Lounging With Lioness: Entry #3

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MTO

Sooooo…as you can see. Today’s topic is skin bleaching. Skin bleaching is an epidemic that has been sweeping across the world.

One of my personal experience with skin bleaching was when I visited my favorite friend in New Jersey. Her new roommate had some facial cream on her face and naturally we asked what she was doing. She stated that she was bleaching her face. My friend and I looked at her like she was crazy.”You’re doing what?!” Ha.

My friend asked why she was bleaching her face and was the product legal in the U.S. She explained that it is common practice to bleach your face in India and that she gets her creams from small shops in NYC. She said she bleaches her skin because having dark skin is not attractive and she was shocked that I did not bleach my skin.

This was not my first time experiencing one of my international friends bleaching their skin, but personally I did not (and still don’t) think bleaching is worth the money. A lot of products are dangerous, mess up your skin, cause cancer and it’s not like the cream makes you white.  However, her thinking was the lighter the better. It does not have to make you white, any shade lighter is better and more attractive than being dark.  I have to admit that is the message that the media portrays to the world about dark skin.

Dancehall artist Vybz Kartel came under fire this use of “cakesoap” . (Cakesoap is the term that Jamaicans use for skin bleaching products.) Here is what Vybz had to say.

“ I’m my own man, and as such I do my own thing. When black women stop straightening their hair and wearing wigs and weaves, when white women stop getting lip and butt injections and implants, when bald men stop getting hair transplants, and when people stop getting nose jobs and cosmetic surgery then I’ll stop using the ‘cakesoap’ and we’ll all live naturally ever after. Until then F**k you all.”

“This is my new image. You can expect the unexpected. I feel comfortable with black people lightening their skin. They want a different look. It’s tantamount to white people getting a sun tan.”

What do you guys think of skin bleaching?

Hit me on twitter @misslioness6 and tell me what you think or leave it below.