MORE THAN 70 MILLION NIGERIANS ARE BLEACHING THEIR SKINS.

Nigerian cosmetologist, Pela Tonye Okiemutie, ‘the bleaching expert’.
His cosmetological miracles include his own personal journey through bleaching, as well as helping many.

Abuja, NIGERIA:

According to one estimate, more than 70 million people in Nigeria use skin-lightening products regularly, making Africa's most populous country the capital for skin bleaching. Some women reject the trend, saying their natural dark skin is beautiful. But, Nigeria remains a huge market for skin-whitening products.

Twenty-five-year-old Nigerian model and actress Goodness Ben visits a cosmetic shop in Abuja.

She wants to be famous and says bleaching her skin could increase her chances at getting more movie roles.

"Yes this is Nigeria, a fair skin is business. In the movie industry most times the director wants you to like glow, in fact you should be camera friendly. You know most times dark people tend to...will I say resist? But they are more beautiful and catchy when they come in contact with camera,” Ben.

Pela Tonye Okiemute, is widely known as the King of Bleaching in Nigeria, and he sees nothing wrong in turning himself into a white man from his original dark skin.

The Rivers State born dude claims to be a beauty and skin whitening expert and is gradually getting invites to celebrity events and parties.

According to a 2011 estimate from the World Health Organization, 76 million Nigerians, mostly women, use skin-lightening products regularly.

Some darker-skinned Nigerians are pushing back against the idea that lighter is better. They say black is beautiful with the so-called “Melanin Movement.”

The arrival of an American reality TV star to launch her skin-lightening line in Lagos stirred up some controversy in on, December 2018 as people debated how harmful skin-bleaching is and if it's appropriate for celebrities to promote such products.  
That said, if you take a stroll down the cosmetics section of any Nigerian market or superstore, there is a high chance you will come across a variety of skin lightening products ranging from soaps, creams, and serums. Blac Chyna's arrival aside, Nigeria is one of the largest markets for bleaching products.

Blac Chyna came under fire after she took to Instagram to announce she is launching a skin lightening cream, with beauty brand, Whitenicious.

The global market for skin lightening products is growing and is estimated to reach $20 billion by the end of the year, driven by strong demand among men and women across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Skin lightening products are unbelievably popular in Nigeria. The World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report in 2011 estimating that 77% of Nigerian women use skin lightening products regularly. This is in comparison with 59% in Togo, 35% in South Africa, and 27% in Senegal. In fact, bleaching products are reportedly the fourth most sought-after household item by African women, alongside essentials like soap, milk, and tea. 

In Lagos, the skin lightening market has found a permanent home. The industry is so huge that it adequately caters to individuals of different social class. Product prices range from as little as ₦5,000 to as high as ₦150,000, depending on the brand and method of application. The amount of people who use skin lightening products is quite alarming in a country where the minimum wage is only ₦18,000. And, unsurprisingly, the exposure to popular western culture has also led to a demand for more expensive foreign products and consequently led to higher prices. 

Tina Ohanu says she doesn't need to bleach her skin.

"My confidence really doesn't come from my skin, it comes from within... and I still get as much attention from the male folks as every other lady should, so I don't think it has anything to do with my confidence,”
 Ohanu said.

Bleaching products usually contain hydroquinone, corticosteroids or mercury as key ingredients.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), Mercury is a common ingredient found in skin lightening soaps and creams. It is also found in other cosmetics, such as eye makeup cleansing products and mascara. 
Skin lightening soaps and creams are commonly used in certain African and Asian nations. 
They are also used among dark-skinned populations in Europe and North America.
Mercury salts inhibit the formation of melanin, resulting in a lighter skin tone.

Mercury in cosmetics exists in two forms: inorganic and organic.
Inorganic mercury (e.g. ammoniated mercury) is used in skin lightening soaps and creams. 
Organic mercury compounds (thiomersal [ethyl mercury] and phenyl mercuric salts) are used as cosmetic preservatives in eye makeup cleansing products and mascara.

Some manufacturers are no longer using mercury as a preservative in mascara and eye makeup cleansing products as a result of consumer pressure. However, most jurisdictions 

still allow the sale of makeup products containing mercury compounds.

These chemicals could have a range of side effects when used regularly, according to skin experts.

"You can have stretch marks, the skin becomes fragile, doesn't heal properly, sometimes you can have...some of them can give you abnormal skin odor, abnormal odor, excessive sweating, poor wound healing...so, and then it ages faster,” 
Haroun said to Voice of America(VOA)

The beauty industry in Africa is worth several billion dollars and increases by 8 to 10 percent every year.

Nigeria is one of the prime destinations for many beauty agents produced abroad.

Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Rwanda banned all whitening products while Nigeria joined South Africa in barring those with harmful chemicals.

While these moves help promote natural and healthy skin tone, however, the Melanin Movement is still dwarfed by Africans' demand for skin-lightening products.