This skin whitener was developed for Asian and Arabic consumers, and advertises that it is able to help them look more like “movie stars.” In addition, this cream also promises to reduce freckles, age and liver spots, reduce fine lines, moisturize the skin, and reduce under-eye darkness. It also claims to do this without the use of bleach or harsh chemicals and uses melanin-blocking agents to stop the skin from producing darkeners.

Lightenex Details

This product does not list all of the ingredients found inside, but rather a few of the active ingredients. We cannot determine how much of each ingredient is found in the product, which means we cannot know how effective each ingredient is.

Kojic dipalmitate is the first product listed and this is not effective as a skin lightener and it can also cause allergies and skin irritation.

The second ingredient is Glycyrrhiza Glabra Extract. This is a type of licorice, and there is no research supporting that is effective as a skin lightener.

Third, we have Imperata Cylindrica Extract. This is also known as blady grass and has some astringent qualities, but nothing that has been tested or shown to produce any of the results listed.

Next is Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Sprenge, which is also known as Bearberry. Even though there are extensive applications in folk medicine, there is no scientific evidence that any of them are effective.

Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) root extract is the next ingredient. Supposedly it stimulates skin cell regeneration. This claim is, however, untested, and we have no way of finding out whether there is enough extract in this cream to be effective.

Then there is Mitracarpus Scaber Extract. This is melanin inhibitor. The reason it is an ingredient in this product is because it contains arbutin, which blocks melanin production, but research has shown that pure forms of arbutin are more effective as skin lighteners. The same is true for the bearberry extract.

Finally, we have Octocrylene. This is basically sunscreen that is linked to DNA damage and skin cancer.

Overall Impression

This product cannot possibly be effective as it does not have enough quality ingredients to cause a significant change in skin tone or firmness. We doubt that it is an effective skincare product that will produce any of the results it describes. We would not recommend Lightenex because it seems that it won’t actually help to lighten your skin or make it look younger.