Skin whitening of course is of prime concern in this part of the world, so with the introduction of Olay’s Natural White whitening range in the Philippines, Olay fans are very happy that fair, glowing skin — not pasty, unnatural white skin — is possible and achievable in just 2 weeks.

The Olay Natural White range is a basic skin whitening regimen to cleanse, moisturize and protect skin from day to night.

How to use?  Cleanse and refresh skin with the foaming facial cleanser to remove sebum, dust, pollution and makeup residue. Next, moisturize skin with the Day Lotion to reduce the appearance of dark spots and dullness. For sun protection, apply Day Cream with SPF 24 or the more potent, yet lightly formulated UV Blocker with SPF 30 to retain fairness. All these are lightly formulated to disappear into the skin when applied.

What’s in it?  Olay’s triple nutrient system of Vitamin B3, pro-B5 and vit E help nourish skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots and dullness.

Vitamin B3 (also called niacin and nicotinic acid) is a water-soluble ingredient has been shown to prevent skin from losing water content, as well as stimulate circulation in the skin. Recent studies have shown that it also improves the appearance of wrinkles, skin discolorations, reduces redness and improves skin elasticity.

Pro-Vitamin B5 (or vitamin B5) is  helpful in the treatment of acne as well as an effective moisturizer while Vitamin E is known for its antioxidant and moisturizing properties. It is also thought to diminish the effects of environmental pollutants.

Kikaygurl's Olay stash

Our verdict?  Kikaygurl is a fan of Olay so anything that comes out from this brand is worth a try. I especially like the  Natural White foaming facial cleanser. The UV Blocker’s formulation  is similar to that of Olay Complete SPF 30, lightweight and perfect for tropical weather.  I’ve been using this for months now. On days when I need added moisture, I use the Day Cream with SPF 24 or the All Day UV Moisture cream with SPF 15. The product tends to cake when powder foundation is applied over it so make sure it has been completely absorbed into the skin. Total Effects is still the best when it comes to anti-aging as it fights the seven signs of skin aging and does not feel heavy when applied but if you’re after real coverage and reduced fine lines and wrinkles, the Regenerist Micro Sculpting cream is tops on the list. Hours after application, it amino-peptide complex does its work of filling in every line and wrinkle. Skin looks illuminated, glowing and camera-ready.

Add these new products to your skin-brightening beauty regimen for effective results:

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Serum. This serum has Essential Soy, stabilized Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, and Portaluca (which soothes inflammation), all of which enhances skin renewal. The serum works harder on areas which need whitening to effectively reduce the appearance of spots and pigmentation. It is clinically proven to deliver visible results in 3 weeks.

Neutrogena Fine Fairness UV Brightening Moisture. With advanced daily sun protection lotion, powered with unique NEUTROGENA Helioplex, which provides up to three times longer protection against UVA and UVB rays and helps to prevent the appearance of brown spots and skin darkening due to sun exposure.

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Deep Whitening Mask. Treat your skin to a face mask designed to continuously lighten skin with whitening essence. Its new 3D Push-in fabric contains more HealthyWhite Complex and stretchable design that fits closely to the face to push more essence beneath the skin.

The Fine Fairness Line is a range of products that takes the latest skincare research and the eight-dimensional approach to fairness–Protect, Shield, Lighten, Renew, Block, Calm, Prevent, and Restore– the products aim to brighten complexion and give fair, even-toned skin.

Personally, I think Neutrogena has some of the best skin cleansers and sunblocks around. I use their Fine Fairness Lotion SPF 30/PA++ when I go out into the sun. The other three products they introduced earlier this year — the Fine Fairness Cleanser, Fine Fairness Toner and the Fine Fairness Cream — complete the skin whitening/brightening regimen.

For those who might want to try it out, the supplement is available in blister pack of 10’s if you don’t want to commit to buying a bottle of 60 caps. Results are visible in two weeks.

I’ve personally tried their body care line especially the moisturizing/whitening and body firming soaps and they are better than the papaya extract soap I’ve been using. Some skin whitening products have a drying effect on the skin but the Belo line suprisingly does not.  It did whiten and correct my uneven skin tone.

If you already have white skin but have dark spots in some areas, Pynocare is another oral medicine you can try. It evens out skin tone with the need for peeling or chemicals with just two capsules a day for at least 8 weeks.

“I did  not pay attention to my underarms until I started taking tennis lessons and wearing tank tops to the gym. Only when someone close friends told asked me what deodorant brand I use did I start taking care of my underarms because they embarassingly dark,” says Leila, 32 year old marketing exec.

Here’s what Mylene, 18 yr old nurse recounts. “My close friends and I went to the beach and we shared about how bikini line skin can darken. We have that in common and we like to wear two-piece swimsuits and worry over how it can cause embarassing moments.”

There are areas in the body that we hardly pay attention to unless they become noticeable and, as in the case of dark underarms and dark skin in the bikini line, cause embarassment. Other problems such as excessive sweating and body odor, only close friends can tell you when you yourself don’t notice. Research say we can sometimes be immune to our own bodily odors but people who come close are sensitive to them so if a close friend tells you you smell (or stink for that matter) better believe it.

There are various ways to remedy dark underarms and groin area, but in order to avoid resorting to expensive treatments, because this happens when the problem has worsened due to neglect, try a few at-home remedies and weekly rituals.

For the underams, find a deodorant product that eliminates odors and is formulated to whiten the underarms.Some deos do not darken the armpits but provide minimal protection against body odors. Some, on the other hand, do offer maximum protection yet can be very harsh on the skin and really cause darkening.

If possible, use two kinds of deodorant depending on your daily activity — one full strength you use only when you engage in physical activities that will make you sweat a lot. Another kind that you use when you will only have to stay indoors, like in the office or to the mall.

If you’re at home , don’t use deodorant at all. The trick is to minimize use of products on your skin to allow them to breath.  It’s pretty much like going without makeup when you’re at home. Deodorants are chemicals and exposing skin to them day in and day out can cause adverse effects.If you start to smell, jump into the shower. Or, use the sink and wash your underarms and dry it with a washcloth. The soap you use can also help. Try kojic acid soap as these contain whitening agents. You may alternate with a strong anti-bacterial soap to kill odor-causing bacteria.

Underarm skin is delicated so you can use whatever facial wash you use to clean your underarms if you want. You may also use baking soda for washing. A facial wash that contains microbeads can help exfoliate skin on a daily basis. You simply don’t want deodorant residue when you go to bed at night after your shower. Apply an underarm lightening cream before you sleep at night because this really helps.

Once a week, do try using a medium strength exfoliating product to further lighten armpits. Or try this: Get a slice of lemon or calamansi and mix with milk. Apply on armpits  from 30 minutes to an hour before you take a bath in the morning. Lemon contains ascorbic acid while milk has lactic acid. These are mild and gentle acids that can counter the darkening and can also be used on the face.  You may do this  every other day if you have plenty of time to spare. Some swear by cider vinegar since it can whiten and counter excessive sweat. To save time, after application, take your coffee and read the morning paper first as I do.

Once a month, go to a dermatologist and get an underarm diamond ultrapeel to go with your monthly underarm lightening treatment.  If you have money to spare, why not also get a permanent hair removal program for the underarms since waxing and plucking darken the skin. The trick is to minimize trauma to skin bacause this is one of the causes of darkening. Same for the groin area.

Speaking of the groin area, caring for them is not difficult to do. Follow a daily and weekly ritual which includes use of whiteing soap or scrubs when you shower. Before you dress up, apply whitening lotion on the groin area before you wear underwear. Wear skirts more often and pants that are not too constricting as friction from tight clothing darkens it. At night apply whitening cream before you go to bed. At home, don’t wear underwear; or, opt for short shorts or silk pantylets that let your skin breath.

Choose underwear that has minimal or no shearing on the leg hole. Garters that rub off on the groin skin can cause darkening. Look at the fabric as well. Full cotton fabrics are best. Silk underwear is more luxurious if you can afford it.

What do we learn from all these  tips? It’s not about how expensive the stuff you put on your skin is.It’s how often you follow a ritual or care regimen is what ultimately counts. Beauty comes with a price — time and effort.

Skin Brighteners are designed to lighten the pigment of the skin, removing discoloration, dark spots, and other dark blemishes. If you have acne scars or other troublesome spots that make your skin look blotchy and uneven,include brighteners in your daily skin or makeup routine.

Brighteners usually come in serum form and because serums are water-based thus, easily absorbed into the skin. They also deliver anti-aging ingredients into the skin in a concentrated way and can be layered under other products without interfering with them.

