Skin Lighteners

Throughout history women have used extreme means to get pale, beautiful skin. This goes from taking milk baths to using arsenic and mercury based skin lighteners. Even skin lighteners nowadays are questioned by potential users - are they safe? are they effective? will they screw me up really badly? are they worth it?
Of course arsenic based skin lighteners are dangerous, and of course mercury makes people go crazy.
But the FDA approves of hydroquinone, something they certainly would not do for Madame de Pompadour's arsenic skin bleach. But... does that make it safe?

On the Drugstore.com site for hydroquinone, it lists things to avoid while on this medication:
Sun
harsh chemicals on the skin

Now, if a person wanted light skin they would already be avoiding the first. and i will stop using the harsh products i was using (homemade lighteners and such) for a while, if only to avoid the more unpleasant side-effects.

Side-Effects:
skin irritation
burning
itching
it also says that you may become more sensitive to weather extremes...
That might not bode too well for marching band... it is getting cold here already...


I would need a prescription to get higher than 2% hydroquinone, so I went to Walgreen's and bought some 2% - it was 3OZ for 7 US$. It was called Porcelana, it is a night time fading cream. i hear good things about it on the internet and am willing to try.
As a person who hates spending money, this had better lighten the heck out of my skin...
In all reality, my Jewish/Native American/Slavic skin will probably never be as light as i want it... Can any cream really give a girl beauty? Hopefully i will find out that the answer is yes in 2-4 weeks...