Bleaching Your Skin (Part 1)

Wow, this topic is really broad and controversial. That is why I have decided to break it down into parts. This is obviously the first part dedicated to "bleaching" the skin.

I get a LOT of questions from people asking what bleaching cream and soap I am using, who mixed the cream and all sorts. Each time I tell peeps I use BodyShop body butter, I get funny looks, indicating I am not telling the truth, and that I do not want to tell who mixes my creams, lol!

So, I am going to tell some home truths on this topic.

Its still shocking how a lot of people feel "The fairer their skins, the more opportunities they have in life".

There are also those that believe "The fairer my skin, the more beautiful I am".

Based on research, most women in Nigeria are constantly looking for ways to lighten their skin and quickly too.

Because bleaching sounds like a thing of stigma, many people now refer to it as toning. But there is a huge difference ( another post for another day, I guess!)

This post is basically to inform us about the phenomenon called bleaching, Its effects on your skin and how it can deprive you from glowing.

Please bear in mind that this post does not intend to judge anyone who is engaged in bleaching as I believe that as adults, we are responsible for the choices we make. Having said that, lets learn more about bleaching.

The Phenomenon..
Skin Whitening, skin lightening and skin bleaching refers to the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten skin tone or provide even skin complexion by lessening the concentration of melanin. A lot of chemicals have been shown to be effective in skin whitening/bleaching, while some have proved to be toxic.

The Main Contents In a Lightening/Bleaching Cream: Illegal toxins like Mecury, which is a kind of metal that blocks the production of melanin (the colour producing cell in the body).
How it works: The bleaching elements found in your cream, blocks melanin from producing your natural skin colour, which leads to you becoming yellow/fair! lol.
Other contents include hydroquinone, a bleaching agent that is banned from use in cosmetics.

Its Effect..
Skin bleaching has a lot of hazardous health consequences. Apart from the fact that the dangers involved with using harsh chemicals includes blood cancers such as leukaemia, it could also cause liver/kidney cancer.
Additionally, bleaching the skin could cause severe skin conditions such as skin pigmentation, burns, discolouration (notice the pinky, bluey colours in the long run?)..
Other effects include, the thinning out of your skin, intense irritation, skin sensitivity, etc...

On the Flip Side: There may be other reasons why one decides to opt for skin lightening. This may be due to the need to lighten dark spots or remove scars. In this case, then you should visit a dermatologist.

 However, there are natural, home made skin lightening recipes that you can use like rosewater, a mixture of honey + Lemon juice (check out my previous posts), sandalwood, etc.. These products are natural and completely harmless. Remember that consistency is key, there is no quick magic with these natural products.

Research shows that in Nigeria, a test of common skin lightening products available showed that they caused mutations in bacteria (damage to DNA) and were possibly carcinogenic (an agent directly involved with causing CANCER)- Source Wikipedia. 


This is the end of Part 1. (keep visiting the blog for a concluding part) and please feel free to drop your comments and thoughts based on the topic discussed.
xoxo