Ghanian officials are doing their part to put an end to the dangerous practice of skin-bleaching.
All Africa reports that the country’s Food and Drugs Authority have announced their intentions to ban all products that contain hydroquinone, an ingredient commonly found in complexion-lightening products, by August.
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“From 2016, the acceptance for skin-lightening products is going to be zero,” FDA spokesman James Lartey said to GhanaStar.com.
The products, which are common in many African nations (according to a 2013 study, 70 percent of Nigerian women have admitted to using the creams in the hopes of creating a more yellow- or red-based complexion), can cause blistering and discoloration and have also been linked to skin cancer.
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Ghana joins a growing list of countries like the United States and Japan that have already placed bans on the harmful products.
Talk about a step in the right direction!
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