[Lacey Ra]

As most of all know I'm taking Vitamin C at 1000 mg for my NBE program. Now I noticed my skin's complexion clearing up and become slightly brighter but didn't really notice until a guy friend said I was lighter then the last time he saw me. So anyways I was online and I read that Vitamin C can actually lighten your complexion when taken at 1000 mg and I've been taking it for a good two months now. I use it for absorption of the other NBE supplements I take but this is an added bonus. So definitely look into Vitamin C at 1000 mg and more but NOT over 2000 mg (the overdose level, yes you can overdose on Vitamin C) if you want to lighten you skin up a bit.

I know a good one for skin lightening is L-Glutathione, and N-Acetyl -Corisione(sp?) which is a free radical fighter. If anything I'd say putting the three together should result in some great results.

Oh and probably invest in a good quality skin brightening + spf sunscreen. A lot of people complain it don't work but don't everything they should be. Since skin lightening works from the inside out, you'll have to wait until the body sheds the dead skin and replaces it, this happens every two to three weeks (you should be taking the supplements during this time), however you could also invest in a good exfoliator to get rid of the dead skin on top faster. Also try a lightening soap to use after you exfoliate to really help the process along. And also, please keep in mind this doesn't work overnight. It took two months to notice difference by just using Vitamin C alone so everything I listed above should speed the process along but not overnight. Good luck everyone!

[TibetanPrincess]

A lot of raw vegans have high glutathione levels from consuming massive amounts of fruits and vegetables. I am high raw to be healthy and will update if I notice any lightening.

I remember checking my levels (for thyroid concerns) through blood testing before nbe and I had them right smack in the middle of range.

[Babakins]

Don't go rushing out to buy glutathione though. Only intravenous works no matter what anyone tells you as it is destroyed in the gut instantly and the nanosomal one jury is still out. The best way to increase glutathione is to use it's precursors NAC n-acetyl-cysteine and R-ALA alpha lipoic acid are the best ways to get the body to up its gluta production. But need large doses of vitamin C for them to work. L-ascorbic acid may get far too acidic for that.

Just do your research well and don't take anyone else's experience as a magic bullet because usually it's very individual.

alldaychemist.com (cheapest source of pharmaceutical grade tretinoin ever!) retin-a gel 0.025% then build up to 0.5% and 0.1% only once a week will increase skin thickness, and increase cell turnover and is a great complement to a skin lightening routine. You WILL be red and peel so start slow. BUT ONLY USE AT NIGHT and NO NOT forego the zinc oxide sunscreen. Or you will rebound darken even with vit C usage.

Megadosing of vitamin C is not dangerous see Linus Pauling's studies for more info. But do so with alkaline and NOT acidic vitamin C ie calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate and not L-AA as above.

[sara_aaa19]

thank u emily for sharing
I wanna try this and see what happens

[SkinnyPrinny]

As most of all know...

That dose of Vitamin C is actually really good for avoiding cancer too, and the added estrogens and progesterones from your regime sound like they might increase your risk so it's good to hear that you're accidentally taking precautionary measures.

[Doll]

Maybe I'll start taking Vit C supps at some point to lighten my skin up some. I have heard that it does lighten fairly well. I tanned a few times a few months back thinking it might help hide my imperfections, but instead I noticed stretch marks that I didn't even know I had (apparently my skin was just as white as the stretch marks naturally). I also work with a girl who obviously tans and she's got patches of white skin throughout her tanned body, and it just looks atrocious. :/ So I definitely stopped tanning, but now I hate my darker skin.

I've successfully used lemon juice in the past to lighten my face (my face got permanently red from using acne cleaners without sunscreen, no one told me otherwise), so I'm sure supps would help just as well for the whole body.

[fawneyed_sita]

kojic acid soap from kojie san. works great in tandem with dry brushing especially. apply vit c after and not only will you be lighter, but your skin will glow.

there are also innumerable thai soaps with herbal lightening ingredients such as tamarind, papaya, goat milk, rice milk, etc. these mainly work as exfoliants rather than actually inhibiting melanin production (which is what kojic acid does). also be cautious exfoliating as its easy to overdue and dry out and damage your skin.

[fawneyed_sita]

i don't suggest retin-a, it's too acidic. anything that causes redness and peeling is too harsh for your skin! get more gentle renewal with non-acidic retinol, which is another form of vitamin a. use it in conjunction with vitamin c for best results.

[batool100]

The cheapest and best way is to simply stay out of the sun, the reason you were light as a baby was because you weren't exposed to the sun as now which is also why your head is darker than the body,

[jazzpollard]

Apply a skin-lightening lotion or cream to your skin. These lotions often contain hydroquinone, a chemical which has been shown to inhibit melanin. Since melanin is what causes darker skin, you will notice your skin is lighter with regular use. While there are many skin bleaching lotions designed for the face, try to find one for full-body use if you're attempting to lighten areas other than your face. The body-lightening lotions will usually be less expensive than those designed for the face. Read reviews here: http://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/skin-brighteners