Congratulations to Nigeria, the giant of Africa, as we celebrate 100 years of being a country.
Nigeria sure has been through quite a lot. The colonial rule came and made a mockery of our ruling system and customs. Our forefathers fought tirelessly to jettison the colonials and 54 years ago, Nigeria gained her independence. Over the years, we have strived to be our own people, to shed all that the colonials left behind which did not fit and to a great extent we have succeeded. However, there is an area of great importance which we are yet to totally overcome and that is the lack of pride in the African skin.
Africa is blessed with individuals of different skin tones ranging from the darkest of brown to the lighter shades. Unfortunately, there is this fallacy in our society that the fairer your skin tone, the more attractive and beautiful you are and the more people would want to be associated with you.
It’s not for nothing that the markets are filled with all sorts of skin-lightening agents and media advertisements mostly celebrating the beauty of the light-skinned individuals, thereby fuelling the craze to look like western clones.
The African woman most of all feels the brunt of this ridiculous ideology. If you ask the average man on the streets of Nigeria, they are more attracted to light-skinned females. This is now assuming a case of ‘survival of the fittest’ for the ladies as there is a supposed ‘scarcity’ of legible male folk in the society. They go to the most impossible ludicrous lengths to make themselves photocopies of the white people. Seeing business opportunities here, a slew of skin lightening experts are fast emerging lately with creams that work wonders in a matter of days and pills that have the same effect.
Young ones coming up watch television and interact with other people who fill their heads with lies of what beauty should look like, thereby making them have a complex if and when they don’t ‘fit’ the bill.
Another important angle to view this is from the health perspective. Research has shown that ingredients in these lightening agents are harmful to its users. Here’s a rundown of the complications which can arise;
- Skin cancer
- Acne
- Swelling of the skin
- Thinning of the skin
- Cataracts
- Settling down of fat in face, chest, upper back and stomach
- Increase in appetite and weight gain
- Osteoporosis
- Neurological and kidney damage due to high level of mercury used in the creams
- Psychiatric disorders
- Severe birth defects
- Asthma
- Liver damage
I bet you had no idea skin lightening could be associated with such life-threatening issues.
As it should be, the African continent is being celebrated globally as a result of the outstanding talents that have been exported and those that radiate here in. The likes of Alek Wek, Lupita Nyong’o, Chimamanda Adichie, Djimon Hounsou and Genevive Nnaji to mention a few who are recognised not just for brilliance in their various fields, but also for the beauty they exude. They are looked up to by countless people across the world perhaps even you reading this article. So why do you think you aren’t beautiful enough because you are dark-skinned?
With all that has been said, your health as a human being is priceless and so is having healthy skin. Therefore, here are some safe tips to nourish and beautify your skin. The first is your diet which is the most important. You must take care of it if you want it flawless. Take away all refined food products and replace them with healthy and nutritious ones. Secondly, increase your intake of water. This hydrates your skin keeping it healthy and unblemished. Finally, take proper care of cleaning your skin. Choose the product that is natural and effective. Exfoliating your skin from time to time is important to rid yourself of dead skins.
I would leave you with these words of wisdom. Never forget that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Inner beauty never fades; skin deep beauty does. The African skin is beautiful whether dark or light, so be proud of the skin you are wearing.
Oluwaseyi Lawal
