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The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Thursday briefing: How the colonial legacy has created a toxic beauty industry
Good morning. The slogan 'black is beautiful' rang out from civil rights marches in the US and UK during the 1960s and echoed through liberation struggles across the global south. It became a rallying cry against racist beauty standards that had long cast Black skin, facial features and hair as undesirable. These movements urged pride in what had been denigrated for centuries, and their message was not limited to people of African or Caribbean heritage. Calls to embrace natural beauty resonated across Asia and much of the global south, directly challenging the colonial belief that lighter skin conferred greater worth. Yet decades later, that belief seems to endure. Across the world, women of colour continue to use skin-lightening creams, many laced with toxic ingredients, in the hope of meeting beauty ideals shaped by colourism. Now, we are learning that the results are becoming even more devastating. For the first time, medical journals have reported rising cases of cancers among women of colour using skin-lightening products. The industry, now worth US$10.7bn (£8bn), is expected to grow to US$18.1bn by 2033. Some reports even describe these products being used on babies and young children. To understand why skin‑lightening creams remain so prevalent, and what can be done to end their appeal, I spoke to Prof Ncoza Dlova, head of dermatology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. That's after the headlines. Ukraine | Donald Trump told European leaders on Wednesday he would be seeking a ceasefire in Ukraine at his summit with Vladimir Putin on Friday and gave reassurances that he would not make any territorial concessions without Kyiv's full involvement. UK news | David Lammy has referred himself to the environment watchdog after going fishing with JD Vance without the required licence during the US vice-president's trip to the UK. Immigration | At least 20 people have died after a boat capsized off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, a United Nations agency and local media reported on Wednesday. UK politics | Keir Starmer is to formally revive Northern Powerhouse Rail this autumn with an announcement expected before the Labour conference. Palestine | The United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied territories has warned that moves to recognise a Palestinian state should not distract member states from stopping mass death and starvation in Gaza. Recently, a patient walked into Ncoza Dlova's clinical office in need of support. She had dark-coloured pigmentations, known as ochronosis, and stretch marks on her face and neck. The marks were as a result of a skin-lightening cream she had used for three years. When Dlova asked why she used the cream, she told her that she wanted to look like a friend she felt was more beautiful. Patients like this are now a daily occurrence for Dlova. 'I said 'I feel sorry about your situation, but unfortunately, I have to be realistic with you: there's nothing I can do to reverse your skin and make it look like it was before',' Dlova remembers. 'There was a clear contrast between the face and the hand, with the hand being much darker and the face being much lighter. And then she broke down there and cried. I told her, I know this is painful, but now what I can offer you is using sunscreens to protect your skin from getting worse, or even getting skin cancers.' The Guardian's global health correspondent, Kat Lay, reported last month on a string of cases of women dying from cancer after using these products for several decades. Dlova and colleagues are now working on a paper that cites more than 55 cancer cases, from countries including Mali and Senegal. 'People don't know the complications and side-effects. The patients I see who have side-effects regret it, and say they wish they'd known,' Dlova says. When did this become an issue? The use of these creams isn't a new phenomenon. Reports of African women using skin-lightening creams and suffering harmful effects began emerging as early as the 1970s. At the time, these products often contained mercury as the bleaching agent, but their use was banned in South Africa in 1975 due to the risk of brain and skin damage. Manufacturers switched to using hydroquinone instead. But in 1975, a professor at Pretoria University, George Findlay, wrote about the harms of hydroquinone in the British Journal of Dermatology. He explained that while the chemical initially lightens the skin, it later makes it rough with dark lumps that can turn into abscesses and ulcers. These effects seem to be accelerated by exposure to the sun, making them particularly dangerous for individuals who use them in African countries. Dlova tells me this paper was groundbreaking and led to bans in other countries such as Rwanda and Ghana. But their use continues today due to weak regulation, while other companies are now using steroids in skin-lightening cream. What are the side-effects? The melanin found in darker skin typically is known to offer some protection against sun damage (though people of colour should still wear sunscreen). Skin-lightening products work by removing the melanin and therefore this layer of protection, and can make some people look lighter, but they come with a whole set of complications. The combination of hydroquinone and steroids can be particularly dangerous. 'The immediate complication is the thinning of the skin, where you find that a person can't use any products. Whatever they use on the skin, it stings and it burns because the upper layer has been thinned. And then there's also fungal infections, which are common, because some of the steroids also are immunosuppressants,' Dlova says. 'You can also get steroid-induced acne or rosacea. And some patients, if they're using steroids, get excessive hair where they are using their products. There's stretch marks, because of the damage in collagens, and irreversible pigmentation, such as ochronosis.' The other side-effect increasingly raising alarm? Skin cancer. The huge problem is that many women are simply unaware. A study Dlova recently carried out, of 700 women, found that 30% were using skin bleaching creams. And of those who were using the products, 90% of them didn't know about the side-effects. Is this just affecting African women? The overwhelming majority of Dlova's patients are women, though she does see some men. The reasons why are complex. 