What some skin whitening creams do is bleaching. They give the skin a lighter tone than the one you have naturally. But this is not what you want probably as there are some health risks associated with this practice. Instead, you can use creams that smoothens your natural skin tone. Removing the dark spots and sun damage from the skin can give it a uniform tone. This type of creams will bring back the natural tone of your skin and is beneficial to its health & beauty. Another method to achieve a lighter skin tone is to remove the hyperpigmentation.