Bleached: An Age Long Epidemic
Skin lightening, colloquially, known as "bleaching," has long been a cosmetic practice in Nigeria and many other countries across the world. Driven by the perception of lighter skin being synonymous with beauty and desirability, this cultural phenomenon, reflects complex economic, socio-cultural, and historical influences surrounding beauty politics. While its often believed that those who engage in these practices lack understanding about the significant health risks associated with skin lightening, the reality is that for many individuals, the perceived benefits outweigh any potential and inevitable risks of long term use. Skin bleaching goes beyond a mere desire to achieve a lighter complexion; for many, it serves as a means to advance in various aspects of life, including career, relationships and generally greater social mobility.
History
Throughout centuries, lighter skin has consistently been idealised as the epitome of beauty, wealth, and affluence. Across the world, individuals of lower socioeconomic status typically engaged in outdoor labour, leading to exposure to sunlight and skin-darkening agents. Consequently, a fair complexion became synonymous with elevated social standing.
Contrary to popular belief, the obsession with lighter skin has never been limited to Africans; European elites, also harboured a fixation with achieving paler complexions. They resorted to using toxic substances, such as arsenic, albeit unknowingly, in their quest for whiter skin, highlighting the lengths they would go to conform to the beauty standards of their time. Similarly, In China and Japan, elite women and men used white lead preparations and rice powder to achieve lighter complexions. In the early 20th century US physicians went as far as using radiotherapy in an attempt to bleach the skin.
As we entered the 1920s and 1930s, however, a notable shift occurred as many white consumers began to abandon skin lighteners in favour of tanning lotions. Sunbathing and outdoor leisure activities became symbols of a healthy and affluent lifestyle, leading to a presence and desire for tanned skinned. Thereby, giving rise to new forms of white privilege and social status. Consequently, manufacturers of skin lightening products pivoted their focus towards the African American market and later extended their reach to black communities within Africa itself. This evolution of beauty in the West, highlights the interplay between beauty standards, class, and privilege.
For Africa, however, the legacy of colonialism has left a lasting imprint on perceptions of beauty. Colonialism introduced this distorted concept of beauty, where whiteness is deemed to represent civilisation, virtue, and beauty, pushing a damaging narrative that marginalised individuals with darker skin tones and blackness generally. This prejudiced ideology was also reinforced by the establishment of caste systems in places like America and Australia, which systematically marginalised and oppressed those with darker complexions. Colonial powers actively promoted interracial marriage as a means of erasing non-white ethnicities, emphasising the lack of desirability for aesthetic blackness. The apartheid in south Africa cemented the political ideology that “white is right” in the consciousness of many Africans.
During the Apartheid Era, the skin lightening trade boomed as white businesses strategically linked business expansion to increased trade directed at the black consumer. In fact, in South Africa, where the nuances of skin colour carried political weight, the lightening industry thrived by capitalising on the desire for fundamental human rights. A lighter skin tone symbolised access to essential liberties such as freedom of movement, quality education, and the right to vote. It is reported that by the late 1960s, bleaching creams ranked as the fourth most commonly used household product, trailing only behind soap, tea, and milk.
Religious art and symbolism particularly in Christianity has also had an impact in fostering colourist attitudes. The portrayal of Jesus as white has been deeply ingrained in Western art and culture for centuries, influenced by the historical dominance of European Christianity and the Eurocentric lens through which religious imagery has been crafted. This depiction not only reflects but also reinforces societal hierarchies that privilege whiteness and perpetuate colourist attitudes.
By presenting Jesus as white, it implicitly suggests that whiteness is the standard of beauty, purity, and goodness. This has also contributed to the marginalisation and devaluation of people with darker skin tones. It reinforces harmful stereotypes and prejudices, contributing to a system where lighter skin is often associated with higher social status and privilege.
Bleached.
Bleaching or lightening techniques involve the application of various substances to suppress melanin production, resulting in a lighter complexion. These treatments may come in the form of creams, soaps, injections, and glutathione pills, and they are often marketed under a plethora of terms such as brighteners, revitalisers, toners, whiteners, sun-block, fading, or fairness creams.
Statistics reveal the widespread prevalence of this practice, with significant percentages reported in various African countries: 77% in Nigeria, 59% in Togo, 40% in Ghana, 35% in South Africa, 27% in Senegal, and 66% in Congo. Despite efforts by several African countries to ban skin lightening products, enforcement of these laws remains lax, leading to the continued proliferation of skin-whitening creams and soaps in African markets.
Declared a public health issue by the World Health Organization (WHO), a recent report, showed, that approximately half of the population in Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines employ skin lightening treatments, with even higher rates recorded in India at 60%. Projections suggest that by 2027, the global skin whitening industry will surpass a valuation of 24 billion dollars.
Bleaching Nigeria
In Nigeria, the prevalence of lighter skin being celebrated as the epitome of beauty has led to the phenomenon of "pretty privilege," granting women with fair complexions greater access to opportunities and social mobility, be that in dating or employment. Lighter-skinned women are often hailed with nicknames such as "toyin tomato," "yellow," or "oyinbo pepper." So in a nation where women already face significant gender disparities, one solution to this may well, in fact, be to lighten one's skin. A research paper on skin bleaching attests, "skin bleaching may be a rational response to being born in racially and economically segregated societies."
