Though skin whitening has been limited to expensive in-office treatments and potentially dangerous prescription products for much of its history, recent years have seen a surge in interest among consumers, encouraging a wider range of treatment options. Available for home use and in safe, non-toxic formulations, many of today's skin whitening products can be applied where and when it's convenient, and at a fraction of the cost of professional applications. With the selection of an effective cosmetic, people who want to achieve a whiter skin tone or who hope to even out areas of blotchiness or hyper-pigmentation can do so in comfort.