'It's psychosocial, political, historical, but colonisation is at the root of it. Being lighter is seen as superior,' she says. Research has found that lighter-skinned women often face shorter prison sentences, are seen as more intelligent in job interviews, and have greater career and dating prospects than their darker-skinned peers. 'There's so much pressure for darker-skinned women to change their skin colour,' Dlova adds. Just how much women are affected is still hard to say due to a lack of data. Across African countries, estimates in studies of its usage range from 25% to 80% of women. But Dlova was keen to point out that the use of skin-lightening products affects countries across the globe. 'This is not exclusively an African issue. It's a global phenomenon. It's as common in South Africa as it is in India,' Dlova says, 'We know about the caste system in India and we know about colonisation there and in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand. In all those countries, skin bleaching is pervasive. Even in South America. 'It's important to highlight that, because sometimes people say, 'Why are Africans changing their skin colour?' No, it's everyone who's Black or darker-skinned trying to be white because of colonisation.' How can we stop it? When a number of African countries banned hydroquinone, there was a slight reduction in the marketing of these products. But that's changed in the past decade because of social media, Dlova says. Now, a growing number of beauty influencers on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook promote these products with a simple message of personal transformation, while their toxic ingredients are rarely acknowledged. Dlova believes regulation alone is not enough to push back on this worrying trend. She has called for public health campaigns to explain the immediate and long-term risks of using these products, as well as addressing colourism and colonial legacies. Dlova is part of a global working group set up by the International League of Dermatological Societies to address skin lightening. She explains that the group includes dermatologists from across the world, including Japan, Korea, the Philippines, India, South America, Africa, Europe and the US. It also brings together anthropologists, historians, psychologists, community workers and patients. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Her hope is that by involving people from many disciplines and regions, they can develop a multi-pronged approach to the issue. 'We just need to look at examples of advocacy that have been successful in the past, such as smoking, HIV, and see how they did it. It has to be sustained and continuous, not just a one-off. It must go on so that people become used to it and they know.' Of this campaign, she said: 'It's something very close to my heart when I see these patients, some of whom are depressed or suicidal because they realise the damage from the products is permanent. It hurts me to see, it's very painful.' Since the blockade Israel forced upon Gaza in early March medical evacuations have slowed. This is a devastating account of the children waiting for treatment abroad. Saranka Maheswaran, newsletters team National police guidance will now include the ethnicity, and potentially the immigration status, of police suspects. The academic Nasar Meer makes a powerful argument as to why it's a huge misstep. Aamna From Celine Song, director of the much-loved Past Lives, comes the Materialists. Peter Bradshaw reviews the film that prods at the debate of whether we marry for love or money, and if we can do both. Saranka I chuckled my way through this piece by Joe Stone on how he tried to cut down his screen time, but ended up replacing one obsession (looking at his phone) for another (not looking at it). Aamna A great bit of investigative work showing millions of litres of oil are seeping into UK soil from underground power cables. Yet more evidence of our crumbling energy infrastructure and another environmental headache. Phoebe Football | Newcastle are close to signing Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa for £40m after resisting competition from West Ham for the versatile 24-year-old midfielder. Tennis | Venus Williams will make her return to grand slam singles at the US Open after a two-year absence. At age 45, Williams will be the oldest singles entrant at the tournament since Renee Richards played there aged 47 in 1981. Football | Marcus Rashford has offered a withering assessment of Manchester United's decline, claiming a lack of identity since Sir Alex Ferguson retired has marooned the club in 'no man's land'. The Guardian leads with 'Trump warns Putin faces 'severe consequences' if no truce agreed'. The Financial Times takes a similar line: 'Trump warns 'severe consequences' will follow if Putin refuses to end war'. The Times says 'Trump in warning to Putin on eve of talks', while the Telegraph reports 'Trump to offer Putin minerals for peace'. The i has 'Protect Ukraine from 'bluffing' Putin, Zelensky urges Trump'. The Daily Mail leads on 'BBC climbs down over 'xenophobe' slur on top Tory'. The Mirror reports 'Arena bomber's brother on 3 murder bid charges'. Finally, the Sun has 'Gun plot link to £64m Arsenal deal.' How Israel used Microsoft technology to spy on Palestinians Harry Davies on how Microsoft's cloud was used to facilitate mass surveillance of Palestinians. A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad Natural England is celebrating the comeback of 150 previously struggling species, including the return of the Duke of Burgundy butterfly. A series of targeted conservation projects have facilitated this recovery and demonstrated how a 'joined up, collaborative approach' can spell success for conservation. Celebrations will take place at Brandon Marsh nature reserve, which has returned to hosting the Eurasian bittern, a wading bird which has found a renewed home in habitats of deep pools and reedbeds produced by the programme. The work done by Natural England has set a positive precedent for further recovery of rare species. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Science: Walking for your heart, black carbon underestimated
Is walking backwards really the key to fast-forwarding your fitness? Photo: 123rf Science correspondent Laurie Winkless joins Susie with three new studies. The first has found that taking more steps - even below the recommended 10,000 target - and increasing your walking pace are associated with reducing your risk of a heart event or stroke. Black carbon emissions in the 'global south' are almost 40 percent higher than previously reported. And researchers in Japan have developed the strongest underwater adhesive hydrogel to date. Laurie Winkless is a physicist and science writer
National Post
12-08-2025
- Business
- National Post
500 Global Launches Sustainable Innovation Program Backed by Catalytic Partners
