“When the color of your skin can determine your future, how far would you go to be lighter?” One of the fastest growing sectors in the beauty industry, as well as being one of its most controversial sectors is “skin bleaching” also known as skin lightening or whitening. Skin bleaching is a cosmetic treatment in which chemical substances are used in an attempt to lighten or provide an even skin color. It is a global market, lightning product advertisements with before-and-after pictures of women who have bleached their skin flood the skincare and cosmetics marketplaces all over the world. The US-based Association of Black Psychologists notes that colorism -preference for lighter skin- may affect an individual’s self-esteem, perceptions of beauty, political and economic opportunities. This drives the skincare and cosmetics industry to take advantage of women’s craze for lighter skin. It is expected for its market to grow over 24 billion dollars in the next decade. In a number of African countries, between 25 and 80% of women regularly use skin whitening products. In Asia, this number is around 40%. It's estimated that in the Philippines 1 in 2 women have tried these products. In India, over half of skin care products are sold to whiten skin. Most people are not looking to be white, they are just looking forward to having lighter skin, because historically that's what they perceived as not only being beautiful but also powerful. For many people skin tone is not only about skin, it’s about “CLASS”. But unfortunately, this can come with a price. Most contemporary skin-bleaching creams contain ingredients that inhibit the production of melanin, a body chemical that darkens skin. One such ingredient is hydroquinone, a depigmenting agent that lightens skin. WHO warns that hydroquinone’s side effects include dermatitis (skin irritation), blue-black discolorations and even blindness. Other skin whiteners contain a toxic form of mercury as the active ingredient. Their use, however, may harm a person's health and is illegal in many countries. Prolonged usage of mercury-based products can ultimately discolor the skin as mercury will accumulate within the dermis. Mercury toxicity can cause acute symptoms such as pneumonitis and gastric irritation. It can also contribute to long-term renal and neurological complications, the latter of which includes insomnia, memory loss, and irritability. Some creams contain steroids, which are meant to be used for not more than seven days and only on localized areas. Overuse of steroid creams over a long period can cause thinning or weakening of the skin, stretch marks and easy bruising. A new skin-bleaching treatment that is catching on is the intravenous application of glutathione, a natural antioxidant produced by the liver. The product can also be obtained in the form of antioxidant supplement tablets. It hasn’t been proven that glutathione is safe or effective for skin lightening. Beyond the lack of evidence, there’s an inherent danger in injecting an unregulated fluid into the body. In the Philippines, glutathione IVs were ubiquitous in neighborhood spas until 2011, when reports of serious skin rashes, thyroid issues, and kidney failure led to a ban by the country's government. Some women who use illegal skin-bleaching products go as far as bleaching their children. Their two main reasons are firstly, believing that being light-skinned is beautiful and secondly, to hide the fact that they themselves are not naturally fair-skinned. For example, in Ghana some pregnant women have gone as far as taking skin-bleaching tablets in the hope that their newborn will be naturally light, not realizing that they are damaging themselves and their unborn foetus. Chemically lightened skin is also highly susceptible to sun damage, dermal infection, and skin cancer. Pregnant users may also experience health complications for both them and their children. The continual use of these creams eventually leads to dependence or addiction because when they are discontinued, the skin usually returns to its original color. It became clear that a lot of people did not fully understand the possible dangers of skin bleaching, or the risks of irreversible damage. It is also known that the ideal image of fair skin is so deeply embedded in the population that unfortunately can overshadow any risk.