really doesn't lol. Great for the immune system though.

I think you're right tho...3 years to get this light is so doable and i'm sure she's using something mild. I'm just wondering what it is because I'm planning to get pregnant in the next year and maannnn that pregnancy PIH...God forbid.

 

[BiegeCaramel]

I just posted some documents i found.

Also, no i'm not afraid to become porcelaine white lol. The process is very gradual and as soon as i hit my goal i will go into maintenance mode. That said, complexion dysmorphia is really a thing because even when i became very light with the product, i still saw myself dark when looking in the mirror and i kept pushing. Its only when i did some pictures comparisons i saw that i had passed my initial goal since at least one month.
I understand why some girls become too white , you don't see yourself lightening. Your eyes get used to your complexion pretty quickly. Just like when you lose weight and you still see yourself overweight.

Anyway, to get back to the theme of the thread, there are many not mainstream actives that can be used to lighten their skin without having to rub creams or glutathione only ( i love glutathion and still use it for anti aging and health purposes but i doubt it can turn a very dark person in Grety Riverson).

This is so true....Sometimes I feel light but then I feel dark in photos...especially next to people of no-colour.

 

[BiegeCaramel]

Very interesting thread!
I am very daring but I am scared to try this product.
I will be going back on glutathione. If anyone is sceptical, glutathione works especially when combined with vitamin C, Nac and milk thistle( silymarin) .
Adding MSM is the icing on the cake.
You hands , feet and lips will lighten up well too.

How long before you saw these results with gluta? And what dose?
Merry Christmas everyone