The African Community and skin bleach

It is a well-known topic: Women who undergo dramatic treatments to fit standards that people regard as ideal. This ideal image is no other than the: the lighter the skin tone, the more beautiful. This may seem ridiculous to some, but for others it’s a well known issue within their communities.

Helping yourself cosmetically is no harmful thing. But things can get to the extreme: It’s what I call skin bleach. In the African community I have sensed that being the light skinned woman is regarded as the ideal skin color. The origin of this mindset comes from the time of slavery, whereby the white color stood for power, wealth and favor. This image has still not seemed to have left our minds. That is why; I think some of us desire to look more as white people do. This issue can turn into an endless discussion.

I Love the Brown skin that I am In

It might not have been directly said over the years, but it’s the truth about our mentalities, especially within the African communities. The more fair coloured a woman is, the more she is regarded as beautiful. This is not an issue that is only present within the African communities, but also in the Chinese and Indian communities. This perfect image of light skinned being ideal seems to be fading away. Women of different colour seem to be appreciated more, but not completely. This month’s issue will be about the ideal picture that we have and what we say of ourselves as women.

Dark coloured men are often adored, regarded as sex-symbols. But it seems as if the dark coloured women are less attractive in the eyes of the public. What is your perfect picture? Have you always been using skin bleach cream and wanting to look fairer than you are? This month: women who have been destroying themselves by using this bad perfect picture and women who absolutely love the brown skin that they are in.

To the Roots and to the Beads!

African Beads

We, African women are familiar with wearing beads around our necks, hips and arms. It is part of our African culture

Ghana is popularly known for producing beads. In Ghana, beads can be purchased at almost every corner. The beauty of African beads has gone beyond the borders of Africa to the rest of the world. And it is back in fashion.