If you're looking for hand lotion to lighten age spots, take a few moments to read this article.
 It should help you find one that is safe and effective.
 Many of the products on the market today are neither safe nor effective.
If it is to be effective, the cream must contain ingredients that inhibit melanin production and stimulate skin cell production.
 Until recently, the only ingredient that was known to inhibit melanin production was hydroquinone.
 It is still the best known.
  Hydroquinone has been banned in several countries because of an increased cancer risk that accompanies its use and also because of a serious allergic reaction that requires dermatologic treatment.
 In the worst cases, it causes the appearance of black bumps all over the face and body.
 Even on areas where it was not used.
  A safer alternative is an ingredient called EXTRAPONE NUTGRASS.
 It was originally developed to relieve skin irritations.
 It was only after it was proven effective in this area that it was found to inhibit melanin production.
 Research has shown that a .
5% concentration reduces melanin production by over 40%.
However, this is not an ingredient that you will commonly see in hand lotion to lighten age spots.
 It is more commonly used to whiten or lighten the complexion, overall.
 If you have just a few of these highly pigmented areas, but are basically happy with the color of your complexion, over all, you might want to choose something different.
Shea butter, for example, has been shown to lighten heavily pigmented areas.
 It can also help reduce scars and stretch marks.
 The best grades are not commonly found in hand lotion to lighten age spots, but in night creams to use on the face.
 You may need to "adapt" a product for this purpose.
These heavily pigmented areas can appear anywhere on the body.
 But, they are most common on areas that are frequently exposed to the sun.
 Melanin is the body's natural protector.
 It prevents UV radiation from damaging deeper layers and causing skin cancers.
 It is what causes a tan.
Age spots and freckles are clusters of melanin-rich cells.
 Normally, only about 5% of the skin's cells contain melanin.
 The rest are primarily composed of keratin.
 If you want the best hand lotion to lighten age spots or reduce any of the other signs of age, you need to look for an ingredient called Functional Keratin.
Functional Keratin is a bio-active protein complex that has been shown to stimulate the production of new cells.
 Some of the best body lotions and creams contain it.
 Efforts to inhibit melanin production would not be worthwhile; if you cannot do something to increase the cell turnover rate, increase the production of new, non-melanin containing cells.
With Functional Keratin, you can do that.
 In clinical studies, researchers measured an increase of 160% in skin cell proliferation after three days of use.
 If you buy the right product, you can use hand lotion to lighten age spots all over your face and body.
 The ingredients are just that safe.