creams, which are widely used in west Africa,
because of fears they cause lasting damage to
health, the health ministry said Wednesday.
“Cosmetic lightening and hygiene creams ...
that depigment the skin ... are now
forbidden,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ban affects whitening creams and lotions
containing mercury and its derivatives,
cortisone, vitamin A or more than two
percent hydroquinine, a lightening agent that
is used to develop photographs.
“The number of people with side effects
caused by these medicines is really high,”
said Christian Doudouko, a member of Ivory
Coast’s pharmaceutical authority, warning
that they could cause skin cancer.
Lightening products can also lead to
hypertension and diabetes, said Elidje Ekra, a
dermatologist at the Treichville university
hospital in Abidjan.
Whitening creams have been popular for
years among young African women, who see
them as a way to make themselves more
attractive.
The use of the creams is believed to be even
more widespread in Nigeria.
Although there are no official figures on how
many women use such products across Africa,
billboards advertising the potentially deadly
creams can be seen in cities across the
continent.
“In our cultures, some people think women
with light skin are the most beautiful. This
beauty standard ... pushes many girls to
depigment their skin,” Ekra said.
“What we see in the media is the lighter one’s
skin is, the better one’s life,” he added,
referring to advertisements that fill the
streets of Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s biggest city,
showing models with lighter-than-average
skin.
While the craze is most widespread among
women, some men use the creams too, Ekra
said.
The creams are also extremely popular in
many countries in Asia, including India,
Pakistan and Japan, as well as in the Middle
East.
Source-The Guardian
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