It's 2020 and people still believe that whiter skin equals to higher status, greater opportunities, and worse of all, just being a better person in general. And to acquire such bright white skin, the would go for skin bleaching products.
Skin bleaching, also known as skin whitening or skin lightening. They’re often used interchangeably, but the purpose is universal: using products or undergoing procedures to reduce the amount of melanin, or pigment, in the skin. This can include lasers, peels, creams, soaps, injectable, pills, and more. The global market for these products is growing fast. For context, it's forecasted that the global skin lightening products market will be worth over US$24 billion by 2027, according to Market Watch. But in such a large industry, there's bound to be some unregulated products that slip through. The danger is when those unregulated products contain high concentrations of mercury.
Mercury is a toxic heavy metal, it is effective in lightening the skin but it can damage both your nerves and kidneys once it is absorbed by the body. Hydroquinone is another chemical present in skin whitening creams which reduces the production of melanin. However, the European Union banned this chemical as studies on mice showed links between hydroquinone and skin cancer. Similar to mercury, when applied on the skin hydroquinone can cause kidney damage, skin discoloration and scaring, anxiety, depression, and more.
On October 19’, The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) found worrying levels of mercury, as high as 44,148 parts per million (ppm) in the creams. While, the US Food and Drug Administration’s limit for mercury in cosmetic products is less than 1ppm.
In Malaysia these creams are usually called “krim timbang kilo.” Sellers normally buy the product in bulk from neighboring countries then rebrand the products. The packaging process itself may be done in the comfort of their own home which clearly does not meet the established safety & hygiene guidelines.
How to identify these products? Usually these products contain a set of day and night cream, quality of the packaging are on the cheapskate side, “whiter in 14 days” is normally how the products are advertise and no matter what the brand are, its commonly the same color. Also, check the labels and make sure all of these labels are present : list of ingredients, product description, direction of use and manufacturer's address.
That's just one of the many important controversies about skin bleaching products. Beyond that, many argue that the skin-lightening industry is fueling discrimination based on the shade of your skin, called colourism. By perpetuating the idea that a lighter complexion will make you more desirable, these beauty standards continue to feed a global market that profits off women’s insecurities.
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