The White Stuff

While Europeans and North Americans embrace the sun, happily baking until golden, many Hong Kong girls are at the opposite end of the spectrum, obsessed with staying white. Chinese culture has long had us believe that having white and pure skin is a signature of beauty, youth and aristocracy. But just as extreme tanning techniques are dangerous, so too are extreme whitening techniques (um, Michael Jackson).

The summer sun may be the enemy of a lot of Hong Kong women, but it's a profitable friend of cosmetics companies. They have a deluge of products and treatments offering the magic key to the perfect porcelain look. The products range from creams to lasers, and they promise everything from toning to burning away visible blood vessels. Is any of this healthy for you or your skin? Maybe not.

The dangers of overexposure to the sun are well known, but similar pitfalls await the skin whitener. The chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dr. Andrew Burd, comments on the whole concept of skin whitening and its possible adverse effects: "Another term for skin whitening is 'skin bleaching' and this has the more appropriate - and negative - connotation. You are attacking the skin in the same way you treat a T-shirt with a stain on it." He adds that, like many drugs, the major danger is rebound overcompensation - which is called hyperpigmentation when in its worst form. So do some of the more intense products and treatments out there approach such dangers?

Snow White To Go

The countless skin whitening creams, essences, toners, masks, soaps and even shower gels mostly claim the ability to dig deep into your skin and whiten from the inside out. Specifically, they penetrate the epidermis (the deeper skin layer) to eliminate dark spots and fight the formation of dull, uneven skin - thereby, hopefully, leaving your outer layer of skin pure as snow. But the promised perfection doesn't come in one day. According to Unique Beauty manager Ming Wong, how long it takes for these products to work depends greatly on how concentrated they are. In general, the skin needs three to four weeks to react to the whiteners. Those that claim miraculous snowmaking abilities are likely to contain such strong ingredients as highly concentrated AHA (enzymes) and BHA (salicylic acid). These two acids are commonly found in exfoliants. Since they work by getting rid of the dead skin on the surface, skin seems to be "whitened" because the top layer is peeled off like the skin from an apple. Although they do help balance the skin tone, dermatologist Dr. Henry Chan Hin-lee says frequent application of these two ingredients poses a strong risk to fragile and irritated skin (keep peeling that apple and see what happens). He adds that mild vitamin C and E, green tea and soya extract, as well as UVA and UVB protection materials, are positive elements in whitening products. But, as with AHA, they are also not recommended for sensitive skin.

Short of spending your life indoors, you'll sooner or later have to go face the sun. Since the amount of exposure to the sun greatly determines the condition of your skin, Wong advises the use of sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 whenever you venture into the sun for an extended period of time. This protects against UV rays, thus preventing damage to the skin before you're forced to turn to whitening products. The sunscreen should be applied every three to five hours, depending on the SPF.

However, anything higher than SPF 30 can have adverse effects: pores can become blocked and, if they do, the skin will no longer be able to breathe, leading to spots and blemishes. Wong also emphasizes the importance of careful cleansing after the application of sunscreen. Without thorough cleansing and moisturizing, no amount of sunscreen or whitening chemicals will be able to work their magic.

The bottom line is consumers should always be aware of the ingredients in their products and not get carried away by the false promise of immediate whitening. Many products may be repackaged abrasives, which are not for everyone. Different skin types require different, customized products, so consult a dermatologist or skin therapist before deciding how to realize your porcelain dreams. Patch testing is also recommended when you try a new whitener. Apply the product to a limited area, such as your wrist, or the back of your ear, to see whether you have negative reactions.