Flak for Blac over skin lightener

CHYNA: PARTNERED WITH NIGERIAN RETAILER IN LAGOS

American model and businesswoman Blac Chyna’s recent promotion of a skin-lightening cream in Nigeria has caused a furore. It has also highlighted how a lack of belief among many African women that they are as attractive as their Caucasian counterparts is fuelling demand for such products.

Psychology experts say thousands of women on the continent still flock to backstreet traders in search of creams containing skin bleaching chemicals such as hydroquinone, resorcinol, phenol and mercury, whose commercial sale is banned in many countries, to try to look pale.

The practice dates back to Africa’s colonial past, which set European women with milky skin and long straight hair as the standard for beauty.

In the US, supporters of President Donald Trump often enthuse on social media over images of First Lady Melania Trump, drawing favourable comparison of her looks against her African-American predecessor Michelle Obama, perpetuating the stereotype.

Enter Chyna, who gained fame – or notoriety, according to some – during a short-lived but much-publicised relationship with reality American TV star Rob Kardashian.

Chyna, whose real name ironically is Angela Renée White, has faced a backlash after partnering with retailer Whitenicious in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos to launch a cream marketed as a dark spot remover but more likely to attract buyers for its bleaching side effects.

The African-American, whose skin looks much lighter than her race might suggest and who often spots a long blond mane, says she has used the product herself to deal with hyper pigmentation. She has dismissed criticism that she’s perpetuating a complex against dark skin.

Despite retailing for a hefty $250 (about R3 500) a jar, the product will likely find a ready market in Nigeria, where 77% of the country’s women admit to using lightening products.

The quest for lighter skin is widespread across the continent as consumers take advantage of often lax implementation of bans.

In South Africa, actress and socialite Khanyi Mbau and singer Mshoza have openly confessed to using skin-lightening products not just on their face but the rest of their body, and often post skimpily dressed pictures of themselves on social media showing what they call “pink” skin.

Businesswoman Sorisha Naidoo, a South African of Indian ancestry, says she felt pressured to use bleaching products after she was derided for not being fair skinned upon winning a beauty contest in 2002. – ANA