Skin Care Review: Eldopaque hydroquinone 4%

Rating
Excellent

Benefits
4% hydroquinone is very effective at reducing sun-damage-related skin discoloration.

Drawbacks
May be an increased cancer risk when reducing melanin production in skin cells.

Details
My problem, although I am "only" 30, is brown skin discoloration on my face due to a decade of working at an outside job. It was a particular problem on my upper lip and around my eyes, where--due to wearing sunglasses--i actually had a sharp line of discoloration marking where the glasses were. Not very attractive! So on a trip to Costa Rica--where you can buy prescription grade stuff at the pharmacy--a pharmacist recommended Eldopaque for my problem. Basically it's a cream with sunblock that makes your melanocytes (skin pigment producing cells) stop producing so much pigment. The sunscreen in the formula also prevents further damage. You simply apply under makeup; tap it on gently, and DO NOT rub in. I suspect that has to do with the sunscreen aspect. ANyway, within two days, I could see a difference, which surprised me. I think that combining this with an exfoliant make a huge difference in the overall quality of my skin. I feel so much better. I have researched similar products here in the US, and it always appears that non-prescription brands can only contain 2% hydroquinone. 4% is the concentration used by Obagi, etc. I highly recommend not messing around with OTC stuff if you can afford it. Pay for the good stuff once, instead of buying ten different things that are ineffective.

Conclusions
Highly recommended--effectiveness is due to the double-the-concentration of OTC brands.

Price (paid by reviewer)
6

Where to find it
Costa Rican pharmacy