Skin whitening is mostly about exfoliating and avoiding tan.
There are some chemicals which supposedly slow down the production of melanin, but I've found them placebo-tier (the stronger ones are probably unavailable in the EU).
You best bet is buying some peeling product (you can use lemon juice and stuff, but that's just an inconvenient way to apply chemical peeling) and using strong sunscreen all the time. That's what I do.
Whitening products are safe if you buy them in the EU, but they're usually just overpriced peeling products.
Other things you can do is using tricks. If you have dark facial hair - shave it off or bleach it. Bleach slightly your eyebrows (just apply some hydrogen peroxide, be sure not to overdo it) and maybe hair (sometimes having dark hair is better, because it gives you the contrast). Reducing inflammation and getting rid of acne/scars in general will also make your face appear brighter. You could massage your face to improve the blood flow.
When applying make-up, don't go overboard and try to match your skin tone. Using cold colors if your skin tone is warm will give you the result in your pic.
