The problem with the skin whitening market

• In some societies, skin colour is seen as important in social positioning.
• It is a common problem in darker skin types (IV to VI).
• The lighter the skin the better.
• In India it can determine the perceived “caste” to which an individual would belong.
• As a historical feature of interest, in Victorian times it was esteemed to have a lighter complexion. A darker complexion was seen as being lower in society as it implied jobs with prolonged hours outside.
• All these issues are well broadcasted throughout the media.

• What comes out is an extensive of treatment options which more or less work. In countries such as India, there is a lack of regulation and therefore:
  • are the products cosmetics, drugs or cosmeceuticals ?
  • products can be obtained without a prescription…from the doctor, from a pharmacist, from a friend, from a relative, from a street vendor.

• Even in regulated countries, regulation can be a touchy subject. For example in the United States, hydroquinone has been around longer than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• This translates into a lack of regulation for Hydroquinone 2 to 4%. It is safe but many formulations in this concentration range have not even been tested.

Source of information. Verma S. Hydroquinone revisited. European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Annual Meeting – Istanbul, Turkey, 2-6 October 2013