Having fair and bright skin is a common dream among Filipinas, and the first step to achieve that is to build a good skincare routine with high-quality face whitening products. From whitening face washes to brightening serums, it’s important to get the right skincare to see visible results as soon as possible.
In this article, we will help you choose the best ones by showing you our top 10 picks for the best face whitening products. We also prepared a comprehensive buying guide with comments from dermatologist Dr. Katrina to teach you all that you need to know before checking out.
Quick List - Top Face Whitening Products
Dr. Katrina Habaluyas Luz is the face behind Ask Your Derma. She is a board-certified dermatologist in Metro Manila. She is also an educator and digital creator on all things skin, hair, and nails. She is a Diplomate of the Philippine Dermatological Society and offers online video consultations. You can also catch her on her Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channel.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Table of Contents
Here are some key points to consider:
For more detailed information, read through our buying guide below.
The most important thing to consider when looking for a face whitening product is its active whitening ingredient. This is what allows the product to lighten your skin and give you a bright radiant complexion. Here are some common whitening ingredients that you will encounter.
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant and is a very popular skin whitening ingredient. Aside from lightening your skin, glutathione also protects it by fighting off free radicals that cause pigmentation, dark spots, and blemishes. If you have some problem areas on your face that you want to lighten, we recommend getting a face whitening product with glutathione.
Glutathione is an overly hyped whitening ingredient incorporated into a lot of skincare products. It is mainly known for its role as a powerful antioxidant.
Fun fact! Did you know its role as a skin-lightening agent was discovered accidentally as a side effect of large doses of glutathione? Despite its hype, more studies are needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety as a lightening agent.
Kojic acid whitens your skin by preventing the production of melanin, a natural skin pigment that your body produces. It does this by blocking the formation of tyrosine, which is an essential building block for melanin. Kojic acid is a common skin whitening ingredient and can be found in many face washes and creams.
Kojic acid is a great option for reducing unwanted pigmentation. It inhibits the enzyme tyrosinaseーknown for regulating melanin production. Simply put, kojic acid works by preventing the pigment releasing skin cells from overproducing, thus, giving you more even-toned skin.
Aside from inhibiting melanin production, vitamin C also brightens your skin by reducing hyperpigmentation, including age spots and stubborn dark marks. It also leaves your skin with a firmer texture, giving you a youthful complexion. This is best for those with dull skin or mature skin.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant; hence it's one of the go-to's for brightening and/or lightening the skin. To know if a product contains vitamin C, check if the ingredients list has L-ascorbic acid and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.
Some face whitening products also make use of natural ingredients like papaya extract and tomato. Papaya extract promotes the removal of dead skin cells, gradually reducing dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Meanwhile, tomato acts as a natural bleaching agent because of the antioxidants and vitamin C in it.
Other natural ingredients for skin lightening that face whitening products may use are white lupin seed, white daisy flower extract, Anastatica, and milk essence. These products combined with each other or other active whitening ingredients will surely result in a fairer and more glowing and radiant complexion.
Carica papaya has been found to counteract oxidative stress via its potent antioxidant properties. However, more studies are needed to substantiate its claims for skin whitening and/or lightening.
From cleansers to creams, there is a variety of face whitening products in the market. You can either choose one to try out or get one of each product to build a whole new face whitening skincare routine.
Face washes or facial cleansers are the first step of any skincare routine. They come in different formulas like soaps, foams, or gels, but they all do the same thing: cleanse your face of any bacteria or impurities. Some of them can also slough off dead skin and gently exfoliate your skin for a brighter and lighter complexion.
Whitening face washes are formulated with active ingredients that give them their proposed whitening and/or brightening abilities. However, given the short contact time with the skin, it's good to manage one's expectations with the level of improvement from using a wash alone.
Toners are usually applied after washing your face. Not only do they nourish the skin, but they also bring back moisture and soothe the skin. Newer formulations of toners may also help get rid of any dirt and dead skin cells that weren't cleansed away by your face wash. It helps deep clean your pores and deliver much-needed nutrients and active ingredients to your skin, including those for skin whitening.
Toners are a nice add-on to any skincare routine. Some benefits of toners include balancing the pH of your skin, hydrating your skin, removing impurities missed by your cleanser, or just pampering yourself. Some toners have also been incorporated with lightening ingredients as well!
Face creams nourish your skin to ensure that you stay hydrated all day or all night. They contain different moisturizing ingredients that help your skin stay soft and smooth, like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, or glycerin. Usually, day creams also contain SPF to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun, so that your skin whitening efforts don’t go to waste.
