How to lighten your skin and keep it light!

Living in Asia, it seems like everyone is after white skin.  Movie stars in Asia are often the fair-skinned and so naturally this light skin is sought after by the regular person.  There are whitening agents in most body lotions, healthy beverages that promise lighter skin, even pills that one can take to achieve lighter skin.  I thought I would share with you the routine I use to keep my skin its lightest.


1. Use an exfoliate such as a loofa or a scrub while showering.  This helps to remove old dead skin and reveal newer brighter skin. Remember not to scrub to hard, you may cause irritation.

I use this loofah with soap inside.  If you don't live in Thailand you can find it on e-bay.

  
2.  Follow up your shower with a whitening body lotion.  There are many different brands to choose from and most can be purchased at the local store, probably even your nearest 7-11 (if you are in Asia).  Brands I have tried are Johnson's Naturally White Daily UV lotion, Nivea UV Whitening Cell Repair & Protect, and Citra Purely White UV.  These lotions all have mild skin lightening agents and if used daily will keep your skin moisturized and looking radiant.  I Suggest using after a shower or before bed.
Some whitening lotions may irritate your skin, so you may want to try a bit on the inside of your wrist before applying it all over your body.  I had a skin allergy to Citra Purely White UV, so now I stick to using Johnson's or Nivea's whitening lotion..although there are many other brands out there to choose from.

3.  Always apply sunscreen before going outside! Protect your skin from damaging UV rays.  Any SPF 30+ should be more than sufficient.  Make sure to apply liberally to all exposed areas about 30 minutes before you plan to go out doors.  I recommend Nivea 's sunscreen because it's not sticky and doesn't have a strong smell.

4.  Eat foods that protect your skin from the inside out!  Tomatoes actually act as a sunscreen, so by eating them you are providing more protection to your skin as well as feeding your skin vitamins.  Make sure to eat plenty of fruits and veggies.

Me on the left with very white skin, my twin sister on the right.  I live in Thailand and she lives in Canada and yet I still manage to stay more fair skinned than her. 

Alternatives to my above routine:


1.  If you have really dark skin, you may want to consider glutathione pills available at stores like GNC.  "Glutathione is found in most cells and is an important part of the body’s internal antioxidant defense system and functions as a potent antioxidant and supports the activity of the antioxidant vitamins C and E" according to GNC. Many people start seeing results slowly after a month of taking them and they come in different doses.


2.  For faster results you might consider glutathione injections such as "mixing white."  Friends of mine that have taken these told me they saw results after 2 weeks and their skin had a beautiful glow to it.  The mixing white also cleared up their acne.  I'm considering trying Mixing White, but currently don't have the money. 

Chanel Foundation and Powder

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup

& Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder <3

These are the first Chanel products I've ever purchased on my own, ad I don't regret shelling out the money for either.  Chanel make-up  is amazing quality! Since I've started using these, I've received so many compliments about my skin and "perfect" complexion.

The Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Make-up SPF 15 is great for hot weather because it's very light-weight and doesn't clog poors.  It provides a light-medium coverage, so it's great for letting your skin breath and makes your skin look flawless and natural.  This foundation also has 15spf, so it offers protection from skin damaging rays.
For best results apply a moisturizer before use. I use a moisturizer with spf all over my face and Eucerin Q10 Active Eye around my eyes before my foundation.

How to apply:
First shake the bottle well before using.  Make sure to apply to a clean face with clean hands.  Put several spots of foundation on your face (forehead, chin, under eyes, nose, cheeks, OR where needed if you are not fully covering your face), use a sponge, foundation brush, or your finger to spread the foundation around evenly taking care not to leave any streaks or revealing make-up lines around the side of your face, jaw, or forehead.  If you need more coverage, apply more to the desired areas. Once you are satisfied with your foundation, you can move on to apply a loose powder.

Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder
Every good foundation needs a finishing powder and this natural loose powder leaves you with the perfect finish.  This powder is great for all types of skin, it lightly covers because it's translucent, and leaves skin looking flawless and silky smooth. 
To apply:
While closed, turn case upside down and tap gently on the bottom of the case to loosen powder enough to fall onto the powder puff that is in the top part of the case.  Turn right-side up and open, remove powder puff and apply the powder with the puff gently all over the face.
You may want to use a powder brush instead of a puff; in such a case, I recommend opening the case and emptying just a little powder into the inside of the lid.  You can pick up the powder from the lid with your brush and dust it on your face as you see fit.

For those of you wondering which colours I use, I'm currently using Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup in B20 Beige and Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Powder in 20 Clair-Translucent 1.