Evening out your skin tone is easy with a simple overnight application. After cleansing and moisturizing your face, apply a thin layer of the serum; you should start to see a difference in about 2-3 weeks.

A key ingredient in skin brighteners is Vitamin C, along with other ingredient such as  hydroquinone, Alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs), kojic acid, Vitamin E and licorice.

Here are some of the latest skin brighteners in the market today:

In addition to salicylic acid (to exfoliate skin’s top layers), Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector contains vitamins C and E as well as ferulic acid, all of which fight pigment-encouraging free radicals, plus a mushroom extract to minimize dark spots. Perfect for all skin types.

Clarins MultiActive Skin Renewal Serum restores brightness, softness and a healthy glow to the skin with its cocktail of Nopal flower extract along with Phytosphingosine, a patented technology that promotes cell renewal and the absorption of collagen into the skin. Apply morning or evening, before your usual day or night moisturizer.

Shu Uemura White Recovery Pure Vitamin C Intense Brightening Serum is an intense brightening serum that contains a combination of pure Vitamin C, prune extract, sakura leaf in its signature deepsea water to counter pigmentation and whiten the skin and reduce spots. Works best when used along with the line’s cleansing oil and brightening cream.

Bobbi Brown Brightening Intensive Serum is part of the makeup brand’s latest brightening skincare line. Layer this highly concentrated serum over Brightening Hydrating Lotion morning and night. Its Vitamin C Complex along with a unique botanical blend of grape, Mulberry and Scutellaria helps diminish the appearance of dark spots. Included in the reknowned makeup’s brightening line are the Brightening face base  SPF 50 and the spot corrector SPF 25.

Murad’s Environmental Shield line contains a potent cocktail of Vitamin C and plant extracts along with its patented cellular water that help restore, renew and protect skin against environmental aging due to sun damage and other stressors. The line includes a cleanser and toner, lightening gel, day moisturizer with SPF 30 and night cream.

Of course, we all know Asians value fair, white, blemish-free skin and hold it in high regard over everything else. No foundation or concealer can ever hide skin imperfections completely, because everything, as they say, starts with the perfect canvass — skin that is healthy, glowing and fair white.

In case you haven’t heard, the current trend among skin whitening products is placental protein, an ingredient that promotes fairer skin and also has antiaging properties that enhance skin elasticity and moisture.

Mosbeau, one of the leading whitening brand in Japan, has placental protein as its main ingredient for its whitening creams and diet supplements. As claimed by Mosbeau, placental protein encourages skin cell renewal at the cellular level,removing dull, dark skin minus the itchiness, dryness and flaking.  A highly recognized whitening agent, placental protein is 50% more effective than glutathione.

After its success in  Japan with its flagship products Mosbeau White and Mosbeau R-Cell 100 Solution Series, Mosbeau is now in the Philippines. In 2009,  the company launched two of its best-selling products: Placenta White Supplement and White Underarm & Inner Thigh Cream and has tapped actress Angel Locsin as its endorser.

I’m always on the lookout for underarm whitening products that I can try and I believe a lot of women share my dilemma: there simply aren’t that many creams that can counteract underarm skin darkening so we resort to acid peeling or once-a-month exfolation via diamond ultrapeel. Mosbeau claims that its Underarm and Inner Thigh Cream gives visible results in 14 days. A 50 gram jar costs Php950 and can be used to whiten not only the underam and inner thighs but also the elbows, knees and aerola. It has other ingredients to whiten skin such as Daisy Flower Extract (cited to be twice more effective than Arbutin) and Vitamin C, along with botanical extracts from  aloe vera, Kudzu root, peony and strawberry begonia to nourish skin and enhance texture.

Placenta White, Mosbeau’s supplement tablets, costs Php2,500 a bottle,good for 30 day use. Along with placental protein, it has natural collagen to reduce wrinkles and fine lines, Vitamin C for anti-aging and detoxifying, and asparagus extract, a dietary fiber to help flush out harmful toxins inside the body. The supplement actively inhibits melanin production, rejuvenates skin cells and detoxifies the body to promote glowing, beautiful skin.

I have yet to try the Underarm and Inner Thigh Cream but once I do, I will keep you posted on the results.

