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IN MANY PARTS OF AFRICA, LIGHTER-SKINNED WOMEN ARE CONSIDERED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, PERCEIVED AS MORE SUCCESSFUL AND SAID TO HAVE
BETTER MARRIAGE PROSPECTS. ACCORDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION,
27% OF SENEGALESE WOMEN REGULARLY USE SKIN LIGHTENING PRODUCTS.
[ Voice ] Who are you? [ Adji ]Adji Ndoye.
[ Serena ]I'm Serena Diallo, nicknamed 'Mascot'.
[ Vankiana ]Vankiana.
[ Voice ]Why do you all say you're 22? It's not possible.
[ Voice ]Is it a standard? You can't all be the same age.
[ Vankiana ]Ela, the boss...
[ Voice ]He'll answer. Did he say I'm bleaching?
[ Vankiana ]Look at my hands, no
spots. It's all natural.
[ VO ] Here in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, two standards of beauty compete against each other. While natural
beauty is of course a general standard worldwide, here bleach plays a big role in the beauty process.
BEAUTY AND THE BLEACH
[ Moussa ]We estimate 10% of our female patients
[ DR. MOUSSA DIALLO ARISTIDE LE DANTEC HOSPITAL ]come due to complications caused by artificial skin bleaching.
[ Moussa ]There are many complications.
[ Moussa ]The first cause of admission in our department is this disease.
[ Moussa ]It's due to the depigmentation.
[ Moussa ]It's a very severe infection of the skin. This one can lead to death, because you get septicaemia and die.
[ VO ]During Dakar Fashion Week models spoke out against skin bleaching.
[ VO ]These girls dream of strutting down European catwalks. So they aim for natural beauty, because Europe demands it.
[ VO ]But in Senegal standards of beauty are somewhat different.
[ VO ]Look at these posters. No matter what they’re advertising, all the models in them have lighter skin than the
ads' target audience. The message is clear: only those with lighter skin are beautiful and can achieve success!
[ MOMAR NDAO SENEGALESE CONSUMER ASSOCIATION ]My opinion about
whitening skin is that the woman, all women have the right to beauty.
[ Momar ]But it is not a kind of inferiority complex,
no. They don’t want to be white people.
WHAT DOES BEAUTY BRING?
[ Mam Jara ]If you're pretty, you can go... wherever you want.
[ Mam Jara ]People will love you the moment they see you.
[ Child ]Mum, I want to go to a party!
[ MAM JARA ] Ok, I'll take you to the shower once we're finished.
[ Mam Jara ]Don't shower without me.
[ VO ]Mam Jara lives in Dakar with her mother, her brothers and sisters.
[ VO ]She's the family's fourth child and has a young daughter of her own.
[ VO ]Mam Jara is studying to become a hospitality manager.
[ VO ]She believes that bleaching makes her look more beautiful.
[ Voice ]Where do you apply it?
[ Mam Jara ]All over my body, including the lower back.
[ Mam Jara ] You start with the face. [ Voice ] How much do you use?
[ Mam Jara ] A little on the face, then the body. [ Voice ] And what about your back?
[ Mam Jara ]I can do it. Look, I can put cream on my back without assistance.
[ Dr. MOUSSA DIALLO ARISTIDE LE DANTEC HOSPITAL ]Most pigment
bleaching products are manufactured in developed countries,
Europe or the United States, and then imported to Africa.
[ VO ]There’s a cosmetics store two minutes’ walk from Mam Jara's home.
[ VO ]In residential areas beauty shops are as common as grocery stores.
[ Мужчина ][ Man ]Ok. She can take this one.
[ Mam Jara ]I buy this one when I run out of my usual bleaching cream.
[ Mam Jara ]If a cream is good it sells like hot cakes.
[ Mam Jara ]My favourite one sells out fast, women snatch it up instantly.
[ Mam Jara ]Look: before, after.
[ Mam Jara ]Before, your skin is black. After, you look like this. This top one's the natural colour.
[ Man ]I prefer the 'before' one!
[ Mam Jara ] If you look like this...You can find your wife in the dark!
[ Mam Jara ]But if your skin's like the 'before' picture,
your husband won't find you in the dark!
WHAT DOES BEAUTY BRING?
[ Adji ]What does it bring?
ADJI
[ VO ]Adji doesn’t use bleaching products.
[ VO ]She believes that being beautiful means loving yourself for what you are.
[ VO ]She lives with her mum and her sisters in an unfinished house. Her father died when she was little.
[ VO ]Adji works in a bar and dreams of becoming a supermodel, just like Naomi Campbell.
[ Adji ]I'm Adji. This is my mum.
[ Adji ]My sister...
[ Adji ]My friends...
[ Friends ]You're so beautiful!
[ Voice ]What do you think about girls who bleach their skin?
[ Adji's mum ]Personally, I think they shouldn't, because they
ruin their skin. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
[ Adji's mum ]I keep telling them not to, but they don't listen
and bleach anyway. They ought to listen to me.
[ VO ]Adji lives in a fishing village near Dakar. It’s a bustling area with construction sites all over the place.