Colourism is defined as prejudice or discrimination, especially within a racial or ethnic group favouring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin. While colourism has its roots in the anti-black rhetoric of colonialism and slavery, it's evident that this phenomenon still persists within black communities due to the internalisation of Eurocentric beauty ideals and the failure to truly decolonise beauty standards, hence the legacy of these oppressive ideologies continues to exert influence, shaping perceptions of beauty and self worth.
Mass media is an integral part of society geared towards maintaining societal views and structures by engaging discreetly in socialisation and using their messages to structure issues and personalities (Akpan, 2017). In Nigeria, the media often presents beauty ideals that prioritise lighter skin tones, evident in various mediums such as advertisements, films, and billboards. Renowned Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson has even shared in interviews how her dark skin was perceived as a disadvantage in the film industry. This representation contributes to the notion that lighter skin is synonymous with attractiveness and purity, fostering a culture of colourism. As a consequence, many women and men internalise these colourist attitudes as the default measure of feminine allure and desirability.
Skin bleaching advertisements, often seen in Africa, further perpetuate these ideals by heavily featuring fair skinned models, selling the notion that lighter skin is the essence of beauty. Despite growing awareness of the harmful effects associated with skin bleaching products, those who use them often believe that lightening their skin will lead to enhanced social acceptance, increased beauty, and improved romantic prospects. This emphasises the negative influence of media representations of beauty and the profound impact they have on individual self image and identity. Within the diaspora, particularly among second-generation immigrants, skin bleaching is often heavily stigmatised and viewed as a manifestation of intense self hate. However, in Nigeria, the practice is not as stigmatised and is rather commonplace among both men and women. With popular figures, often advertising skin lightening creams.
Corporate greed
Multinational Corporations persist in fostering the thriving market for skin lightening products, thereby contributing to the global colourism marketing within the cosmetic industry, with leading brands such as Unilever, Beiersdorf, and L’Oreal dominating this sector worldwide. Their marketing strategies often reinforce and entrench the connotations of privilege associated with lighter skin tones. For instance, in 2017, Nivea launched an advertisement featuring Miss Nigeria, Omowunmi Akinnifesi, targeting women of colour in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Senegal. The commercial promoted a cream named Natural Fairness, with billboards across Africa bearing the slogan: "For visibly fairer skin." Ultimately, the cosmetic industry, along with media influence, are huge players in perpetuating colourist attitudes on the continent. These corporations exploit colourism and insecurities to generate profits.
Most skin whitening products originate from Asian countries such as Indonesia and India, where many contain harmful chemicals like mercury, hydroquinone, and various steroids. The Nigerian government has taken steps to regulate these products through the Cosmetic Products (Prohibition of Bleaching Agents) Regulation of 2009. Under this regulation, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has the authority to enforce the ban on skin bleaching products.
Section 1, subsection 2 of the act stipulates that "No person shall import, manufacture, distribute, sell, display for sale, or offer for sale any cosmetic product which contains more than 2% of Hydroquinone alone or 1% in combination with other lightening ingredients." Violators of this regulation face penalties including imprisonment for up to one year or a fine not exceeding N50,000 for individuals, and fines not exceeding N100,000 for corporations.Furthermore, the act prohibits the sale of cosmetic products containing mercury.
Nevertheless, these regulations are inconsistently and inadequately enforced, exacerbated by inefficiencies within NAFDAC in effectively regulating the industry. As a result, whitening creams have found a welcoming home in Nigeria, where they continue to be widely available despite the potential health risks associated with their use.
Damages
Ultimately, the practice of skin bleaching carries profound and potentially hazardous health risks. Skin bleaching agents have been linked to both internal and external health effects. The use of toxic compounds found in these products, such as mercury, can lead to kidney failure, blood cancers like leukaemia, and cancers of the liver and kidneys, in addition to severe skin conditions. Furthermore, skin bleaching is associated with eczema, skin pigmentation issues, and a host of other infections.
In essence, the pursuit of lighter skin through bleaching ultimately diminishes the quality of life for users. Moreover, the adverse effects on the skin can paradoxically lead to long-term unattractiveness due to skin damage and related ailments.
Final remarks
In the 1970s, when Fela Kuti penned his song "Yellow Fever," he ridiculed and critiqued the act of skin bleaching amongst his people, condeming those who engage in the act as "foolish” and labelling those with bleached skin as “ugly things”. While his stance on the matter holds merit, and the act is indeed foolish; the reality remains that in societies where skin colour holds significant social currency, influencing perceptions of attractiveness, marriage prospects, career opportunities, and socioeconomic status, one cannot help but empathise with those who resort to chemical remedies to lighten their complexion. However, mere empathy won't suffice in addressing this epidemic. Its important that we allocate more resources and thought toward decolonising black beauty standards. This entails moving away from the idealisation of foreign or Western ideals and standards as superior. Only through this shift can black individuals begin to embrace their identity wholeheartedly.