The body peeling program called Power White is an intensive facial, skin and body treatment that erases pimple, acne and dark wound scars and marks, while whitening every area of the body. The entire program requires a once-a-week visit to the salon for 10 weeks, plus a take-home skin care regimen one has to follow strictly.

How does this work? After the initial five-hour treatment at the salon, you will be required at every waking hour on the hour to apply five liquid solutions evenly throughout the area to be treated. You will not be allowed to bathe for five to seven days.Skin that refuses to snake-peel right away may require up to 10 days of no bathing plus religious liquid application.

The next step would allow you showers, but you are now required to do so three times a day with special soap and creams applied afterwards. Your skin will actually be darker as the surface dead skin dries up and peels.

Step Three requires showers and multiple solution applications every morning and before bedtime.

Step Four is maintenance, done twice a day for the rest of your life as long as you want to keep the white color. Dryness of skin and very fine peeling will settle after 10 weeks, but the whitening will continue.

Those who are very dark will require starting over from step one after step three. Other very dark clients undergo as much as four cycles of steps one to three before reaching the maintenance stage.

It is taxing on your patience and requires a lot of time and money. How much? Around PhP250,000 for the 10-week package (Philosophy by Mikaela, tel.8921574 ). Liquids, creams and bath products are included until first maintenance. Facial whitening includes facials, diamond peel and laser resurfacing.

Photo of Shu Uemura White Recovery EX

ADesigned to block both melanin production and transfer, White Recovery Ex was created as a high performig brightening skincare to reveal translucent and radiant skin. Two phyto ingredients from the sakura family, prune extract and Sakura leaf extract, have been carefully selected for optimum whitening care.Prune extract limits melanin transfer from the lower layer of the skin to the surface with its “melanin diet” action; Sakura Leaf extract along with Vitamin C derivative, works in tandem with prune extract to limit skin darkening and improve skin texture at the cellular level.Everything is suspended in pure mineral deepsea water, the hallmark product of the brand, that locks in moisture improving skin quality.

The range, which includes a brightening cleansing oil (skin purifier and makeup remover),whitening lotion (moisturizer), advanced whitening essence (serum),whitening emulsion (face cream) and whitening cream (antiaging night cream), does the job of locking in crucial moisture lost to daily skin hazards, purify skin, improve translucency, arrest formation of age spots and improve over all complexion, the dilemma of thirtysomethings everywhere.
 
According to Sharon Soledad-Malig (0927-7925096 or 0928-6228598), Shu Uemura acrredited makeup artist at Rustan’s
Makati, they have the White Recovery Ex skin Recovery Program kit available at PhP6,200.

How to use: Shu Uemura believes, in order to preserve beautiful translucent skin, it is essential to optimize skin condition for whitening, beginning with the purification step.The skin brightening oil (Php 2,200 for 150 ml) is spread gently into the palm and massaged thoroughly on the face. Cold or lukewarm water is added to emulsify the oil until it turns milky and then rinsed off.To hydrate, 2-3 ml of the whitening lotion is applied gently on the face to moisturize and prep the skin to receive the following whitening products: the essence and emulsion (orcream).

The essence, applied gently on the skin is a light textured whitening serum. The last step is application of the either the emulsion or the cream. The emulsion provides a light yet protective veil to prevent dehydration. The whitening cream is a watery yet rich textured cream to de-stress the skin and complete the whitening action.

Recently added in the line is the Instant Spot Brightener, a 2-in-1 instant spot brightener in a pen-type applicator that you can bring anywhere to brighten skin even when you’re on the go. It has micropearls that bounce light off skin, while light-diffusing particles provide a soft focus effect, gently veiling spots. For sun protection, choose between the White Recovery Ex face cream SPF 30 or SPF 50, which is enriched with soybean extract to boost collagen and limit wrinkles.

Top this off with 3-dimensional translucent powder foundation with SPF 26 to achieve flawlessly covered skin, yet with translucency.

Also included in the line is the Whitening Sheet Mask (25mlx6 sheets) which contains a higher amount of ingredients than one bottle of whitening essence; gel mask to revitalize dull skin (6mlx8tubes) ;and a brightening massage gel with gentle microbeads, to be used 1-3 times a week, to gently remove dead skin cells for a translucent complexion and smooth skin.

Shu Uemura White Recovery Ex is available at Shu Uemura counters at Rustan’s and at the Power Plant Mall.

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