In a country where colorism or privilege of those with whiter skin over those with darker skin is dominant, the demand for whitening products is hardly surprising. Ghana is no exception to this obsolete standard of beauty. Many women in the West African country still resort to (often times) extreme measures to achieve lighter skin.
However, come August, the government of Ghana is set to ban all products that contain the bleaching ingredient, hydroquinone. According to reports, the country’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), will implement the ban on hydroquinone due to its link to cancer.
“Concerning skin lightening products, we are saying that from August 2016, all products containing hydroquinone will not be allowed into the country,” says FDA spokesperson, James Lartey. “From 2016, the acceptance for skin lightening products is going to be zero.”
Lartey added that using skin lightening products is a public health issue that must be addressed seriously.
Even in Hollywood today, colorism still seems to exist and dark-skinned artists seem to undergo some forms of treatment to achieve lighter skin. The following are some photos of black celebrities and how they looked after allegedly undergoing skin bleaching procedures:
