from lola short on facebook
FROM FACEBOOK BY ADEGBOYEGA SHAMSIDEEN THOMPSON
from lovescott.com ati yeyeolade.blogspot.com
MARIE CLAUDINETTE JEAN IS A BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY FROM HAITI. MARIE IS A POPULAR FASHION DESIGNER,MODEL AND WIFE TO BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKINNED WYCLEF JEAN!
MARIE CLAUDINETTE,A BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY GETS HER MAN A BLACK BEAUTY HIMSELF WYCLEF JEAN ! YOU TOO WILL GET A WONDERFUL BLACK MAN TO MARRIED WHO WILL LOVE YOUR BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKIN!
AT BET AWARDS
MARIE CALUDINETTE AND WYCLEF JEAN GET MARRIED!
BLACK BEAUTY MEETS BLACK BEAUTY!
MICHELLE,A BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY!
A BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY WITH HER BLACK PRESIDENT HUSBAND!
Carlos Watson MSNBC Anchor
Posted March 16, 2009
America’s Skin-Deep Crush on Michelle Obama
America has fallen for Michelle Obama. Fashionistas love her style. Ivy Leaguers love her class. Moms love her priorities. Even white guys are crushing on her. The First Lady is everywhere: Vogue, O, this week’s New York Magazine. Like her husband, Michelle is a canvas onto which people can paint whatever they like, a mirror in which we can all glimpse something of ourselves. What do I see? Not those famous arms.
I see dark skin.
America may be falling for Michelle, but it wasn’t love at first sight. When I heard her described as “intimidating” and “angry” or as Obama’s “baby mama,” I often looked at her rich, brown skin and saw the reason. In this country, you’re less likely to get a job if your skin is dark. I can tell you from experience, you’re less likely to get a cab. Think of the A-list African-American cover girls whose ranks Michelle has joined: Beyonce, Rihanna, Halle Berry — none share her complexion. Academic studies show that Americans of all colors associate light skin with attraction and intelligence, and dark skin with poverty and fear.
Those “Americans of all colors” include African-American men, who are often criticized for preferring light-skinned or white partners. The literature on this is explosive and exhaustive, from Morrison to McMillan, Essence to Encarta. No doubt many black women, when they first heard of Barack Obama, assumed he followed the trend: prominent black man, light-skinned or non-black wife. Then they saw Michelle.
More than 1 in 5 of the votes that put Obama in office were cast by African-Americans, almost two-thirds of them women. African-Americans made the difference in critical states: Virginia, North Carolina, and Indiana, among others. Would the black community have supported Obama that enthusiastically if his wife had been lighter? I don’t think so. And if she had been white? Forget it. Obama’s ship would have sunk before it left the shores of Lake Michigan, his presidential run impossible without the early and deep backing of so many black women who believe that successful black Americans should work and love together in order to advance the community as a whole.
To be clear, I’m not saying that all black women feel this way, or that all white Americans initially hesitated to embrace Michelle because her skin is darker than Beyonce’s. But Michelle’s complexion has helped shape the way the world sees the Obamas, moving the national and international conversation on race forward in the process.
And I admire her for that.
THIS SOUTH AFRICAN SISTER NOWS WISHES THAT SHE HAD NEVER TRIED BLEACHING!
BLEACH AND BECOME A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!
eVaDiVa’s Make-up Bag
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SKIN BLEACHING/LIGHTENING? YOUR ENNEMY
By eVaDiVa
Oct. 2,2008
***WARNING*** WARNING*** DISTURBING PICTURES BELOW
I was watching a documentary that a friend sent me last week and I was horrified by what I found out and saw. I then googled “depigmentation de la peau danger” and almost threw up when I saw the pictures (see below). So I didn’t want this blog to be full of nice and pretty pictures of women with makeup and beautiful skin, I wanted to make sure that beautiful women of color like me and you are aware of the danger of skin lightening.
