The first time I learned about skin bleaching was in 2008. I was on Facebook when an ad for a skin-bleaching agent caught my attention. In the ad there was a “fair skinned” young Indian woman demonstrating the use of the product. In the comments, people were putting themselves and each other down in a flurry of self-hate spurred by the image of this young woman and her product.

My mind was quite literally blown. I couldn’t fathom the idea of someone applying chemicals to their bodies just in the hopes of lightening their complexion. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a multicultural environment, and had always taken diversity and the wide range of skin colors possible as a given. I hardly even noticed race most times, and definitely was not aware of my own coffee colored skin until that moment.

The sad truth is that self-hate based on complexion has become the norm in societies across the globe. We see the same preference for light skin everywhere from South America to Asia and Africa, and even amongst segments of minority populations in North America.

Historically, in countries like China for example, light skin indicated that you were of a higher class and therefore were not forced to work under the hot sun like the majority of the population. In today’s modernizing society, I find it astonishing that we still use skin color as an indicator of class, even when we do it subconsciously. For example, walking the streets of a local market in Marrakech, one is more likely to be harassed for money and to purchase wares if you are fairer- simply because people still associate “white” with wealth.

Time after time, people of all colors and ethnic backgrounds have broken barriers of wealth, education, and status, proving that the color of your skin has nothing to do with your intellect or value. Look at inspirations like Oprah,and Aliko Dangote who prove that color means nothing when you have drive and personality on your side. This, however, is where the societal disconnect begins. We’ve proven that color shouldn’t be an obstacle, and yet we ourselves still accept the belief that we should seek to be lighter.

In the United States, the preference among the black community to be “light-skinned” has propagated and intensified this culture of self-discrimination that allocates value to pallor. In India, only the lightest skinned people have any chance of making it to Bollywood, much less becoming a well-supported political figure. Amongst east-Asian countries like Japan, there is overt racism against people from other Asian countries like the Philippines, since their skin tends to be darker. In Brazil, a country that represents the epitome of a cultural and ethnic melting pot, there are daily incidents and even riots relating to color-ism, and people consistently refuse jobs to Brazilians whose African heritage is more apparent.

All of this colorism has culminated to what we see today- mothers encouraging their children to bleach their skin under the impression that this will help them towards a better future. We see men and women of all ages buying toxins to rub on their bodies, hoping for lighter skin.

For all of you out there who buy into this nonsense, I beg you to stop. Stop hurting yourself and destroying your bodies. Stop encouraging the notion that “dark” is bad. Stop hating the thing that you should appreciate most- the skin you live in. If we all stop accepting the notion that “light is right”, then change is just around the corner. Be you and be proud- if you’ve got what it takes to succeed, use your color as a flag to show that the darkness of your skin isn’t stopping you from being the best you can be.

For those of you who apply skin lighteners for whatever reason compels you, I encourage you to at least understand what you are physically doing to your body. Please consider the following side effects:

• It damages the protective layer of your skin, making you more prone to things like skin cancer and infections
• Prolonged use can cause premature Aging
• Steroids in some skin lighteners may increase the risk of skin infections, skin thinning and poor wound healing
• Some of the chemicals within can trigger acne
• The hydroquinone found within can cause unwanted, untreatable patches of skin discoloration and grey spots
• Even “natural” bleaching agents can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions
• Many bleaching agents contain Mercury, a substance that has long been known to be toxic to humans
• The chemicals within can cause liver damage and even organ failure

To top it all off, bleaching causes emotional and societal damage by teaching you that you’re not good enough as you are. The horrific damage you cause your body when partaking in this unhealthy practice simply isn’t worth the perceived “benefit”. You’re playing your part in propagating color-ism, and encouraging others to continue believing that they should aspire to be paler.

Trust me, if someone only likes you because of your skin, chances are that they’re a superficial friend who would leave you in a second if things get rough. Embrace the skin you’ve been blessed with no matter what color you are, and remember that beauty is more than skin deep.

By Destiny Kanu