Although skin bleaching or whitening could be a good option for getting rid of dark spots or skin discolouration, the process is not free from side effects as some of the products are harmful and can cause life threatening illnesses such as cancer.
The President of Rwanda, Paul Kegame has out-rightly condemned the use of bleaching products which include creams, soaps and oils and has further banned the use of such products in the country. Kegame emphasises the fact that bleaching products contain harmful chemicals such as mercury and hydroquinone and are known to not only be the cause of skin cancer but also Liver and Kidney damage.
Rwanda is not the only African country to have banned the use of bleaching products as Ivory Coast have sanctioned the use of such products back in 2015 with Ghana following suit in 2017. Nigeria on the other hand remains the African country with the highest percentage of women who use these products.
Reports have it that the Rwandan Police in December 2018 seized over 5,000 bleaching products which includes oils, soaps and sprays from beauty shops in Rwanda.