In Senegal, this practice is called “Khessal” meaning “lightening”. It is done by many women of different social classes. This means that a rich or a poor woman can do it, she will just use different products depending on her budget…In RDC (Republic Democratic of Congo), this has been a practice that even men do… In Gambia, the president Yaya Djame banned it and people are subjected to emprisonment if they are caught bleaching their skin. It is unfortunate that other countries do not apply the same laws knowing that skin bleaching can sometimes kill…
A play Written and performed by Rani Moorthy to raise awareness against skin bleaching
Here is an interesting article that I found at: http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Health/skin_bleaching/_lightening_its_dangers_37431.html that details this phenomenon…
How skin lightening products work
There are two chemicals found in skin lightening products, Hydroquinone or Mercury.
o Hydroquinone (C6H6O2) is a severely toxic and very powerful chemical used in photo processing, the manufacture of rubber and is an active agent in hair dyes.
o Mercury in the form of Mercury Chloride & Ammoniated Mercury is carcinogenic. They appear on the list of toxic substances that can only be purchased via pharmacies with prescribed labels of toxicity.
Both products perform a similar process. In the short term they will initially cause the skin to lighten by inhibiting the production of melanin. Without melanin formation in the basal layer no brown pigmentation will be visible.
The long term effects, however, are those that must be addressed.
The long term effects of using skin lightening products
Hydroquinone or Mercury applied to the skin will react with ultra violet rays and re-oxidise, leading to more pigmentation and premature ageing. More product is then applied in an attempt to correct the darker blotchy appearance.
These are the beginnings of a vicious cycle. By altering the skins natural structure and inhibiting the production of Melanin, it’s natural protection, the skin is more susceptible to skin cancer.
Prolonged use of Hydroquinone will thicken collegen fibres damaging the connective tissues. The result is rough blotchy skin leaving it with a spotty cavier appearance.
Mercury will slowly accumulate within the skin cells striping the skin of it’s natural pigment leaving behind the tell tale signs of gray/ blue pigmentation in the folds of the skin. In the long term the chemical will damage vital organs and lead to liver and kidney failure and mercury poisoning.
PLEASE DO NOT USE SKIN LIGHTENING PRODUCTS. DO NOT USE ANYTHING THAT CONTAINS ANYTHING HIGHER THAN 2% HYDROQUINONE UNLESS DIRECTED BY A DOCTOR.
FOR ALL MY FRANCOPHONE READERS, READ THIS ARTICLE: http://www.hautcourant.com/Depigmentation-de-la-peau-au-dela,409
Thank you Leyla for sending that…
XoXo
eVaDiVa
I also wanted to give two thumbs up to all these fighting against skin bleaching and that are raising awareness in their communities. For instance, as common as it is here in Senegal, I have not seen one flight attendant from our national airline company using these products…
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Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Foundation 101—> Part 2
EFFECTS OF BLEACHING CREAMS ARE DEADLY! FROM BLACKBEAUTYANDHAIR.COM-AUG. 26…
Skin Color-Pale is Preferable?
Skin bleaching
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3 Responses to “SKIN BLEACHING/LIGHTENING? YOUR ENNEMY”
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1 Amina
Friday, October 24, 2008 at 10:21 pm
It is so unfortunate..I never understood this process and a few women in my life went through that. apparently, they also wanted to attract men because lighter women are “more beautiful” than darker ladies and some men prefer their women to be light…so sad..
I was horrified when I went to a friend’s house..it was back in 2002 and her cleaning lady was mixing eau de javel with her khessal lotion!!!!!!!
2 Rukaya
Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 12:07 pm
This is yet another example of colonial mentality. It’s sad that as a people, some of us don’t realize the gorgeousness of black skin. Mental slavery, is by far worse of than physical slavery…it’s more difficult to eradicate. Thank you for sharing Diva!
3 ahmedseo
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 1:37 am
skin bleaching cause a temporary whitening, it destort your skin more as compare to the condition of skin before bleaching.
4 Yeye Akilimali Funua Olade
Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 6:27 am
SISTER ,you are great for publishing this article! I will put it on my blog BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!
(yeyeolade.wordpress.com) right now and give you credit and link you too! I have been fighting a campaign against bleaching and all of us Black women must do this! Black on to you! Also add this to your prayer points -STOP BLEACHING OUR BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKIN AWAY!
BLEACH AND THOSE CHEMICALS WILL DESTROY YOUR SKIN IN THE LONG RUN!
