Image Source: Getty/Bloomberg/Contributors
The detrimental effects of Eurocentric beauty standards are well documented, especially in recent decades. From racial discrimination to colorism, people go out of their way to fight these ideals. However, one industry that has been benefiting from this ideal for a long time is the skin whitening industry. Over the years, many brands around the world have been selling cosmetics that promise to slow the body's melanin production, claiming clearer skin, fewer freckles, and lightening dark spots. This simply perpetuates the message that vaginal discharge and its associated characteristics are ideal.
In particular, the governments of Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka have joined forces and launched a $14 million joint project to address and eventually phase out the use of mercury in skin lightening products. Led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), the Eliminate Mercury Products for Skin Lightening Project: Working on reducing the risk of exposure to mercury in skin lightening products while raising awareness of the health risks associated with their use. In addition, it will help develop model rules to reduce the turnover of these products and stop their production, commercialization and distribution in local and international markets.
“Mercury is a hidden and toxic ingredient in skin lightening creams that many people use every day, often without realizing how dangerous it is,” GEF CEO and President Carlos Manuel Rodriguez said in a POPSUGAR press release. "This initiative is important as it aims not only to replace hazardous materials, but also to raise awareness, which can help change behaviors that are harmful to human health and [the planet's] health."
While this project is a step in the right direction, skin whitening as a whole is a multi-billion dollar industry and there is still a lot of work to be done on a global scale. Blacks and browns deserve respect for what they are, no questions asked (and no cream). We can only hope that the swift action of these three governments sends the right signal and that other countries decide to follow suit.