[ VO ]She and her friends are taking a stroll along the beach.
[ Man ]What do you know about beauty?
[ Man ]Beauty is created by God. It brings joy.
[ Man ]A beautiful woman is always a joy. You're always happy to come home to a beautiful wife.
[ Man ]A beautiful wife makes a happy family.
[ JOHN PETER PHARMACIST ]There's a strong, strong drug now. I heard
that it's some tablets, when you drink it your skin becomes lighter.
[ John ]These tablets come from the USA. Their name is Glutathione. I saw it in Senegal.
[ John ]A woman came here one day and she told me, 'Doctor, I
want to do injections.' I tell her 'For what? You want to do
what?' 'This one comes from the United States, and if
I do it I will be very clear, like a white girl.' You understand?
[ Adji's sister ]I used to bleach my skin, too, because most beautiful girls on TV would.
[ Adji's sister ]I thought they were beautiful. I'm not saying I'm not proud of my skin, I just thought
they looked prettier than me. After starting to whiten my skin, there were adverse effects.
[ Adji's sister ]I'm not as pretty as I was. All the claimed benefits of these creams are actually lies.
[ Moussa ]And you have aesthetic consequences, for example, the fingers become
black. Or pigmentation around the eyes becomes black and blue.
[ Mam Jara ]You can tell at once if a girl's been bleaching, because the colour is never uniform.
[ Mam Jara ]You develop black and white spots, dark blemishes
on your hands. If a girl's been bleaching, she gets dark
circles around her eyes, as if she's wearing sunglasses.
[ Mam Jara ]There's a stark contrast between the dark and light skin.
[ Moussa ]But the complication that's most
dangerous, which has been observed in recent years, is the increased cancer rate.
Dr. MOUSSA DIALLO ARISTIDE LE DANTEC HOSPITAL
[ Mam Jara ]You can tell she's bleaching her skin.
[ Voice ] How do you know? [ Mam Jara ] Can't you see? Look, here.
[ Adji's friend ]I think the media...
influences young people regarding pigmentation,
because journalists have light complexions. Girls these days have
an inferiority complex: everybody pays attention to light-skinned
girls, and if you're black you're in second place. For example,
football players. Very few have wives with a dark complexion.
[ Adji's friend ]It's rare. I think men influence them. You
should be natural, not full of complexes.
[ Momar ]If you are a woman, you have a husband, you are dark,
[ MOMAR NDAO SENEGALESE CONSUMER ASSOCIATION ]and you see that your husband
is looking at mid-toned women, you see, I'm going to have mid-toned skin.
[ Momar ]I think that it's inspired by husbands, and by men.
[ GUESSS RHYMES MUSICIAN ]A beautiful woman.
[ Guesss Rhymes ]Beautiful is beautiful. You now? When you see something beautiful – you know that is beautiful.
[ JOHN PETER PHARMACIST ]I prefer women... if she's born with black skin, it's good, the gift of God.
[ John ]If she's born with light skin... that's the same for me.
[ Serena ]My waist... I like fitness!
SERENA
[ VO ]Serena lives in Dakar with her mother. Her father left them when she was little.
[ VO ]Her mum works at the market. Serena also has a small business, but she dreams of becoming a top model one day.
[ Serena ]I don't know what tomorrow will bring.
[ Serena ]I hope I'll succeed, but nothing
will keep me from my chores.
[ Serena ]I'll do them until my mum passes away.
[ Serena's mum ]Even though she's a beauty, she helps me about the house, because I get tired.
[ Serena's mum ]When her father left us, it was very hard. I raised her
all by myself, but now she
helps me with everything.
[ VO ]Serena's road to fame starts on the roof of her house. That's where she works on her catwalk skills.
[ VO ]Serena's place is right next to the international airport.
[ VO ]The sound of planes taking off and landing is always in the background, but she's never been on one herself.
[ VO ]Flying away somewhere is Serena’s dream.
XTRA FUSION DANCE GROUP, DAKAR
[ Man ]Personally, I prefer a woman the same height as me, and black.
[ Man ]I'm of the same opinion as my friend.
[ Man ]I like natural women... with big butts and boobs, very beautiful!
[ Man ]I love them!
[ Man ]That's my type... Big a** you know...
[ Man ]And black! Especially black! Not
bleached. Yes, not the bleached types.
[ VO ]Sales of whitening products thrive in African countries including
Senegal. Import and sales yield billions of dollars in revenues.
[ VO ]At the advertising agency that specialises in outdoor ads, we
asked to see at least one natural model that graces its billboards.
[ VO ]The designer shows us Soda Mama – she’s the epitome of natural beauty.
[ VO ]Then we ask him to show us his favourite celebrity.
[ VO ]Her name’s Viviane. And her skin’s bleached.
[ Designer ]Most men prefer light-skinned women.
[ Voice ]Who do you like more, Viviane or Soda Mama? Which one?
[ Designer ]I like Viviane more.
[ Voice ]Viviane? Why?
[ Designer ]Viviane? Just because I like her, a lot.
