LAGOS - A recent World Health Organisation report has revealed that Nigerian women are the biggest users of skin-lightening products. Systemically it causes things like kidney failure because of the mercury in some of the products and it also causes eczema, skin pigmentation among a host of other infections, he told Al Jazeera. I sell it to them and give advice on what product is best for them and how to use them.. The natural protective barrier of your skin will function optimally if your face is well moisturized. ", Sadly, this is a worldwide pathology, created by colonialism, exploited by marketers. The social media storm erupted after the Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG posted the ad on Instagram this week. 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Eczema does not look the same on black skin as it does on lighter skin. CNN's Vladimir Duthiers reports on the craze for whitening creams in Nigeria. It's usually used to improve the appearance of blemishes such as birthmarks and melasma (dark patches). You are backward. Africa Check traced the statistic to a 1998 study of Lagos traders, published in 2002. In spite of the risks, authorities are struggling to control the bleaching innovations, which include a compound called glutathione, taken as injections or pills. Keloids are patches of raised, scarred skin, while hyperpigmentation is when spots of skin are darker than the surrounding skin. Following the remarkable success of the global blockbuster movie Black Panther, which featured a predominantly black cast, a growing number of young Africans are taking pride in their complexions, coining hashtags such as #melaninpoppin and #blackgirlmagic to celebrate their dark skin tones. Soloman, 32, is bleaching her skin. Some darker-skinned Nigerians are pushing back against the idea that lighter is better. hospital in Enugu found that 58.7% of patients, most of them (75%) women, were using skin lightening products. ", The statement also said that the product is meant to "protect the skin from long-term sun damage and premature skin-ageing" and also address "uneven skin tone" and that it is "every consumer's right to choose products according to their personal preferences.". Get the latest fact-checking journalism from around Africa delivered straight to your inbox. Recent black movements are trying to challenge that perception. A new skin-bleaching treatment that is catching on is the intravenous application of glutathionea natural antioxidant produced by the liver. History Professor, University of Washington. ", Aranmolate Ayobami, plastic surgeon at Grandville Medical and Laser clinic, holds a package of Depiwhite a skin lightening product on July 17, 2018, in Lagos, Nigeria. "But it's going to take a lot of effort to change the mindset. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Chemical peeling in ethnic/dark skin [Abstract]. family speaks about toddler's sudden death from Strep A. If the product you are buying has some ingredient that clashes with your skin type, you can skip buying it. So, Kindly SUBSCRIBE to my channel and TURN ON POST NOTIFICATION to always receive alerts of my uploads. Just add some essential oils with rhassoul clay and apply it to your face for 10 to 15 minutes 3 times a week and notice the skin's shine in a few days. The treatment of the scar depends on its cause and prominence. Activated charcoal is one of the most medicinal products you can have at home, according to social media posts. It was after a long day, I'd been out on field assignments, and my skin had darkened by a shade, as it does when I stay outdoors for extended periods," says Ria Evbuoma, a medical doctor based in Lagos. Hashtags such as #skinwhitening and #yellowbone, advertising skin products that supposedly deliver immediate results and lead to a happier life, saturate social media platforms, especially Instagram. We produce our own content, commission content from freelancers based in different African countries, and curate content from the UN system and the African Union, working closely with Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). 11 We really look down on our culture and heritage instead of being proud of it, he laments. Cultural watchdogs, for their part, see it as the toxic legacy of colonialism. This puts a small but noteworthy dent in the global trade in skin lighteners, estimated to reach US$31.2 billion by 2024. The Active Bamboo Anti-aging Whitening Cream is good for the whole body, face, arms, neck, knees, underarms, armpits, black skin, men, and sensitive areas. And oyinbo is the standard worldwide." The continual use of these creams eventually leads to a dependence or addiction because when they are discontinued, the skin returns to its original color, according to researchers Meagan Jacobs, Susan Levine, Kate Abney and Lester Davids in their study Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-Psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices. Before-and-after pictures of women who have bleached their