Ivory Coast has banned skin-whitening creams because of health concerns, the health ministry says.
It says "cosmetic lightening and hygiene creams... that de-pigment the skin... are now forbidden".
Whitening creams have been popular for years among young women - and some men - across Africa, who believe they make them more beautiful.
But medical experts say they may cause cancer, diabetes, severe skin conditions and other diseases.
"The number of people with side-effects caused by these medicines is really high," Christian Doudouko, a member of Ivory Coast's pharmaceutical authority, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
British consultant dermatologist Justine Kluk told the BBC the major concern was over unregulated products, which may contain ingredients such as mercury or excessive amounts of steroids.
"If one thinks about steroids being present in these products, they're often present in much higher quantities than we would prescribe," she said.
She said the creams can cause a variety of health issues, such as "acne, thinning of the skin, glaucoma or cataracts if applied near the eyes".
"Or if applied liberally to the whole body, [they can] cause high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, weight gain, mood disturbance due to absorption of large amounts of steroids," she said.
However, analysts say the ban may not stop people buying the products.
They are still used in The Gambia despite a ban.
South Africa has the world's toughest laws against skin lighteners, having prohibited the most active ingredient - hydroquinone, but a University of Cape Town study found that more than a third of South African women still buy them.
The use of whitening creams in Africa is most widespread in Nigeria - where more than 75% of women buy them, according to a 2008 UN Environment Programme study.BBC reportage
Which one is most widespread in Nigeria?Ya all get your fact right!...Ivory coast is 200percent patronage
Compared to Ivory coast,Nigerians are rookies when it comes to bleaching,they even bleach away their shadows!
good to know and a bold step from the ivorian government
ReplyDelete#GODWIN
I don't bleach, my oga loves me that way. His wife too does not bleach. He loves natural women
Delete@stella really don't understand ur last statement,maybe ud like to rephrase. I thought most of these whitening creams are FDA approved; so if it causes the aforementioned harm,y would FDA approve them.
DeleteBt seriously tho this people can exaggerate,how does whitening creams cause weight gain?.
IMO people are entitled to apply whatever they deem fit,if one wants to bleach herself to purple,da heck she can,its her body,the govt has no say in this. It's an infringement on ones right
@Elena the weight gain is when they used steriod based cream liberally on their whole body, the skin absorbs the steriods. Also the article clearly states its concern is with unregulated products.
DeleteLmao @bleach away their shadows
ReplyDelete9ja Govt shuld not evn dare band bleaching cream! Co's yoruba wood actresses go swear 4 dem 4 ogun shrine
DeleteNdi ara! It's only South Africans that'll make that kinda research and call Nigeria! Racist fools
DeleteProlonged lachapu ha anya there
Ahn ahn aunty porsche.."band" ke???ROTFL!!!
DeleteLmao!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAbeg make I perch here continue from where your laugh stop.
DeleteLmaooooooooooooo
Kikikikikikikikikiikiikikikiki
Hahahaha issorait
ReplyDeleteAll they've done is to increase the value for the creams. It'll now be like cocaïne business.
Odikwa kpokponkious
I wonder what people see in bleaching.
DeleteAfter bleaching, what next?
Ok
Lol @bleach away their shadows
ReplyDeleteThe difference is that Nigerians are expensive bleachers..lol
ReplyDeleteMovate,Skineal,etc
DeleteShoro niyen? Are they kidding us???
ReplyDelete*Larry was here*
Lolz... They think they are smart.. Lmao.. Since when did people's private lives become the government's priority. Nawa for Africa.
ReplyDeleteThis shows the government shows concern about the health of its citizens.
DeleteThey should start by banning poverty...
DeleteHypocrisy in Africa... ish
That 1 Na Bad Market for Dencial and co
ReplyDeleteLMAO @ bleach away their shadows,chai
ReplyDeleteBut bleaching isn't so common in Nigeria na
*SideEyes*
Hehehee. Oturugbeke. Nigerians been bleaching since d birth of Christ. Stella u funny @bleach away their shadow.
ReplyDeleteOK. They don try.
ReplyDeletethe likes of dencia will be mad at the government for this ban
ReplyDelete#GODWIN
These people can give useless figures atimes eh.
ReplyDeleteMore than 75% of women buy whitening creams in Nigeria and we still have a very large number of naturally black ladies everywhere in Nigeria.
Mcheeww.
They must sha paint Nigeria black in everything.