THIS SOUTH AFRICAN BROTHER AND SISTER ARE REGRETTING BLEACHING NOW!
BLEACH AND BE A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!
BLEACH AND LOOK LIKE A MONSTER!WHILE YOU ARE WAITING TO DIE!
DESTROY YOUR SKIN AND END UP WITH SKIN CANCER!BLEACH AND DIE!
AUGUST 26,2008
Beyond the Pale
Hydroquinone, widely used in skin lightening creams, is soon to be banned altogether.BY Prisca McGuire
Poisoning, convulsions, asthma, leukaemia, liver damage, anaphylactic shock and infertility are not conditions normally associated with cosmetics. However, prolonged use of certain cosmetic creams, which contain bleaching agents, has been linked with all of the above.
In recent years, despite rigorous campaigning to raise awareness about the dangers of excessive exposure to the sun, the serious health risks which can arise from using unregulated bleaching creams has received little or no attention.
Why bleach?
Black skin renews itself quickly, rapidly producing new skin cells, this ability for regeneration keep our skin’s looking younger for longer. Whenever Black skin is damaged or traumatised, it produces an excess of melanin in the area. This hyper-pigmentation can result in a humble spot or cut producing a dark patch where it is healed. Skin bleaches are often used in an attempt to even out skin tone or remove dark patches caused by injury. However, in some sections of the society, particularly in African communities, skin bleaches are used to lighten the skin in the misguided belief that a lighter complexion is better.
The production of the most commonly used bleaching agent, hydroquinone (chemical formula C6H6O2), came about by accident, after Black workers in a rubber plant found that when a certain chemical came into contact with their skin it caused light patches of skin. The workers sued for damages as a result of their injuries, but their ‘discovery’ led to the commercial production of cosmetic creams containing hydroquinone as a bleaching agent.
Hydroquinone is a very powerful chemical that it used as the key ingredient in the photographic process of development, but is also used in the rubber industry as an antioxidant, and as an agent in hair dyes. Mercury is another product often used in some cosmetic products as a bleaching agent. Severly toxic, it can cause skin to go grey or blue black, rather than lighter, and in many cases has resulted in the user suffering from mercury poisoning.
How do they work?
Bleaching creams work by stripping the skin of its natural pigmentation. However, in dark skinned people, the pigmentation is the skin’s natural protection from the sun. Bleaching doesn’t just superficially lighten the skin, it alters the skin’s ‘natural’ structure, removing and inhibiting the production of the colour creating melanin.
Once the skin has been ‘bleached’ it loses its natural protective barrier, making it susceptible to damage by the sun’s rays. This is also why many bleaching products contain either sunscreen, or come with instructions advising people to use sun protection creams along with the product. Prolonged use of these bleaching products can also prevent the formation of melanin in the deeper basal layers of the skin, which will leave the skin lighter, but also leave it more vulnerable to damage. Hydroquinone in particular, has been found to damage the connective tissue in the skin and cartilage, hence its removal from skincare products.
People who use bleaching products can end up with rough and blotchy skin, and then get caught up in the ‘bleaching trap’ by using more cream to try and correct the problem, and by doing so, find themsevles causing even more damage to their skin. Alternatively, they may find that because of exposure to the sun, their ‘lightened skin’ gets darker.
Anti-bleaching campaigns
Up until now it has been legal to sell and promote skin bleaches which contain a maximum of two per cent hydroquinone. Although there is anecdotal evidence of shops selling under the counter creams that contain over this legal limit. Even at national and international levels, standards differ. For example, anyone caught travelling to the Gambia with cosmetics containing hydroquinone is subject to a large fine. Yet, another African country was recently prepared to pay research scientist Sujata Jolly, two million pounds to develop a bleaching cream.
Sujata told us, ‘I couldn’t take the contract. Having seen the terrible effects skin bleaching has had on some people, there was no way I was prepared to take the contract, no matter how much money they offered.’ She said, ‘I’ve been campaigning against the use of bleaching creams for years, and have written and appealed to health ministers in an attempt to get them to do something, because I feel so strongly about the dangers of using these creams.’
