Mieza Everdeen

Assalamualaikum and hello! This post will be something different to spice up my blog content, as I would be writing about my thoughts and opinions on a topic that many women loves, which is skin whitening :) I know that many women dream to have a Snow White complexion, sometimes it made me so puzzled when I see women who are already blessed with fair skin fussing over whitening products. When I finally grew up, I realized that women crave for skin whitening not only to look fair, but also to many other causes. Some wants to reduce dark spots, some wants to get rid of dark acne scars on their face, and some just resort to whitening products to even out their skin tone. As for me, I started trying out whitening skincare products to even out my skin tone, as I grew up as an athlete and I still am. When I was in primary and secondary school, I always took part in long distance runs, then I went to National Service and that was a total black out of my face (I was so sunburned I don't even wanna remember that skin tone anymore) and then now when I entered the university, I got active in archery. So yeah, I am never the Snow White. 

When I started using whitening skincare products at 16, I never knew that I should use sunblock. I got a fairer complexion for a moment at that time, because I avoided direct sunlight exposure and I religiously use the whitening cream that I got from our local drugstore. However, during the school break, I went to the sea and when I came back, my friend asked why I look so dark and she said that I was terribly sunburned, I didn't even realize XD now that I'm sightly more 'educated' on skincare than the old me, I have quite a handful to say on skin whitening. 

I now use whitening products not only to get fairer skin. I learned that when people are born with that skin tone, you can't easily change it overnight to be as white as snow by using whitening products. Unless the whitening product you use are very corrosive and peels your skin like nobody's business, then you can get their promised "3 tones brighter in 7 days" and yup, be prepared to get loads of skin problems later on. For me, skin whitening does not come in a jiffy. In my experience, I get that brighter complexion and even skin tone after a month, no less. 

Now I would love to share with you guys my take on whitening skincare. They key to make any creams or serums you slap on your face to work is to have clean skin. This means that the first step you must take is clean your face thoroughly twice a day. Make sure that there is no makeup or grime left on your face after cleansing. Use a makeup remover or facial wipes first, then proceed with facial cleanser. You might wanna use those many skin brushes available out there to deep cleanse your face :) Oh, you can also use face cloth while cleansing, which is cheaper but make sure the cloth is clean and properly washed. In cleansing too, never forget to use exfoliator once or twice a week if you want to get brighter skin. You can buy many facial scrubs out there to get rid of dead skin cells which made your face look dull and inhibits your journey to a brighter, healthier skin. 

Next to cleansing, ensure that while you are crazy about whitening creams, never forget your toner and moisturizer. If you are a beginner or you want less fuss, I recommend you to get a full set of the whitening skincare brand that you love. Get the cleanser, scrub, toner, moisturizer, day cream, night cream and whitening serum and face mask of the same brand and range. It can be very helpful to see the result you wish for, trust me I have done what I wrote here and it helps a lot! However, if you have an arsenal of products in your stash that you have tested (hi beauty addicts and beauty bloggers!), then you might know what works best for you, you're the lab rat of your own experiment right? hehe! Usually, products that are for skin whitening will have a moisturizer or day cream equipped with up to SPF 30 so it is good for you to have that sun protection factor. Remember, when you are using whitening products, it is twice more important for your skin to have that SPF during the day. I learned that many women who are keen on skin whitening tried to avoid sunlight as much as they can. This might result in you getting Vitamin D deficiency. At least get some sunlight earlier in the morning, what I did was do some light exercise under the sun before 9am, hehe! At night, apart from the whitening serums and creams, use whitening facial masks (it would be good if they are hydrating as well) before you sleep, as pampering your skin with masks is another way to absorb those whitening goodness ^_^

You must remember that every people's skin are different. Your skin behaviour might change as you age (been there gone through!) and your diet as well, plays a huge part in the well-being of your skin. Never blame the product if your lifestyle is not healthy, your skin will deteriorate as bad as whatever you consume. To get brighter, healthier skin, I suggest you drink 10 glasses of plain water per day. 8 glasses is the minimum, drink more! Quit smoking, it is baaaaddd for your complexion and eat more fruits and veggies with vitamin C as they can brighten up your complexion from the inside, definitely harmless! My housemate told me that her mother drinks tomato juice every day and her skin is very fair, glowing and healthy. Discipline, is what drives you to success ^_^ if you love munching on fruits and veggies, eat more kiwi, strawberry, cherry tomatoes and citrus fruits as they are rich in Vitamin C. Another tips for you to whiten or fade those acne scars on your face is by using potato slice. Rub it on the dark marks, do it religiously and you'll see it disappearing. What about me? Oh well, at home I always have lemons in the fridge, so what I do is, I rub a lemon slice all over my face, or squeeze its juice and use cotton pieces to wipe it on my face. Leave on till the juices dried on my face and cleanse it. This might sting (sometimes it stung, sometimes I felt very itchy) so you might wanna try a little first, if it stings, dilute the lemon juice with some water. 

Before I end my post, here's a recipe for you to make a brightening face pack at home, it is super easy!

What you need :
-1 medium sized red tomato
-Oatmeal
(for 1 use)

How to make it :
1. Mash your tomato in a bowl
2. Pour some oatmeal to your desired consistency and mix well
3. Smooth the mixture on your face and wait for 15 minutes before rinsing it off.

p/s : DIY the mask. You can add in some honey for extra hydration and antiseptic or lemon juice for extra whitening ingredient, the choice is yours!