The news was about another country banning whitening cream, but they still found a way of calling Nigeria 's name.
Yeye dey smell.
Hey remember, black is beautiful.
If dem nor add 9ja 4 d gist e nor go sweet! Yeye d smell!
DeleteMeanwhile Liberians bleach more than Nigerians. Jamaicans nko? U go fear bleaching.
DeleteBleach away their shadows....lmaooooooo
ReplyDeleteEffectiveness of the ban is my concern. The bleaching trend scares!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for them.
ReplyDeleteJuventus given Pogba fitness boost ahead of Real Madrid return leg
Neymar pleads with Pogba to sign for Barcelona
Barcelona will play 2nd leg like it's our last game - Neymar
Depay: It was impossible to say no to Man Utd
Balotelli leads Liverpool exodus
Stella don vex oooo @ your last paragraph Lwkmd pahahagag @ bleached shadow kikikikikikikikikikik
ReplyDeleteThe post i understand. But i don't get what Sdk herself is saying sha.
ReplyDeleteConfused much.
Mumu how will you understand when all you know how to do is change your dp on the Internet,to get men, you are not even fine or correct,stupid desperate Chi exotic, I dislike desperate girls
DeleteAnon u need jesus! Co's only him can heal dis bitterness in ur soul!
DeleteWhats ur problem? U sound pained And are beefing her. Chop shoki
DeleteStella don come again ooo hahahahahahahaha
ReplyDeleteAbegiii Nigeria doesnt take the cake on this one, south african women can bend over double just to be white as they are more preferred.
ReplyDeleteThe use of whitening creams in Africa is most widespread in Nigeria - where more than 75% of (Yoruba) women buy them,
ReplyDeleteThis is sooooooooo.
Some have bleached away their Future
Thank you o jare
DeleteI was going to say that. I don't know why many yoruba girls believe beauty is measured by skin color. They can bleach for Africa.
Amongst my friends, the yoruba girls are the ones who worry much about skin colour, it's disgusting.
One of them says she doesn't mind spending a million naira to whiten her skin, while the other one buys a tiny bottle of cream for almost $400 just to look bright.
This is not hating or being tribalistic, but I call on all bleachers to love yourself cos that's the only way you will feel beautiful in your own skin.
Weldone
DeleteAbeg Speak for your yoruba friends alone.
DeleteWe have 8 Yoruba women in my office and not a single one bleaches her skin.
My mum doesn't,neither does my sister.
I am a little fair skinned so People usually tell me to change d mild soap and Venus body cream and shea butter I use to "Help your skin" but I don't listen.
Either way,dark or light I am beautiful.
So pls that your analysis that 75% of Yoruba women bleach is incorrect.
But Ivory coast produce most of ds bleaching products like Bio clear, pure skin etc. Pls they should stp it if it cause harm to humans. Let us all learn to b comfortable in our skin nd colour. Dat meks us Africans!
ReplyDeleteBut Ivory coast produce most of ds bleaching products like Bio clear, pure skin etc. Pls they should stp it if it cause harm to humans. Let us all learn to b comfortable in our skin nd colour. Dat meks us Africans!
ReplyDeleteVery good, those people can bleach for Africa ehennn
ReplyDeleteNigeria dey learn work for bleaching naw...
Lol @bleaching away shadows. Everybody wants to be fair, what about ur unborn children? That's why many men will accuse dia wife of infidelity, after de give birth to black children without the men knowing dt what de married isn't a fair lady but a bleached away shadow lady. Hahahahahaa
ReplyDeleteRubbish talk.
DeleteNamsense!! Only in Africa will the govt be infringing on people's right!! What business does the govt have with a bleaching adult? what? What they should do is have a standard organization that will test and check these products before they infiltrate their market...
ReplyDeleteAlso, the report that 80% of Nigerian women use cream is just lame...I mean someone conducts a research on 1,000 and then conclude based on that and then the entire nation is tagged? they simply are not serious...
Did u say they r not serious? Dey are mad! Do u know what is 75% of the female population in Nigeria? Every country just carry Nigeria for mouth. Mtchew! Ha nye efe biko!
Deletebetter!!u cnt identify ur long lost friends anymore.evryone is fairer now
ReplyDeleteHohihohahahaha! Bleaching away shadows group una dey hear wetin e fit cause.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha @bleach away their shadows. No be only shadow, many people don bleach away their destiny. #stopbleaching#
ReplyDeletele le le le ooo
ReplyDeleteespeakilekwa. Nigerians never even start to dey bleach....
