Recently, the question “Does shower gel work for men to remove spots?” has sparked heated discussions on Zhihu. Some users claim their spots lightened after using certain products, while others dismiss it as a placebo effect. So what’s the real answer? Simply put: Shower gel can’t fundamentally remove spots, but it may create an illusion of lighter spots.
First, spots are deeper than you think. Most spots (like freckles, sun spots, melasma) form in the basal layer of the epidermis or even the dermis. Shower gel only acts on the outermost stratum corneum—its cleaning agents can’t penetrate deep enough to target the melanin clusters causing spots. Second, shower gel’s contact time is too short. When showering, we rub the gel for just a few minutes before rinsing it off. Even if there are whitening ingredients like niacinamide or vitamin C, they need prolonged contact to be absorbed. This fleeting interaction makes it impossible for these components to work effectively. Third, the concentration of effective ingredients is insufficient. Shower gel’s core function is cleaning, so its formula prioritizes surfactants over active whitening agents. Any spot-fading ingredients added are usually in low concentrations—high doses would irritate the skin in a wash-off product. Fourth, exfoliation ≠祛斑. Some men notice brighter skin after using exfoliating shower gels and mistake this for spot reduction. Exfoliation only removes dead surface cells, making the skin look transiently smoother, but it doesn’t reduce the deep melanin that causes spots. In conclusion, shower gel cannot truly remove spots. The temporary brightness some users see is just surface exfoliation, not a solution to the root cause of pigmentation. Expecting shower gel to eliminate spots is an unrealistic expectation. Note: No annotations or post-article suggestions as requested.
男生用沐浴液祛斑真的有效果吗？
Title: 男生用沐浴液真能祛斑？知乎热议背后的真相是…