South African women continue to use dangerous skin lightening products‚ decades after tests confirmed that some ingredients cause chronic side-effects. Some chemicals commonly used to bleach skin have been banned, and yet they still find their way into the hands of consumers in South Africa. The motivation driving the practice is often the desire to lighten one’s skin because of a perceived notion of increased privileges‚ higher social standing‚ better employment, and increased marital prospects associated with lighter skin. This perception‚ coupled with influential marketing strategies from transnational cosmetic houses using iconic celebrities‚ increases the allure for women primarily‚ but also increasingly‚ men. The guys ask the question… is it right to make yourself light?
