Hydroquinone has been used for skin whitening for centuries. In 500 B.C. in Iran, farmers and civil workers used pure plant-derived hydroquinone to keep their skin white and soft. Hydroquinone has been used since the 1950s in over-the-counter skin lightener products and since the 1960s as a medical product. It is also used in cosmetic products such as hair dyes and nail products.

Today, hydroquinone comes in 2% concentration, available over the counter, and up to 4% concentration available by prescription. For truly explosive chemical cocktail it can be combined with tretinoin 0.05% to 0.1%. Read more of this post