In terms of addressing pigmentation, creams are an effective choice, particularly because it is a leave-on product. This allows the active ingredient to be absorbed into the skin and carry out its desired effect.
Serums deliver higher doses of active ingredients to your skin, so you can see visible results sooner. A popular face serum for skin whitening is vitamin C serum, which delivers high doses of vitamin C to your face to help brighten your skin and lighten dark spots or blemishes for a radiant complexion.
Serums typically contain a higher percentage of active ingredients enabling them to deliver the desired results faster.
In order to get clear, smooth, and fair skin, don't forget to double-check if the face whitening product that you're going to buy is good for your skin type. Some of them may contain extra ingredients that may aggravate certain skin issues like acne, while others have extra components that are nourishing for particular skin types.
For those with acne-prone skin, consider getting a face whitening product with healing ingredients like zinc, centella asiatica, and xylitol that will work with its active whitening ingredients to help you achieve clearer and whiter skin.
On the other hand, for those with dry skin, opt for a face whitening product with moisturizing ingredients like niacinamide, beta-glucan, bambusa vulgaris, aloe vera, and shea butter for nourished fair skin. You can also get products with vitamin E, alpha arbutin, rose hips, and goat's milk as they're both nourishing and whitening.
Multifunctional products are a great option as they are able to not only target your primary skin concern but also address secondary concerns or prevent unwanted side effects as well.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Belo Essentials | ![]() | Minimizes Pores While Lightening Your Complexion | |
2 | Nacific | ![]() | Removes Deep-Seated Dirt and Impurities to Reveal Radiant Skin | |
3 | Olay | ![]() | Whitens, Rejuvenates, and Moisturizes Your Skin During the Night | |
4 | Luxe Organix | ![]() | A Potent Whitener That Smoothens Rough Skin | |
5 | Pond's | ![]() | A Crowd-Favorite Moisturizer for Brighter and More Supple Skin | |
6 | Nuwhite | ![]() | Achieve Lighter Skin In As Early as Seven Days | |
7 | Organic Skin Japan | ![]() | Contains SPF 30 to Protect You From the Harmful Rays of the Sun | |
8 | Garnier | ![]() | Fade and Lighten Dark Spots Quickly With Powerful Vitamin C | |
9 | The Face Shop | ![]() | Illuminates the Skin Using Natural Ingredients | |
10 | Love Thy Self | ![]() | Lightens and Exfoliates Your Skin Without Peeling |
Belo is a trusted brand by many Filipinos, including artistas, for a good reason. The brand has consistently released high-quality yet affordable products that many customers love, including this whitening face wash. Formulated for oily skin, it minimizes your pores as it lightens your complexion with glutathione and kojic acid.
This product has a gel texture, so it will feel light and comfortable as it cleanses your face. It's also pore-minimizing, so if you struggle with the appearance of large pores, this one is perfect for you. Plus, customers said that it's excellent at removing excess oil and that it's super effective. You'll truly get a bang for your buck with this one!
Niacinamide is considered a star ingredient because of its many benefits, including lightening your skin. This is why it's used by this Nacific toner. As it removes deep-seated dirt and impurities from your skin, it delivers a whitening effect, too, giving you a more radiant complexion. It also brightens blemishes to make your skin fresh and smooth!
This toner also contains centella asiatica to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun, as well as bambusa vulgaris to help moisturize your skin. If you don't like using heavy products, you'll like this toner, since it has a transparent, fast-absorbing formula that feels like water. Users are satisfied with it, saying that it delivers on all its promises.
Olay is a well-established brand in the skincare industry, with many Filipinas and their mamas and lolas using Olay's products because of their excellent anti-aging properties. Although Olay is an established crowd-favorite in the anti-aging department, they've also become a strong contender in skin whitening with this lightening night cream.
Formulated with Celucent Complex II, this night cream inhibits melanin formation, reducing dark marks and hyperpigmentation. It also contains anastatica, which deeply moisturizes your skin to give you a smoother, clearer, and more translucent complexion. Made with patented Pearl-Optics Technology, this product will certainly turn dull skin into radiant and glowing!
Some people want to lighten their skin to even out their complexion, and if that's your goal, this serum by Luxe Organix is made for you! It has 10% niacinamide that will even out your complexion and help fade acne marks or scars. Additionally, this can also help regulate oil production, making it beneficial for those with oily skin.
This high potency formula also contains tranexamic acid and zinc, which smoothens rough and textured skin. It's also free of alcohol, parabens, and fragrances, so if your skin tends to be more sensitive, this powerful but gentle serum will be effective without causing irritation. Many customers can vouch for this, saying it's their holy grail whitening product!
Get the bright skin of your dreams with this moisturizer from Pond's. Enriched with niacinamide and milk essence coupled with a patented Instabright technology, it provides an immediate brightening effect and evens out your skin tone. Users said that it gave them a lighter complexion and made their skin more fresh and supple.
One customer also mentioned that, "binubuhay niya talaga yung face." They also mentioned that this moisturizer isn't too sticky and that it's lightweight, so it will surely be comfortable to use. Something to keep in mind, though, is that it has no SPF protection, so be sure to apply sunblock after using this product.
With a line-up of seven whitening ingredients, this soap will whiten your skin in as early as seven days! But what's amazing about it is that it also lightens scars, dark marks, and pimple marks, giving you the clear and smooth you've been wanting. What's more, it has anti-aging and anti-wrinkle properties, too!
This whitening soap is hypoallergenic and all-natural, using only premium and natural ingredients from Japan to deliver its skin whitening promises. Customers wrote their praises about this product, with one saying that it does wonders since it's non-drying. They also said that it's moisturizing and truly a soap one must try!
To ensure that your face whitening products work, it's important to protect your skin from the sun, too. This whitening face cream will be a big help for that since it contains SPF 30 to shield your face from the harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun. As for its whitening effect, it uses vitamin C and glutathione to lighten your skin and even out your skin tone.
Some other ingredients it contains are alpha arbutin, aloe vera, and shea butter, which have soothing and moisturizing properties that will give you soft and supple skin. Because of these additional nourishing ingredients, this is a good face whitening product for those who struggle with dry skin.
Vitamin C is a powerful skin-lightening ingredient, and Garnier amps it up with this serum that uses 30x more vitamin C than other similar products. This results in a highly-concentrated formula that can deliver visible results in as fast as three days! It will fade your dark marks and acne scars quickly, giving you the clear glass skin of your dreams.
Because of its effectiveness, it has garnered thousands of good reviews, with many customers indeed seeing the effects that it promised. They also said it has a nice lemon scent that's very refreshing. For those who want quick results, this is definitely a good face whitening product to consider.
To help you achieve not just fair skin, but also a bright complexion, try this toner from The Face Shop. Using natural ingredients, including white lupin seed and white daisy flower extract, it will deeply clean your face and get rid of discoloration and hyperpigmentation. This will result in bright skin that will make you look fresh all day.
Aside from its superb whitening abilities, this toner also helps moisturize your skin due to its beta-glucan content. It's also free of parabens, GMOs, artificial colorants, paraffin, animal derivatives, and more, so those with sensitive skin can most likely use this with no problems. If you want to look and feel refreshed and revitalized, check this out now!
Powered by an all-star line-up of whitening ingredients, including kojic acid, glutathione, alpha arbutin, and papaya extract, this whitening soap will exfoliate your skin and lighten hyperpigmentation. It does all this without any peeling or stinging. Plus, it claims that you'll see results in as early as two days!
For those who are still skeptical, fear not, because many customers have had good experiences with this product. One of them said that their face brightened and became firmer after using this soap. They also vouch for its quick results after only a few days. For best results, though, they recommend you not to leave it on your skin for too long.
Applying your products in the right order is key to reap its maximum benefits. Typically, the order is as follows:
As a general rule, applying the product with the thinnest to the thickest consistency is best.
Below are some of the most asked questions on the web answered by Dr. Katrina.
The frequency of using whitening products depends on the type of pigmentation being addressed as well as the tolerance to the product, amongst others.
Yes, using face products on the body shouldn't be a problem. Extra care should be taken around sensitive areas such as the underarms and inguinal (best to avoid these!).
This depends on a lot of factors. Individual factors such as skin tone, duration of pigmentation, lifestyle (e.g. sun exposure), and consistency of use contribute to the response. Product factors such as the ingredient, and overall formulation are just as important in delivering the desired result.
If you want to check out more whitening products to build the best routine for your skin, we've got you covered! Check out our other articles below for more product recommendations that will help you achieve fairer skin for both your face and body.
Author: Bianca Angela Dela Cruz
Editor: R. Umlas
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Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors, in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
No. 1: Belo Essentials|
No. 2: Nacific|
No. 3: Olay|
No. 4: Luxe Organix|
No. 5: Pond's|
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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