An African woman uses a bleaching cream she hopes will lighten her skin tone. (>>)Paler hue is still equated with greater beauty in some cultures. Skin bleaching is big business, despite the fact that lighteners contain toxic chemicals that have been linked to weakened immune systems, organ failure, and even death. (National Geographic News)

Ghanaian Chronicle reports on the dangers of skin bleaching practiced among African women and laments over their desire "to change their naturally beautiful skins which God, in his Wisdom, had infused with dark pigmentation as a protection from harmful ultra-violet rays from the sun." Particularly interesting are the reasons given for this harmful practice: "[It] can only be explained by our feeling of low esteem which is a direct result of our colonial experiences." And: have a look at the 'Ads by Google' on the left side of this article. Ironically, products such as the "strongest skin lightener" or "creams with high bleaching results" are properly inflicted on the black-skinned readers of AllAfrica.com...

... Comment