Article content The initiative, anchored by the Shell Foundation, aims to create a network of resources that support founders building sustainable solutions in key markets across the global south Article content SAN FRANCISCO — 500 Global, one of the world's most active venture capital firms 1, announced today the launch of its Sustainable Innovation Program, an initiative designed to support mission-driven founders building commercially viable solutions to sustainability challenges across the global south. Article content Rooted in the belief that the next generation of global growth will be driven by sustainable, inclusive innovation rooted in local leadership, the Sustainable Innovation Program brings together strategic capital, multilateral partnerships, and deep domain expertise to help entrepreneurs scale ventures that deliver both market returns and measurable impact. Article content Their catalytic partner is the Shell Foundation, with co-funding from the UK Government as part of its Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform and Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE) programme. This is the first of these partnerships focused on investing in human capital across agriculture, energy, mobility, and the built environment. Article content ' Article content Through our Sustainable Innovation Program we are supporting commercially viable solutions to critical challenges. We are backing founders who are building businesses that strengthen their communities and scale real impact. Our goal is to support these founders, and our partners, in our shared ambition to create, solve, scale, and sustain inclusive, regenerative societies, to embed values into value creation, and to leverage new partnerships that reshape both regional and global ecosystems for good, Article content ' Article content said Dr. Alaa Murabit, Managing Partner, Sustainable Growth, 500 Global Article content The initiative launches with the Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator in Nairobi—an intensive 8-week program for seed-stage startups across Africa. 500 Global will provide participating startups with mentorship and a global network of partners, investors, and operators. Article content 500 Global has been committed to ecosystem development and invested in individuals through entrepreneurship and investor education since 2010. They were embedded early across Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North African regions, developing their investment thesis so that by creating localized infrastructure, they may address local challenges and scale those solutions globally. Across their portfolio they have already invested in 140+ companies whose business positively impacts sustainability goals across 27 countries. Article content With the Sustainable Innovation Program, their accelerator in Nairobi is just the beginning. The true opportunity is within the initiative's potential to mobilize mission-aligned capital and drive venture development across nascent and emerging ecosystems throughout the global south, creating lasting impact at scale. Article content 'Partnering with proven investors like 500 Global is a critical element in Shell Foundation's vision of scaling clean solutions to reach millions of customers in emerging economies. Supporting and scaling technologies that are commercial and sustainable will increase incomes while lowering emissions for millions of under-served customers. We're proud to be early partners in what we hope will be a network of sustainable innovation across the global south, Article content ' Article content said Jonathan Berman, CEO of the Shell Foundation. Article content Apply to the Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator in Nairobi here. Article content About 500 Global Article content 500 Global Article content 2 Article content that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. We focus on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth and development. We work closely with key stakeholders and advise governments on how best to support entrepreneurial ecosystems and economic development in emerging markets. 500 Global has backed over 5,000 founders representing more than 3,000 companies operating in 80+ countries. We have invested in more than 35+ companies valued at over $1 billion and 160+ companies valued at over $100 million (including private, public, and exited companies). Our 200+ team members are located in more than 30 countries and bring experience as entrepreneurs, investors, and operators from some of the world's leading technology companies. Article content About Shell Foundation Article content For 25 years, Shell Foundation, an independent charity registered in England and Wales, has empowered underserved customers to raise their incomes while lowering emissions. The Foundation supports early-stage innovations; helps the best of them to reach millions of people; and de-risks capital to prove those models are commercial at scale. Across Asia and Africa, the Foundation enables resilient prosperity among three core groups of people: smallholder farmers, transporters, and micro-entrepreneurs. Article content Find more at THE CONTENT IN THIS PRESS RELEASE IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. 500 GLOBAL MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS AS TO THE ACCURACY OR INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN AND WHILE 500 GLOBAL HAS TAKEN REASONABLE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE, NO LIABILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY ERROR OR OMISSIONS. UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE, ANY PREDICTIONS, FORECASTS, CONCLUSIONS, VIEWS OR OPINIONS EXPRESSED REPRESENT THE CURRENT VIEW AND THINKING OF 500 GLOBAL WITH REGARD TO THE SUBJECT MATTER THEREIN BASED ON INTERNAL DATA AGGREGATED ACROSS ALL 500 GLOBAL FUNDS AS OF OCTOBER 23, 2024 AND/OR ANALYSIS WHICH HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED, AND WHICH IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. Article content UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANY OF THE CONTENT IN THIS PRESS RELEASE BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL, TAX OR INVESTMENT ADVICE FROM 500 GLOBAL OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES. 500 GLOBAL DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY FUTURE RESULTS FOR ANY DECISIONS MADE BASED IN WHOLE OR IN PART ON THE CONTENT OR INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ALL READERS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN COUNSEL, ACCOUNTANT OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PRESS RELEASE. 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