[ Serena ]I think... Whether I'm pretty or not,
I have the beauty I was meant to have.
[ Adji ]Yeah, I'm beautiful!
[ Adji ]Of course. Magnificent! Amazing!
[ Khuja ]No, I'm not pretty. Because…
[ Khuja ]Just because I'm not.
[ Khuja ]That's why I used to bleach. There are women who are
much prettier than me. Still, I'm prettier than some.
[ VO ]Khuja has a curious theory about skin whiteners. She believes
that exercising in the open air offsets all adverse effects.
[ Khuja ]My coach told me to say that want to be… as pale as you!
[ Khuja ]No one will say bleaching is good. Some people just think that
KHUJA
it will make them more beautiful. As soon as you notice the
change, when you're lighter after using the cream, you feel
more beautiful. That's why people lighten their skin,
despite knowing that it's bad for them. So, people such as me,
who don't consider themselves beautiful, start using that cream, that's the reason.
Don't listen to it. Beauty means being at peace with yourself.
Taking care of yourself... There are no ugly people.
LANA
DO YOU THINK YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL?
[ Lana ]Well, I think I am. It's how I feel. Why? Because even
standing next to Beyoncé, I'll look prettier than her,
because I'm proud of myself, the way I am, the way God
created me, although I do use skin bleaching products.
[ VO ]Lana works in the film industry.
[ VO ]She’s a wardrobe assistant who dreams of becoming an actress. She thinks bleaching her skin will help her become a movie star.
[ Lana ]I started to apply this preparation 7 days ago.
[ Lana ]Because, in Senegal, we get ready for the Eid al-Adha festivities in advance.
[ Lana ]I picked out an outfit: I've bought a pair of black
pants. I wanted my skin to stand out against them.
[ Lana ]When did I make this preparation? Monday? Thursday..?
[ Lana ]Oh, last Saturday, I think.
[ Lana ]I made it on Saturday.
[ Lana ]It's a slow process, but if I do it right, I'll be the right colour by the holidays.
[ Man ]What do we think about bleaching? Well, it's because
of... a feeling of inferiority compared to the whites.
[ Man ]We see that girls want to
copy from Western culture.
[ Man ]We consider that an inferiority complex. We're against it because it shows no self-respect.
[ Adji ]Maybe they just want to be more beautiful,
and think being lighter is more attractive?
[ Adji ]I don't agree, because you can get anything you want as
long as you believe in yourself. Bleaching is nonsense.
[ Adji ]You'll just ruin your skin and age faster.
[ Adji ]I don't recommend it, no way.
How did it affect your skin?
[ Adji's sister ]Here, look. There is marking. Some girls wear
sleeves to their elbows to cover the damage.
[ Adji's sister ]But I don't.
[ Adji's sister ]It's just the result of bleaching, honestly. It looks bad and it's rough. Here it's
rough, and this is smooth. Now I'll have to buy other products to get my skin back.
[ Adji's sister ]If I could turn back time, I wouldn't do it. I'm very sad for myself, but that's life.
[ Woman ]You should be proud of yourself. I'm proud of being slim.
[ Woman ]What's she got, extensions? You're not natural, then! That doesn't exist anymore!
[ Woman ]It's true you have black skin, but you have
extensions, fake nails... They aren't from our culture,
they're all European things... Mascara, nails, hair
extensions... have nothing to do with being natural.
[ Woman ]That's a girl with nothing in her hair, on her eyes or nails, no cosmetics on her skin. That's a bit weird!
[ Adji's sister ]It's not our fault, it's fashion.
[ VO ]While Lana applies her skin-whitening product, Serena and
Adji prepare for success by practicing their moves on the catwalk.
[ VO ]To each their own.
[ VO ]This is Ela, Serena's and Adji's manager.
[ VO ]He coaches the girls, advises them on how to look their best, and finds work for them.
[ Serena ]Each time he paid me for a fashion show,
I'd put it aside to open the store that I have now. That's what I'm doing,
and thanks to that, I can help my mother a little.
[ VO ]This is Serena’s business. Here, she sells one of the most popular products.
[ Serena ]This product here is the most popular, I have it in the large
but also in the smaller size.
[ Serena ]Caro White, the bestseller in Dakar.
[ Serena ]This is 500, the larger, 2300. This is the best, it's
also available in drugstores. It comes from Paris.
[ Serena ]Yes, that's for mature women...
[ Serena ]You can use this from ages 12, 13, or 15. You can buy it.
[ Serena ]But you need to be a legal adult to buy the rest.
[ Serena ]Obviously, no one pays attention to that here.
[ Moussa ]Why do women continue to bleach their skin?
[ Moussa ]There's a shared responsibility for this widespread
phenomenon, because, as I said, most whitening
creams are manufactured in developed countries.
[ Moussa ]It's also a source of income for the developing
countries and their responsibility as well…
[ VO ]In the doctor goes on to say, the responsibility for using
these products lies with the consumer. That’s all well and good, but
it's only natural that girls want to look prettier than Beyoncé.
[ VO ]Except, of course, you don’t need a whitening cream to achieve that.