Sujata adds that she’s not alone. Southwark Council’s Trading Standards Council recently led a campaign against the use of bleaching creams. The campaigning efforts have finally paid off, because this time next year, hydroquinone will no longer be approved as a bleaching agent for use in cosmetic creams in
the UK.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has received a directive (Twenty-fourth Commission Directive), from the European Commission, banning the use of hydroquinone as a skin lightener. The draft of the directive clearly states that ‘Harmful secondary effects have been shown to arise following prolonged use of hydroquinone as a skin-lightening cream. This particular use of hydroquinone must not therefore be authorised’. This means that not even the current allowance of two per cent of hydroquinone in cosmetics will be approved by law. Member states are already taking measures to implement the directive. However, worryingly, some major cosmetic companies are not even aware of the directive.
CHEMICALS IN THAT BLEACHING CREAM MAY TAKE A LONG TIME TO AFFECT YOU BUT SOONER OR LATER YOUR SKIN WILL SHOW THE EFFECT!
THIS SOUTH AFRICAN BROTHER AND SISTER REGRET EVER HAVE BLEACHED NOW!
BLEACH AND BE A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!
BLEACH AND BE A MONSTER WHILE YOU ARE WAITING TO DIE!
BLEACH AND DESTROY YOUR SKIN! BLEACH AND DIE OF SKIN CANCER!
Don’t Kill Your Skin With Bleachers, Warns Doctor “Healthy skin is beautiful skin whatever the color”
“Healthy skin is beautiful skin, whatever the color”, says Dr.Clive Anderson, consultant dermatologist and venereologist at Nuttall //Medical Centre, Jamaica.
The doctor’s address is part of a move to get Jamaicans aware of the dangers of skin bleaching. Accordingly, many of the island’s youth resort to bleaching or lightening the skin with various creams got off the streets.
Government health officials plan to launch a campaign against skin bleaching, dubbed ‘Don’t kill the skin’, next month. They intend to use advertisements, literature and talks to convince people about the harm of bleaching. bleaching may lead to melanoma, one of the leading causes of death in the island, warn doctors.
Most of the creams contain hydroquinone, a chemical that counteracts melanin; the natural pigment responsible for the tone of skin or complexion.
Hydroquinone is a prescription drug in Europe and highly regulated in the U.S.
Melanin has the role of protecting the skin from harmful effects of the sun, hence using any cream that suppresses melanin production, can only have adverse effects, according to doctors.
The government has banned creams by the names Neprosone Gel, Hyprogel, Dermo Gel Plus and Movate Cream among others. In addition to the heavy campaigning against bleaching, fines of 50,000 Jamaican dollars will be charged for the illegal sale of banned skin lighteners under the country’s Food and Drug Act.
Doctors list the side effects of bleaching creams as skin cancer, thinning of the skin, irreversible stretch marks, easy bruising and tearing of the skin, rashes, enlarged blood vessels, susceptibility to infection, delayed wound healing, hyper pigmentation, acne and hormonal disturbances.
‘Beauty’ does seem to come at a very high cost.
Date:1/22/2007
TINU OGINNI-THE BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY CAMPAIGNING AGAINST BLEACHING AND THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT HER!
YOUR SKIN WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AND IT YOU NEED OPERATION THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEW YOUR SKIN UP AGAIN-THEREBY YOU WILL DIE!
THESE BLEACHING CHEMICALS WILL SLOWLY DESTROY YOUR SKIN FOREVER!
BLEACH AND BE A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!
BLEACH AND LOOK LIKE A MONSTER WHILE YOU ARE WAITING TO DIE!
Skin bleaching is dangerous
updated: Friday 04-07-2008
She is Tinu Oginni, a beauty and make-up expert based in the United Kingdom, with a mission to create more awareness about the long term effect of using bleaching products to change skin tone by people of all ages and background. She also wants to create more awareness on why we are dark in colour and enable us build our confidence in being black, enrich our lives and reveal our hidden beauty so that we live in good state of health.
According to her, in this modern appearance- conscious society in which we live, there is a myth that lighter, pale complexion portrays beauty, riches, success, and people are often commended on the fairness of their skin. “This misguided belief has resulted in making a lot of people bow to this social pressure, which is enormous and cuts across all the strata of our society.”
