#RealBleachers: Black Women’s Knowledge of Skin Whitening Risks

Abstract

Skin whitening, or also referred to as bleaching or lightening, is a skin regiment that works to reduce pigmentation in the skin, to commonly treat skin issues like discoloration, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, age spots, or whiten naturally dark skin. The purpose of this study was to understand Black women’s knowledge and how they communicate about health impacts of skin whitening, providing insight into users’ health literacy of skin whitening products and use, based on levels of knowledge of ingredients in products. An autoethnographic approach, triangulated with in-depth interviews, and field and participant observations, reveal what Black women know about, and how Black women use skin whitening products; how Black women conceptualize the risks relative to the knowledge of products content and potential impacts, and strategies of communication that could enhance health literacy.