The Nigeria Association of Dermatologists have warned that using mixed skin creams, commonly known as “organic creams”, constituted more danger than good.
A consultant dermatologist, Ngozi Akueme, said that many of the organic skin products, which have become major beauty trends, contain high doses of steroids and harmful chemicals including hydroquinone.
“There are a lot of people who market this beauty trend of mixed cream and are quote clever on how they label it, they don’t call it bleaching cream but organic whitening or lightening creams.
“They tell you they mixed their skin products from the scratch, saying it is all-organic and natural, however, that those creams contain are steroids, hydroquinone and mercury at a very high level.
“For instance, the hydroquinone in the ideal over-the-counter skincare creams shouldn’t be above two per cent, but you will be amazed that we are finding organic creams containing as high as 13 per cent in Nigerian markets.
Ms Akueme, who works at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said that skin bleaching also known as skin lightening and whitening could result in devastating effects including skin cancer, thinning of the skin, diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure and abnormalities in an unborn child.
According to her, skin bleaching depletes the skin of melanin which is supposed to protect from the harmful effects of sun exposure.
“While we don’t often see cases of skin cancer in the hospital, it is becoming increasingly common and some of the causes have been linked to skin bleaching.
“We are being faced everyday with the side effects of skin bleaching, we see many cases patients who come every day with very bad unwanted side effects.
“Skin bleaching also results in poor wound healing and thinning of skin. Surgeons have problem with such skin during surgery,” she said.
The association noted that many unregistered skin lightening and whitening skin products are widely advertised on Instagram and Facebook with labels, including Half Cast Fluid, Hot Chocolate, Egyptian Glow Oil, Baby Glow Butter, Moroccan Whitening Cream and Soft Tone Fluid with 100 per cent organic creams, among others.
(NAN)
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