The practice of skin lightening is harmful, argues
Edina Robinson Atabuh
An alarming 77% of Nigerian women regularly use skin lightening creams according to World Health Organization. It is a disheartening and dare I say even an embarrassing statistic. How can a country known as the “Giant of Africa”, a country that for decades has led and still leads the African continent in its display of African pride have such a prominent hatred of and discomfort with its own skin? A casual walk to the cosmetics aisle of a Nigerian super market will result in one discovering shelves full of creams, soaps and serums that promise its buyers a light and bright complexion. The packages of such products graced with the face of light skinned women beaming at you. I recently noticed newly erected billboards advertising the cream ‘Carotone’ and the slogan on the billboard reads “light and natural” but what does that even mean? Why is there such a demand for these types of products in an African country?
Skin lightening or skin bleaching is a cosmetic procedure that aims to lighten dark areas of the skin or achieve a generally paler skin tone. It is a practice that is centuries old and has been adopted by people from all types of cultures although the ideologies behind the practice differ. Skin bleaching has been mostly marketed towards women under the pretense that porcelain/light skin is the ideal representation of beauty and status. The first recorded practices of skin whitening can be traced back to over 200 B.C. across a multitude of civilisations that utilised natural sources of ingredients to facilitate the production of skin whitening substances. For example, the Egyptians and Greeks made use of honey and olive oil as a method of whitening the skin.
So what exactly caused skin bleaching to become such a widespread phenomenon in Nigeria? The simple answer is colonialisation and slavery. An American Sociological Society paper explains that: “To justify racial slavery, slave-holding interests espoused a white supremacist ideology which held that persons of African descent were innately inferior to whites. Whiteness became identified with all that is civilised, virtuous and beautiful.” The colonisation and enslavement of Africans by Europeans left Nigerians with a poisonous mentality known as a colonial mentality. According to Wikipedia a colonial mentality is the ‘internalised attitude of ethnic or cultural inferiority felt by people as a result of colonisation. It corresponds with the belief that the cultural values of the coloniser are inherently superior to one’s own. So since the colonisers thought that “white and bright is right” this way of thinking was adopted by many Africans.
There are a countless number of reasons that motivate a person to lighten their skin. A major reason is colorism. Colorism is a form of prejudice and discrimination in which people of certain ethnic groups, or people who are perceived as belonging to a darker-skinned race, are treated differently based on their darker skin color. The racial hierarchy and color ranking within colonised African nations left psychological effects on many of the darker skinned individuals. Colorism has led many Nigerians to believe that “fair people” are not only more attractive than dark skin Nigerians but that they are inherently attractive due to their light skin. The message that darker skin tones are somehow inferior to lighter skin tones is delivered to children and largely perpetuated in school settings. It’s not hard to imagine why dark skin children who were referred to as “blackie”,”charcoal” and “burnt offering” would grow up to despise their dark skin and seek ways to change it. This results in many Nigerians particularly women (as colorism does have more of a significant impact on the way black women are viewed than black men) lightening their skin to live up to the ridiculous beauty standards set for them.
In addition, a lighter skin tone is associated with better economic opportunities and a greater chance at upward mobility by some Nigerians. It is rumored that some businesses will refuse to hire dark skin individuals as they believe that light skin is what “sells market”. All this contributes to the rotten epidemic that is skin lightening.
Aside from the obvious social implications of skin bleaching it has numerous health risks. Many lightening products contain hydroquinone which in high concentrations, can lead to, among other side effects, organ malfunction, blood poisoning, nausea, abdominal pain, and convulsions. Lightening products also contain mercury which can cause serious harm to the nervous, digestive and immune systems, organs, and eyes. Other negative effects include, abnormalities in a newborn baby (if used during pregnancy), visible blood vessels in the skin, skin irritation and discoloration. Not to mention that long term use of skin lightening products can weaken the skin, making it more susceptible to skin infections and other skin conditions. The use of skin lightening products can lead to psychological distress, including low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and shame.
Lastly, we need to work together to combat the harmful practice of skin lightening. It is essential to increase public awareness about the dangers of skin bleaching, and to educate consumers about the importance of using high-quality products that have been tested for safety. Consumers can also take a number of steps to ensure they are purchasing reliable products, including checking product reviews, consulting a doctor before purchasing a new product, and reading the product label for any warnings or potentially harmful ingredients. In addition to increased consumer awareness, there is a need for stricter safety regulations and greater access to laboratory analysis services in Nigeria. We also need to instill a sense of pride in our dark skin and work against colorist beliefs in our society. This will require a concerted effort by government, industry, and civil society, working together to protect the health and wellbeing of Nigerian consumers.
Atabuh writes from Veritas University, Abuja
