The Rwandan government has banned cosmetics used for lightening or “bleaching” skin. Skin lightening is a common practice among dark-skinned people in many parts of the world But most products used for this purpose contain powerful and prohibited toxins like hydroquinone and mercury.
“Love the skin you’re in”, that’s the message from Rwanda’s government in the fight against skin lightening.
Rwandan president Paul Kagame raised concerns about the growing use of skin-lightening products on social media. Police officials in the country have already started confiscating thousands of products since the closing weeks of 2018.
Many African countries have banned skin bleaching products, but laws aren’t enforced and skin-whitening creams and soaps flood the markets in countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Mali.