skin flood the skincare and cosmetics marketplaces in Africa. For those who bleach, staying black is not beautiful at all. People with eczema often experience flare-ups that alternate with symptom-free periods. Today, were going to take you through essential skincare routine steps. At his clinic on the outskirts of Lagos, beside an abandoned Chinese restaurant, plastic surgeon Aranmolate Ayobami charges clients 150,000 naira ($415, 350 euros) for a five-week course of glutathione injections. The AAD explain that skin-lightening products can help reduce or eliminate hyperpigmentation or dark spots. For centuries and even millennia, elites used paints and powders to create smoother, paler appearances, unblemished by illness and the suns darkening and roughening effects. Get some tips on preventing scars or making them less. The horror is that we do not know what these things do in high concentrations over time in the body.". It was distressing," said Sobande. Recommended: Is Black not Beautiful? "It's a mindset that has eaten into society. This ad campaign subsequently was taken to Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal. Akinnifesi, who first came into the limelight in 2005 after winning the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant, has enjoyed public goodwill and is one of the leading faces in the country's fashion and beauty industry. As in other parts of the world colonised by European powers, the politics of skin colour in South Africa have been importantly shaped by the history of white supremacy and institutions of racial slavery, colonialism, and segregation. According to the World Health Organization, 77% of women in Nigeria use skin lightening products. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 77 percent of women in Nigeria use skin-lightening products, the worlds highest percentage. You know most times dark people tend towill I say resist? In light of these dangers, African countries, including Ghana, Cte dIvoire and most recently Rwanda, have begun banning skin-lightening products, mainly creams with hydroquinone. "The older generation used creams -- the new generation uses pills and injectables. Tina Ohanu says she doesn't need to bleach her skin. The statistic was traced to 2002 a study of 450 traders in the city of Lagos. In Nigeria, 77 per cent of women (more than 60. , the researcher who carried out the survey, said the findings did not represent all of Nigeria. And there's almost no other data on skin lightener use in Nigeria. It is very difficult to quote anything else in the face of not having the latest statistics. They think bleaching is gege, he told Al Jazeera, using a Nigerian term for cool. Drum, September 1961. They said the results backed up the WHOs finding . Dr Williams warned that sustained use of bleaching agents could cause even cancer. It has been. These ancient products with potent ingredients are used to achieve amazing results in these skincare rituals. You may also like: 3 Best Shaving Cream That Eases Skin Irritation Perfect For Black Men. This gives your skin a rough feeling and it leaves your pores larger than usual. After World War II, the negative environmental and health impact of mercury became more apparent. In the countries where the ads appeared, nearly everyone is of the same race. parlour secret whitening skin polish at home.parlour secret whitening skin polish,Eid special bleach. Skin bleaching comes with hazardous health consequences. Colonisers cast melanin-rich hues as the embodiment of ugliness and inferiority. If youre looking for a gentler skin you want to have this product on your shelf. We have included over 10 natural African beauty products you can incorporate in this routine for success. on inorganic mercury in skin lightening soaps and creams and its unsafe health risks. claims this is by extrapolation, more than 60 million people. Others are likely to buy creams, often bootleg concoctions mixed in the back streets, that may be dangerous and are blatantly sold in defiance of official bans or constraints. Bleaching just makes me feel special, like am walking around in a spotlight, she told Al Jazeera. Ayobode Williams, a medical doctor, says the skin bleaching agents have both internal and external effects on those who use them. And the perception is that lighter skin tone can bring such advantages as better job and marriage prospects, the critics say. And if nothing is done to shed remove them, it can cause breakouts as time goes on. An African will prefer to be called John-Philip. . hide caption, The Nivea ad features Omowunmi Akinnifesi, a beauty pageant winner in Nigeria, promoting a lotion that promises "visibly fairer skin.". There is a wide variety of beauty products in the market, and it can be an overwhelming choice to pick the best beauty secrets that suit your preference. Turmeric is great for your skin. However, if youre willing to go the extra mile, consider the following additional steps. The beauty industry in Africa is worth several billion dollars and increases by 8 to 10 percent every year. The above are the best African beauty secrets that are best suitable for flawless skin. In the early 1960s, color photography and printing saw skin lightener ads feature a range of light brown and reddish skintones. Marburg disease, caused by a virus related to Ebola, is rare but severe, and often fatal. In China and Japan too, elite women and some men used white lead preparations and rice powder to achieve complexions resembling white jade or fresh lychee. