Hydroquinone FAQ
FAQ ON HYDROQUINONE
Q. What is hydroquinone?
A. Hydroquinone (HQ), which is a hydroxyphenolic chemical, is also known as 1,4 dihydroxybenzene. It is usually used to lighten the skin. It can be found naturally in wheat, berries, coffee and tea.
Q. Where is it used?
A. HQ is commonly used in skin lightening products as an active agent to decrease pigment production. HQ used in skin lightening products is already synthetically derived. Used for treating darkened skin (hyperpigmentation), HQ is the main active ingredient to treat common problems of hyperpigmentation. These include facial spots (e.g.freckles) and patches (e.g.melasma), blotchy complexion due to sun damage, and discoloration or dark scars due to trauma and skin disease (e.g. acne or chickenpox).
Q. Why is HQ is commonly referred to as an effective way to treat darkened skin?
A. Its qualities often allow for faster results but not necessarily safe results. Higher formulation of HQ in some skin lightening products sometimes produces faster results (which is why we hear those advertisements claim “...lighter skin in only XX days...”).
Q. Does HQ have any side effects?
A. Studies have shown that the unsupervised use of HQ has resulted in side effects ranging from skin discoloration and disfiguring to “fish odor syndrome,” a condition where the body exudes an offensive odor through the breath, saliva, sweat or urine. Side effects have resulted in HQ being banned in Europe, Australia and Japan. In 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed the ban of HQ in over-the-counter (OTC) skin bleaching products in the US due to “significant new data on the safety of HQ.” The National Toxicology Program (NTP) stated “some evidence” that orally administered HQ caused cancer in animals. Furthermore, studies have indicated that HQ can seep into the bloodstream at all concentrations. Thus, the FDA declared that potential cancer risk from HQ absorbed through the skin could be possible.
Q. Is HQ dangerous?
A. Studies and tests have shown that there are indeed side effects to prolonged and unsupervised use of HQ in excess of the acceptable formulation and dosage. The US FDA has described HQ as a “possible carcinogen” and said it has documented links to a skin-disfiguring condition called ochronosis. Ochronosis is a dermatological disorder that results in the adverse pigmentation of cartilage from a long-term buildup of phenylalanine or tyrosine. (Phenyalanine is an amino acid which is one of the many amino acids needed to build the protein molecule. It is present in many sugarless gums and mints, snack foods, and sugarless soft drinks. Tyrosine is also an amino acid.) Pigmented cartilage may appear blue, and to a lesser degree, this may be true for skin with dermal deposition of this pigment.
Q. Are there any regulations about the use and sale of HQ-based products?
A. Yes. The popularity of skin whiteners here makes it imperative for Filipinos to be fully aware and conscious of the effects of HQ. The Philippine Dermatological Society says Filipino consumers are prone to using high concentrations of HQ on large areas of their body over a prolonged period of time, from several months to several years. Unethical practices by some manufacturers compound the problem. The accepted HQ concentration in a skin whitener is 2 to 4%, although PDS says some products have been found to have an HQ concentration of up to 6 to 8.5%. At 4% HQ, doctors highly recommend limited use under supervised conditions. The problem in the Philippines is that skin whiteners with 4% HQ are sold over-the-counter without need for a prescription.
Q. If unsupervised use of HQ poses a threat to the health of the Filipino consumer, what should be done?
The House of Representatives sought to limit the over-the-counter sale of skin whiteners with HQ. Because of the harmful effects, congressmen proposed that medicines containing 2% hydroquinone or less should be classified as pharmacy-only medicines, while those with 1% or less as general sale medicine in hair and skin preparations. All other preparations should be prescription medicines. The Bureau of Food and Drugs allows manufacturers to use HQ in concentrations of less than 2% and supports the regulated use of HQ. On the part of PDS, dermatological experts maintain three positions: the outright ban of HQ ; the removal of formulations containing HQ from the over-the-counter market while maintaining them in the prescription market; and additional research to more accurately determine HQ’s cancer-causing potential. Furthermore, linking from the PDS print ad published a few months ago, to help prevent the abuse of HQ usage, the PDS supports moving for a stricter regulation on HQ-containing products as proposed by the PFDA, such as making all concentrations of HQ available only upon the presentation of a proper prescription. But in the end, the best weapon against the HQ threat is information. The lack of knowledge on the possible ill effects of HQ is still the biggest threat to the health of the Filipino consumer.
