What is Hydroquinone?
Hydroquinone, also known as quinol or benzene-1.4-diol is a type of phenol. It is an aromatic organic compound using C6H4(OH)2 as its chemical formula. Its chemical structure or makeup is composed of the bonding of two hydroxyl groups that are bonded to one benzene ring. At pressure and normal room temperature, hydroquinone is a white-colored granular solid.
Properties of Hydroquinone
In order to be converted into benzoquinone, hydroquinone must go through mild oxidation. The reduction of its quinine will convert it back to hydroquinone. Some natural biochemical compounds have quinine or hydroquinone section in their makeup, such as the coenzyme Q which can go through the same redox inter-conversion. The hydroxyl group of this organic compound is mainly weak acid.
Uses of Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone can be used in different things; however, it is principally used as a reducing agent because it is highly soluble in water. It is used in developing photography because of its metol compound which can reduce silver halides to silver. Its disodiumdiphenolate salt is also used as an alternate comonomer unit in polymer PEEK production. Hydroquinone is also used as a major ingredient in rubber antioxidants, herbicides, and dyestuffs.
Use of Hydroquinone in Skin Depigmentation
Hydroquinone is also used in human medicine as an ingredient in topical application products used in reducing the skin color. In 2006 however, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked its approval of hydroquinone as a safe ingredient of topical application products and proposed the banning of all OTC preparations with this compound. According to a research conducted by the FDA, this organic compound is a potential carcinogen. This was actually based on the study they conducted. In their study, adult rats injected with hydroquinone were found to have tumors, including anisokaryosis, thyroid follicular cell hyperplasias, hepatocellular adenomas, renal tubule cell ademonas, and mononuclear cell leukemia. Several studies also revealed that this organic compound can cause buildup of blue-black pigments on the skin.
Natural Occurrences of Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is naturally found in the defensive glands of a certain type of beetle. This compound is collected in the beetle’s reservoir which opens through a valve onto a reaction chamber lined with cells secreting peroxidases and catalases. When the reservoir contents are forced to the reaction chamber, the peroxidases and catalases break the hydrogen peroxide rapidly and the hydroquinone oxidation is catalyzed into p-quinones. The reaction releases free oxygen thereby generating enough heat that brings up the mixture to boil and vaporize.
You will need a prescription for Hydroquinone if you want to use it.