It's Time to Reckon with the Harmful Impact of Skin-Whitening Products

Former stripper turned celebrity, Blac Chyna, is currently promoting a skin lightening cream with the cartoonish name “Whitenicious." The product is being pushed in Lagos, Nigeria, where 77 percent of women use skin lightening products, often at the expense of their health and self-esteem. But many women of color in the US use similar products, even though they’re advertised differently and talked about less openly.

In a society that has historically valued lighter skin, it’s no surprise many women turn towards these products. But in the US, many do it in private. On this episode of The VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast, VICE's Taylor Hosking calls for a deeper, more honest conversation around the harmful effects of skin whitening, and the colorism and racism that fuels it. Tune in to hear VICE's Senior Culture Editor Alex Zaragoza in conversation with Taylor.

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