Top 5 African countries where women bleach their skin to look white

It’s true what they say: “the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice”, but the popular phrase, that has so many times been used to appreciate black women and their skin, hasn’t quite yet made a mark in the beauty and entertainment industry, especially in Africa.

Thanks to the huge consumption of Western culture which has led to the copying of whatever is seen, women with lighter skin in Africa have someway, somehow, become the epitome of beauty which reflects, especially in media and entertainment.

The desire to attain such a look has, since the early 90s, become an African problem, as many creams – both legal and illegal – flood the markets, meeting equally high patronage.

Over the years, several governments in Africa have tried to ban such products, however, new ways of getting that ‘perfect light skin’ flood the system day in and out.

More recently, so-called essential oils, pills, and injections are gaining popularity in several African countries. According to the
World Health Organisation (WHO) report, over 40% of the female population in Africa bleach while 10 per cent has thought and attempted to start the process. In 2017, the bleaching products industry was worth $17. 9 billion dollars.

Quite recently, several East African countries, such as Rwanda and Kenya, made moves to eradicate the dangerous and addictive lifestyle while other countries like Congo and Nigeria have several celebrities endorsing creams and pills.

Here are the countries in Africa where women risk it all to have a lighter skin: