The harmful practice of skin-bleaching remains a serious issue across Caribbean, African, and Asian countries; but fortunately, one country is doing something about it. The West African nation of Ghana has taken a stand against the multi-billion dollar skin-bleaching industry with a new daring piece of legislation.
According to Answers Africa, the Food and Drugs Authority of Ghana has issued a ban on the importation of all products which contain the skin-lightening chemical hydroquinone. Hydroquinone has been known to cause side effects like skin irritation, blistering, and severe discoloration. It’s also been suggested that skin-lightening products have the potential to cause skin cancer.
Ghana joins countries like Australia, the United States and Japan which have already installed regulations against these kinds of products. The ban in Ghana is especially significant given the prevalence of skin-bleaching on the continent, where 70% of Nigerian women alone admit to using skin lightening products.