Any female BV in edo NYSC camp who's ready 2 make a male friend shld kindly leave her contact under my post,ill really appreciate it
ReplyDeleteI've been using a cream dat lightens my skin and I don't like it cos I'm not the fair type, I want to stop using the cream but dunno which one to use,fellow naija Bvs pls which cream can I use to get like Genevieve's complexion.Not fair n not dark abi na chocolate complexion I go call am.
ReplyDeleteGenny is dark......
Deletea.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
ReplyDelete.
Oboy see bad market......
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Lwkmd
ReplyDeleteAzzz innn!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood sef, they should ban it in nigeria too, so many girls prayers dnt get answered these days not bcoz they dont pray well, but Angel Gabriel God sent cnt seem to recognize them anymore since they changed complexion lol
ReplyDeleteThe risks of bleaching eeh outweighs the so called benefits. U hear flimsy excuses like men like fair ladies...ifa hear
ReplyDeletePls say no skin cancer and other related diseases caused by these products
Abeg make these product no get wider influx into 9ja market o,dis one dem don ban am there and e go be contraband
9ja which way? Abeg make 9ja govt do ban am here too jor
Say No to coke and fanta looks
That was how i saw 2 ladies inside bus i enter. Men the first lady may God help her. Her body has different colours. No need to snap her self make them no beat me inside bus.
ReplyDeleteNa look i just dey look. It is well with bleachers.
My oh my, cnt stop laffing@Nigerians bleching away their shadow.
ReplyDeleteSincerely hydroquino &a few other harsh chemical components in lotions&creams shud b banned in Nigeria,cos dey cause more harm than good¬ every1 knws abt their effect.#teamOrganicEverytin
its a new step in the right direction.albertcool says so$
ReplyDeleteWhich it can be banned here in Nigeria too...
ReplyDeleteBEAUTIFUL TO BE BLACK”
ReplyDelete“It’s beautiful to be black.”
It is the color of strength and pride.
I will say it out loud. I don’t have to hide.
I love me, and the color that I represent.
Look at me, there is nothing like it.
What you see is not an illusion.
It’s a gift from GOD, don’t ever confuse it.
“It’s beautiful to be black.”
It is the color of fame and envy.
If I wasn’t black, I wouldn’t be me.
Black is the color of power and authority.
It is so outstanding, thank you LORD for blessing me.
I’ll shout it to the world, I’m proud of what I am.
Those who are in vain will never understand.
“It’s beautiful to be black”
It is the color of confidence and style.
I have been blessed, by my ancestor from the Nile.
I am scenic from the inside out.
These verses are true, I don’t have any doubt.
There is no one who can change my mind.
Black has been beautiful since the begging of time.
“It’s beautiful to be black.”
It is the color of honor and grace.
This is one thing that cannot be taken away.
By Chara NyAshia Sanjo
Cotedivoire is the capital of bleaching! That is where most bleaching product are made. Gandour company is worth billions.
ReplyDeleteWon tan yin.
ReplyDeleteBlack is beautiful
ReplyDeleteEven some relaxers we use here.
ReplyDeleteI give nde ofemmanu award for that.
Make dem no bring this rubbish ban com 9ja o. I'm fair naturally and I use natural stuff like papaya and carrot oil to keep my real skin colour.
ReplyDeleteThat miserable poster M-amie stays posting here about her miserable marriage and her miserable life as a bleacher. Living in denial about those stats. Yall know they're true.
ReplyDeleteWhen y'all finish you come and laugh at Ghanaians that we are black...Nigerians don't bleach indeed!!!! yellow porpor dem!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Abenaa, I am sure you know Ghanaians bleach their skin too. Or why do we call them yellow sisi, and stuff like that. I guess you really a young person, and you grew up knowing most of your folks(the light skinned ones) as light skinned people. They actually bleached their skin.
DeleteStella I agree with you.. I deal on cosmetics and I tell you all ivorian creams are well known for bleaching of skin.... Ranging from caro white, Carotone bsc, perfect white, eclat white, pure skin etc.... Infact Nigerians are still learners joor.
ReplyDeleteNaija is next... Ppl b bleaching and whitening dia skin lyk dia destiny depends on it. Soon we wnt hv dark skinned ppl in Africa again... D dark ones want t b fair(white) n d fair ones want t b fairer n whiter.
ReplyDelete