How to get rid of tanned skin?
I spent a few days on the beach. Is there any product i can buy in thailand that works???
Stay out of the sun....that probably works best.
You are welcome.
Many tourists pay big money for flights to Thailand to get a tan.
5 5 5
*Stay out of the sun!
Many Thai beauticians and pharmacies sell creams etc. with "whitening" agents – you need to research these thoroughly before using. It seems that 1 in 5 samples contains mercury.
Creams have been found in the UK that contain hydroquinone and mercury. Hydroquinone can cause intense irritation and uneven bleaching of the skin, and mercury can cause increased pigmentation and severe itchy rashes. Both these chemicals are banned in the EU but not elsewhere. In Thailand, they're restricted but easily available, as enforcement is lax.
If you have gone darker in the sun, your body is producing melanin, the brown colour. This means your skin has ALREADY been damaged – trying to whiten it again won't reverse the damage. In fact, it may cause more.
What you can do is reduce further exposure – either by staying out of the sun, wearing protective clothing or using strong UV-filtering sunblocks (50 SVP +) Your skin will gradually get paler.
Edited: 8:42 am, September 06, 2025It's very hard to get any skin cream that isn't skin whitening - Thais don't want to look like they are labourers who are out in the sun all day.
Just live with it
"Not looking like labourers" - is a class thing all over the world – it even existed in Europe until Coco Chanel came along in the 1920s. Her promotion of tanned skin turned the look into a symbol of wealth, leisure, and health (e.g., the ability to have time to travel and have leisure). It conversely was adopted by those who believed in eugenics, leading to racists wanting darker skin! Also adopted by Nazis in pre-war Germany.
shifting the cultural perception to pale skin as a sign of poverty
Unfortunately, with the advent of world tourism, skin cancer rates have soared. It doesn't matter what colour your skin is naturally. you are still vulnerable to UV damage and subsequent cancers. This is why populations in tropical and equatorial countries normally have a culture of staying out of the sun – you'll notice how Thai people seldom swim in yr middle of the day and also swim fully clothed.
