In a study by Olaolu Oyinlola Bilewu and colleagues (2025) uncover the deep social and psychological forces driving skin-lightening practices among young adults in Ilorin West, Nigeria.
After surveying 450 participants (aged 18–27), the researchers found that 65.3 % actively use skin-lightening products, mainly young, single, female students with secondary-school education. The dominant motivation was to balance skin tone or lighten dark spots, while only 22.9% were aware of the long-term risks of hydroquinone and mercury exposure

Key Take-Home Points

  • High prevalence: Two-thirds of respondents reported current use of skin-lightening creams or soaps.
  • Health impacts: Adverse effects such as skin irritation (37.8 %), burning (20 %), and hyperpigmentation (25.3 %) were common.
  • Cultural and economic pressures: Societal beauty ideals, affordability, and ethnic identity were major predictors: Hausa participants showed the highest prevalence (73.5 %).
  • Media influence: 75.8 % admitted that advertising played a “significant role” in shaping their choices.
  • Awareness gap: Those unaware of risks were 2.4 times more likely to continue use (OR = 2.4, p < 0.001).

 Policy Narrative

The study underscores an urgent need for multi-sectoral public-health interventions to counter the normalization of skin-lightening.
Policymakers and health authorities should:

  1. Ban or strictly regulate mercury, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids in cosmetics.
  2. Mandate ingredient labeling and strengthen market surveillance.
  3. Launch #LoveYourSkin awareness campaigns in schools and social media to reshape beauty ideals.
  4. Partner with religious and community leaders to promote self-acceptance.
  5. Support mental-health and counseling programs addressing colorism and body-image anxiety.

This work advances a critical public-health conversation: beauty standards are not merely aesthetic: they are determinants of health, equity, and dignity.
By shifting from “lighter is better” to “healthy is beautiful,” Nigeria can protect its youth from the toxic and psychological harms of colorism.

Excerpts from:

Bilewu, O. O., Raimi, M. O., Adegboyegba, O., Taiye, I., Sulayman, S. B., & Alake, I. D. (2025). Skin Lightening Among Young Adults in Ilorin West, Nigeria: Health Risks, Societal Pressures, and the Pursuit of Fairness. Global Journal for Environmental Science and Sustainability, 2 (1), 37–54. https://doi.org/10.69798/59168711

 

 

 

About the Writer

Aishat Funmilayo Abdulraheem is a sociologist and public-health researcher who examines how social and environmental determinants such as education, transportation, and community structure shape health outcomes in Nigeria. She has several scholarly contributions to her credit and is passionate about using data-driven, collaborative approaches to advocate for sustainable and equitable health systems in diverse settings.