In August 2018 researchers from France and South Africa published the results of their study to assess the technical and clinical impact of hydroquinone-containing creams on blood glucose levels and the effectiveness of hand washing and other common practices, in reversing the cream’s effect. A total of 91 individuals were included in the study. The hydroquinone content of a cream was assessed following which two different types of blood glucose meters (Accu-Chek Active and OneTouch Ultra 2) were used to measure fasting blood glucose levels after: initial hand washing, the application of 1 ml of hydroquinone-containing cream, finger swabbing with wet gauze, sanitizer application and a series of three hand washings following application of the cream. Results showed that the hydroquinone-containing cream caused significant false readings irrespective of the type of blood glucose meter used. In addition, it was also found that a minimum of two hand washings were required after using the hydroquinone-containing used in order to obtain an accurate blood glucose level reading.
Choukem SP et al. Effects of hydroquinone-containing creams on capillary glycemia before and after serial hand washings in Africans. PLoS One. 2018 Aug 28;13(8):e0202271