I will be applying this test:
This is a cheap as chips product by Neutrogena. I bought it for Rs 349 for 50g, and frankly it doesn’t come cheaper than that.
1) Does this have harmful chemicals?
Yes. It has ethyl- and propyl- parabens and it’s my policy to avoid parabens because they are estrogen mimickers. (See also Chemicals to Avoid – Parabens).
I respect your prerogative to use product containing parabens. Please continue reading.
2) Are Skin Lightening Ingredients (SLI) present?
The Skin Lightening Ingredients are Niacinamide (3rd ingredient and indicating sufficient quantities to cause skin lightening) and Ascorbyl Glucoside (the last ingredient on the label, indicating this derivative of Vitamin C is likely to only be present in tiny amounts. I will ignore it).
Niacinamide is an excellent skincare ingredient. It has a long track record of safety, is non-irritating, and importantly, does not interfere directly with the synthesis of melanin. Melanin is the pigment that is primarily responsible for our skin colour (see also What gives our skin its colour?)
Instead, Niacinamide reduces the amount of melanin being transferred to the epidermis (the topmost layer of our skin). By default, this means lighter skin.
(3) What’s the product’s strategy for Skin Lightening?
The product achieves skin lightening on two levels. First, by the effect of Niacinamide (see above) and by having sunscreen filters.
Sunscreen filters
One of the immediate body responses to over-exposure to UV radiation is that our body produces more melanin. More melanin results in tanning and darkening of skin complexion. The purpose of the sunscreen ingredients is to prevent this cascade of events caused by UVR exposure. This day cream aims to do this by having a sunscreen filter, Octinoxate (2nd ingredient) and Avobenzone (14th ingredient)
I am not sure how effective these filters are and that’s OK. You should always use a separate sunscreen with at least SPF 30 when using a whitening product.
Would I buy this product again?
I am not OK with the parabens, so that means I wouldn’t use this cream. If you are OK with parabens, then definitely this will give you skin lightening.
I would stress that after about 4 weeks, you may not see any difference in your complexion, despite continuous use of this product.
This would be consistent with studies that show the impact of Niacinamide in topical treatments plateaus after 4 weeks. This is by no means unique to only Niacinamide, but also applies to other skin lighteners (e.g.) retinoids.
For further information, please see Niacinamide as a skin lightener.
If you do plan use to use this product, please absolutely use a separate sunscreen product with at least an SPF 30 and that protects your skin against both UVA and UVB.
See also Top 5 sunscreen recommendations
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