South Sudan bans skin lightening products
- South Sudan's Dr*gs and Food Control Authority (DFCA) have banned the importation of skin lightening products in the country
- Secretary general of DFCA, Mawien Atem Mawien, stated that the ban is a move to protect the people of South Sudan who result to harmful chemicals with the aim of bleaching their skin
South Sudan joins few other African countries to ban the importation of skin whitening and lightening products. The move was recently announced by the country's secretary general of Dr*gs and Food Control Authority (DFCA), Mawien Atem Mawien, who revealed that the aim of the organisation is to protect the people of the country from harmful chemicals often contained in such cosmetic products.
Recall that Legit.ng earlier shared details of how the Rwandan government banned the importation and use of skin-lightening products in the country. It is also known that some other African countries including; South Africa, Kenya and Ghana have made the move of placing a ban on such harmful products that thin out layers of the skin in the name of brightening it.
Just recently, South Sudan, a landlocked country in East-Central Africa joined the list of countries to ban skin lightening products, most of which contain harmful chemicals such as mercury and hydroquinone.
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"All the whitening or bleaching creams are prohibited for import without any approval from DFCA, most especially those that contain mercury and hydroquinone. It is very clear that cosmetics are being used in South Sudan without any discrimination despite the fact that they contain so many chemicals.
“No cosmetics will be brought to the Republic of South Sudan without the approval of DFCA. Anything outside the right channel will be deemed illegal,’’ Mawien said while speaking to reporters on January 22.
While it seems other African countries are promoting self-love in its citizens by banning skin-bleaching products, reports claim that the bleaching cream industry in the Nigeira has grown exponentially in the last decade.
According to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization, 77% of women in Nigeria use skin-lightening products on a regular basis. In fact, some have earned celebrity status for cross-dressing and bleaching their skin.
Just recently, unfiltered photos of male Barbie Bobrisky surfaced the internet. While the cross-dresser is famous for looking flawless on social media, the rather damning photos suggest that it is all a result of filters and many Nigerians fired at him for it.
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