“It is imperative, therefore, on our part that we put a halt to this. Banning of products containing hydroquinone and mercury will not stop the products from entering Nigeria, but the only way to make a positive impact on preventing this anormaly from spreading is to create more awareness about the long term effects of using skin bleaching products on our skin,” said Ogini.
She stated that in order to combat this problem, confidence teaching must start in the homes and then in the schools to enable children value themselves, i.e, their colour, religion, culture, family, country.” “Beauty is more than skin deep. The radiance that shines through an individual and her comportments are all attributes that attest not only to her beauty but also her confidence.
To change your skin colour is to betray your maker and your faith, for in the realm of religion there must be no room for vanity, “ she said. Bleaching, according to her, is most certainly not pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. “In order to change the psyche of our people, I am organizing a national crusade across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria in which various lectures intended to expose the negative underpinnings of bleaching will be delivered by scholars and researchers such as dermatologists, psychologists, beauticians and religious leaders among others.”
Areas of concern will include: Why we have our skin colour; medical, social, spiritual and economic implications of bleaching our skin. The campaign against this anomally aims to educate through the aggressive use of the mass media such as, television, radio jingles, newspapers, magazines, flyers, posters, bill board, public campaign, seminars and workshop.
What is bleaching?
Bleaching is using products that contain hydroquinone and mercury to change our colour. There is also a new product in market containing kajoic acid. All these products work by inhibiting the production of melanin. Hydroquinone is a severely toxic and very powerful chemical used in photo processing, the manufacture of rubber and is an active agent in hair dye. Mercury in the form of Mercury Chloride and Ammoniated Mercury is carcinogenic (Cancer-causing agent). They appear on the list of toxic substances that can only be purchased via pharmacies with prescribed labels of toxicity.
What are the long term effects of using bleaching products on our skin?
Bleaching leads to increase thinning of the skin and stretch marks.
Bleaching is associated to being a carcinogen. (Cancer- causing agent).
Bleaching pills are toxic and can cause damage to internal organs such as kidney and liver.
Bleaching leaves odour which is anything from stale, mousy, to fishy
Skin bleaching can cause rough, blotchy skin, leaving it with a spotty cavier appearance.
Why do people use skin bleaching products?
1. Uneven complexion tone (skin with blemishes).
2. Consumers being lured by marketing ploy.
3. Lack of basic information and education on why we are dark in colour (ignorance).
4. Social pressure (some consider bleaching as fashionable).
There is usually an underlying cause for uneven complexion tone. They include: Eczema, acne, poor nutrition. Visit a dermatologist, do not apply unprescribed cream on your skin! Manufacturers of skin bleaching products use marketing ploy to lure customers, i.e putting toning and lightening in the same sentence.
Skin lightening and toning are two different things Lightening is bleaching. Toning is freshenening up your skin. Manufacturers of skin bleaching products may not be fully versed with the side effect of their products. Some products present misleading labels or are economical with the truth (i.e. 2% hydroquinone while it contains 6% or even more). Manufacturers of skin bleaching products coming into Nigeria must label their products to include the proper warning label i.e (bleaching may harm your skin)
A lot of people lack basic information and education on why our skin is dark in colour.In Nigeria shinning of the sun is intense. God created us with the right skin type to survive the harshness. Our body produces melanin which protects our skin from the harmful (ultra violet ray of the sun). Without melanin production, we would need to cover our skin with sun screen; without melanin production, our skin will be vulnerable and risk a greater chance of developing cancer. The more melanin we produce the darker we are. We are beautiful creatures that God made and gave us different skin tone. All colours are beautiful but there are ways we can care for our skin by maintaining or improving its look and texture. Fortunately, a woman skin does not have to be truly flawless to look like it is, the steps to create a perfect finish starts with a great skin care programme, i.e,
Cleanse your skin to remove make-up and impurities.
Exfoliate your skin to remove dead surface cells.
Freshen your skin to tone and refine pores.
Moisturize your skin for soft, smooth skin.
Protect your skin from environmental damage using foundation while colour cosmetics will produce the fabulous finish when required.