Skin lightening has become a popular concern among many people around the world as they strive to look more attractive. In many parts of the world, this has driven up the sales of skin lightening products as well as led to the proliferation of homemade skin lightening concoctions. If you are interested in using a bleaching agent, chances are that you have many questions on your mind particularly if you want to keep your skin safe. One of these might be the risk of the lightening cream peeling your skin after use. The Difference between Peeling and Skin Lightening Skin peeling and skin lightening are two different things, and they may or may not both occur when you use a skin lightening agent. Skin peeling refers to a process where the superficial layers of the skin are removed (mostly by abrasion) so that younger skin beneath is revealed. This usually leads to skin that looks more clarified, and can also help in reducing some superficial skin defects. Skin lightening, on the other hand, is simply a process that has to do with melanin. All skin lightening agents affect the amount of melanin in the skin. Since it is the pigment that gives skin its dark color, reducing the amount of melanin in a scar or any part of skin where the cream is applied will result in a lighter tone. A Single Product Can Perform Both Whitening and Peeling Skin lightening may or may not also result in peeling, as this depends on the products you are using. Some skin lighteners also contain chemical peeling agents known as exfoliants which mildly peel the top layer of the skin. The goal of this is to expose the younger-looking layer of skin beneath. It also clears dead cells from the surface of the skin. This can be important considering the fact that skin regenerates very quickly, and dead skin can accumulate on the surface particularly if you don’t wash it off regularly. Whether or not the lightening agent will cause peeling therefore depends on the ingredients of the skin lightening agent. If you want to benefit from a peel, it would be wise to specifically look out for skin whitening agents that have an exfoliant within the ingredients. Strong Peeling is Not Advised One might think that a product that strongly peels the surface of the skin is ideal, but this is not the case. In fact, the milder the peel, the better it is for many people especially if they are going to use it for a long time, as one would when using a skin lightening agent. When a very strong peel is used on a regular basis, it could strip the top layer of the skin so much so that one ends up with severely damaged skin which starts having scars. Aggressive removal of the superficial layer of the skin will also expose the underlying tissue to the elements and could even cause infection. In summary, skin lightening products may or may not peel the skin; it depends on the ingredients the product has.  However, if you decide to get one that peels the skin, always insist on one where the peeling effect is mild so that your skin is kept healthy.