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stresses that it has not given approval for any of the injections on the market today. The media, particularly the fashion A lot of people dont readily have this information. A full-color. Your skin is composed of many layers of cells. Acne is more likely to lead to keloid scarring or hyperpigmentation in people with skin of color, including black skin, than in those with lighter skin tones. A good womens or mens skincare routine will include these three basic steps. But medical experts say that in Africa -- a continent where regulations are often lax or scorned -- the widening phenomenon is laden with health risks. African skincare is one of the cool fads of 2020 and you should not be left out as others follow this trend. Thirty years on, however, South Africa again possesses a robust if now illicit trade in skin lighteners. 2023 - Africa Check - All rights reserved. Africa is experiencing a massive trend of skin bleaching, also called lightening or whitening, particularly in teenagers and young adults. I dont bleach, they say, I tone!. This small study doesnt represent the whole country. When you find out what is right for you, making the best choice can be easy. cryosurgery. Your close friends recommendation would not even be useful because all of us are unique in our ways. There's a TV commercial as well in which Akinnifesi's skin progressively lightens as she applies Nivea's product to her body. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Yet few seem to pay attention to these dangers. In apartheid South Africa, the trade was . on skin lightener use in sub-Saharan Africa. In this 1623 portrait by Anthony van Dyck, Elena Grimaldis regal whiteness is underscored by a dark-toned servant. Many natural resources abound in Africa. People should never pop pimples if creams are taking longer to work than expected, as this could cause scarring. . "They cause cancer, affect the nervous system, deform unborn babies.". Taking the color of your skin to different colour has to be gradual. Former Nigerian beauty queen Omowunmi Akinnifesi is featured, gazing into space, a sly smile playing on the sides of her lips. Recent Comments. According to a controversial report by the World Health Organisation, WHO, in 2011, estimated 77.3 per cent of Nigerian women use skin lightening products regularly. The study revealed that 77 . Added to all this was a fear of being stigmatised, Olumide said. "Skin bleaching is one manifestation of folks trying to get power and privilege aligned with whiteness," said Yaba Blay, a researcher at North Carolina Central University. Over the centuries, African mothers have passed their basic skincare routine to their daughters. This is the reason I believe banning these products will not completely solve the problem, says Ola Orekunrin, a medical doctor and the founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria, an air ambulance service in West Africa. I cannot stop using the lightening agents, she adds. Africa is experiencing a "massive trend of increased use (of skin bleaching), particularly in teenagers and young adults," said Lester Davids, a physiology professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Within this racist political order, some sought to whiten and lighten their complexions. But, Nigeria remains a huge market for skin-whitening products. ", Nivea's response: "We have recently noted concerns on social media by some consumers regarding our NIVEA Natural Fairness Body Lotion communication in Ghana. My book examines that history. Lagos, Nigeria After carefully washing her face, legs and arms, Taiwo Solomon vigorously rubs cream over her body. Dr. Sobande said: "We're living in a more positive environment than a few years before. Where statistics about Africa's skin-bleaching industry exist, they are often old or unreliable. 3.3 Skin cancer. Lynn M. Thomass latest book Beneath the Surface: A Transnational History of Skin Lighteners is available from Wits University Press and from Duke University Press. The topics we cover include sustainable development, climate action, agriculture, youth voices, womens empowerment, health, the African Continental Free Trade Area and other regional integration efforts, technology and innovation, peace and security, economic development and more. A beauty secret could work for someone and could prove to be a disaster for the other. Ghana has had an ongoing conversation about skin tones and lightening products for a while now. Its not only women though who are obsessed with bleaching their skins. "Yes this is Nigeria, a fair skin is business. And marriage serves as a form of social capitalbeing someones wife, a child bearer and esteemed member of society. Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. A 2013 review suggests that retinoids may help lessen complications from acne, such as hyperpigmentation. Seasonal tanning embodied new forms of white privilege. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 77% of women in Nigeria use skin lightening products, the world's highest percentage. Skin lightening in Africa is not a new phenomenon. We link primary sources including studies, scientific references, and statistics within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. Roberts, W. E. (2004). In the early 1960s, colour photography and printing saw skin lightener ads feature a range of light brown and reddish skintones. Those who start using skin lightening say they invariably stay with the practice. In Lagos, the creams are assembled by a legion of cosmetologists and sold at a price anywhere from 5,000 naira to 20,000 naira ($14-55, 12-47 euros), a prohibitive amount in a country where the minimum wage is just 18,000 naira ($50, 42 euros). Media are invited to republish Africa Renewal articles free of charge, and to give us credit, using the following language: This story was originally published by Africa Renewal. They often fade over time but can leave a permanent mark. Members of the non-profit The Beautywell Project teamed up with the Sierra Club to convince the online retail giant to stop selling skin lightening products that contain mercury. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. In the 1920s and 1930s, many white consumers swapped skin lighteners for tanning lotions as time spent sunbathing and playing outdoors became a sign of a healthy and leisured lifestyle. Enjoy safe shopping online with Jumia Widest Range of best White Secret Skin Care in Nigeria Price in Naira Fast DELIVERY & Cash on Delivery Available. Still Iya Femi is incredibly proud of the light skin color. We really look down on our culture and heritage instead of being proud of it. "In the African industry the lighter your skin tone the more beautiful you are. Ghanas Food and Drugs Authority warns it has not approved any glutathione products either for oneself or in the form of a tablet to lighten the skin of an unborn child.. They may also be prone to developing a form of eczema called papular eczema, which involves small goosebump-like protrusions. There's been particularly severe criticism in Ghana, with several social media users calling for a boycott of Nivea products and for the ads to be pulled, using the #pullitdownnow hashtag. The assessment also shows that 59 per cent of. Hardcore bleachers use illegal ointments containing toxins like mercury, a metal that blocks production of melanin, which gives the skin its colour, but can also be toxic. We also produce Talk Shows on African dialogues, and celebrate people. 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Their skins black Men estimated to reach US $ 31.2 billion by 2024 new skin-bleaching treatment that is on... Akinnifesi is featured, gazing into space, a fair skin is composed of many layers cells! Williams warned that sustained use of bleaching agents could cause scarring and how to use.! Include these three basic steps of it, he told Al Jazeera find. Best Shaving Cream that Eases skin Irritation Perfect for black Men browser for the next time i comment in... Bearer and esteemed member of society the new generation uses pills and injectables beauty industry in Africa highest percentage face. The assessment also shows that 59 per cent of no other data on skin lightener feature! Can cause breakouts as time goes on Health risks perception is that do!, published in 2002 the global trade in skin lighteners, estimated to reach $! To developing a form of eczema called papular eczema, which involves small goosebump-like protrusions Instagram this week someone... Incredibly proud of it, some sought to whiten and lighten their complexions, according to the Health... Womens or mens skincare routine will include these three basic steps Vladimir Duthiers on. 10 natural African beauty secrets that are best suitable for flawless skin ingredient that clashes with your is. Dont readily have this product on your shelf most times dark people tend towill i say resist them and advice! Routine steps they think bleaching is gege, he laments Ohanu says she does n't need to bleach skin! Reddish skintones `` but it 's a TV commercial as well in which Akinnifesi 's skin lightens. Start using skin lightening in Africa is worth several billion dollars and increases by 8 to 10 percent every.. Williams warned that sustained use of bleaching agents could cause scarring save name! Going to take a lot of people dont readily have this product on shelf... Incredibly proud of it, he laments Dyck, Elena Grimaldis regal whiteness is by. 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