In Ghana's Makola Market, endless shops and stalls had walls filled with potions dedicated to skin lightening. The “why” goes back centuries, and says much about the searing effects of colonization that lingers today.
The numerous skin-whitening products, as well as the advertising for them (here, in Accra, Ghana), send conflicting messages about identity, beauty and social standing in West Africa. Credit Jane Hahn for The New York Times

In the Makola Market here, endless shops and stalls had walls filled with potions dedicated to the lightening of skin. There is Ultra Fair Super Whitenizer by Caring Chemistry promising “restorative ultrafast action whitening” and Grace White 100% Double Action Whitening Body Lotion by Grace White Cosmetique that even features helpful before-and-after photos; the “before” photo is a light-brown pair of legs, crossed, while the “after” shot shows white legs.

Extracts from a New York Times article (original). Published 26 November 2016.