I asked some of my friends what the advantages of being a yellow bone are and these are the points that came up: yellow bones are perceived as being prettier than your darker counterparts, they get more attention and are seen to be “better”.
I personally believe that women bleach because society has depicted that having a lighter skin tone makes you better than other people.
I do not have a problem with people bleaching their skin, my main worry is that most of the creams that they use are illegal and have compound properties that are very harmful such as mercury, hydroquinone and topical steroids.
According to a study by Professor Nonhlanhla Khumalo, head of dermatology at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital and her team, mercury (Hg) is completely banned in cosmetics in several countries including South Africa
The study adds that it is banned because it can lead to kidney and brain poisoning.
Women tend to be so desperate to be “yellow” that they do not think about the long-term effects these creams could have on their health.
I think once society stops idolising a certain shade of complexion and women start accepting their imperfections, the use of skin lightening creams will decrease drastically.