Q. What are the skin whitening products with HQ formulation being sold in the over-the-counter market?
A. PDS and PFDA can provide the list of these products.
posted by Paul "The Pageman" Pajo
Q. What is hydroquinone?
A. Hydroquinone (HQ), which is a hydroxyphenolic chemical, is also known as 1,4 dihydroxybenzene. It is usually used to lighten the skin. It can be found naturally in wheat, berries, coffee and tea.
Q. Where is it used?
A. HQ is commonly used in skin lightening products as an active agent to decrease pigment production. HQ used in skin lightening products is already synthetically derived. Used for treating darkened skin (hyperpigmentation), HQ is the main active ingredient to treat common problems of hyperpigmentation. These include facial spots (e.g.freckles) and patches (e.g.melasma), blotchy complexion due to sun damage, and discoloration or dark scars due to trauma and skin disease (e.g. acne or chickenpox).
Q. Why is HQ is commonly referred to as an effective way to treat darkened skin?
A. Its qualities often allow for faster results but not necessarily safe results. Higher formulation of HQ in some skin lightening products sometimes produces faster results (which is why we hear those advertisements claim “...lighter skin in only XX days...”).
Q. Does HQ have any side effects?
A. Studies have shown that the unsupervised use of HQ has resulted in side effects ranging from skin discoloration and disfiguring to “fish odor syndrome,” a condition where the body exudes an offensive odor through the breath, saliva, sweat or urine. Side effects have resulted in HQ being banned in Europe, Australia and Japan. In 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed the ban of HQ in over-the-counter (OTC) skin bleaching products in the US due to “significant new data on the safety of HQ.” The National Toxicology Program (NTP) stated “some evidence” that orally administered HQ caused cancer in animals. Furthermore, studies have indicated that HQ can seep into the bloodstream at all concentrations. Thus, the FDA declared that potential cancer risk from HQ absorbed through the skin could be possible.
Q. Is HQ dangerous?
A. Studies and tests have shown that there are indeed side effects to prolonged and unsupervised use of HQ in excess of the acceptable formulation and dosage. The US FDA has described HQ as a “possible carcinogen” and said it has documented links to a skin-disfiguring condition called ochronosis. Ochronosis is a dermatological disorder that results in the adverse pigmentation of cartilage from a long-term buildup of phenylalanine or tyrosine. (Phenyalanine is an amino acid which is one of the many amino acids needed to build the protein molecule. It is present in many sugarless gums and mints, snack foods, and sugarless soft drinks. Tyrosine is also an amino acid.) Pigmented cartilage may appear blue, and to a lesser degree, this may be true for skin with dermal deposition of this pigment.
Q. Are there any regulations about the use and sale of HQ-based products?
A. Yes. The popularity of skin whiteners here makes it imperative for Filipinos to be fully aware and conscious of the effects of HQ. The Philippine Dermatological Society says Filipino consumers are prone to using high concentrations of HQ on large areas of their body over a prolonged period of time, from several months to several years. Unethical practices by some manufacturers compound the problem. The accepted HQ concentration in a skin whitener is 2 to 4%, although PDS says some products have been found to have an HQ concentration of up to 6 to 8.5%. At 4% HQ, doctors highly recommend limited use under supervised conditions. The problem in the Philippines is that skin whiteners with 4% HQ are sold over-the-counter without need for a prescription.
Q. If unsupervised use of HQ poses a threat to the health of the Filipino consumer, what should be done?
The House of Representatives sought to limit the over-the-counter sale of skin whiteners with HQ. Because of the harmful effects, congressmen proposed that medicines containing 2% hydroquinone or less should be classified as pharmacy-only medicines, while those with 1% or less as general sale medicine in hair and skin preparations. All other preparations should be prescription medicines. The Bureau of Food and Drugs allows manufacturers to use HQ in concentrations of less than 2% and supports the regulated use of HQ. On the part of PDS, dermatological experts maintain three positions: the outright ban of HQ ; the removal of formulations containing HQ from the over-the-counter market while maintaining them in the prescription market; and additional research to more accurately determine HQ’s cancer-causing potential. Furthermore, linking from the PDS print ad published a few months ago, to help prevent the abuse of HQ usage, the PDS supports moving for a stricter regulation on HQ-containing products as proposed by the PFDA, such as making all concentrations of HQ available only upon the presentation of a proper prescription. But in the end, the best weapon against the HQ threat is information. The lack of knowledge on the possible ill effects of HQ is still the biggest threat to the health of the Filipino consumer.
Q. What are the skin whitening products with HQ formulation being sold in the over-the-counter market?
A. PDS and PFDA can provide the list of these products.
posted by Paul "The Pageman" Pajo