Yet again, Pakistan is under the limelight for something we aren’t proud of, nor should ever be. This time, it is the fairness cream industry that has put us to shame. The usage of skin lightening and whitening creams has been a trend since as long as one can remember. Some companies are making millions, capitalizing on these creams which cause cancer, diabetes, severe skin conditions and other diseases. Many recent revelations have proved how harmful these products are, and the recent one is by BBC.
BBC exposed how creams that are being sold regularly in Pakistan and are also being advertised during prime time on national television are indeed very harmful. These creams include poisonous chemicals like hydroquinone and mercury which can causes organ failure and cancer. And guess what, among the list of illegal skin whitening creams are some Pakistani brands such as Golden Pearl, Faiza Beauty Cream (yes shame on you Poonia Brothers) and the oh-so-popular since Dadi ka zamana, Stillman’s Cream. The most disgusting thing is that these companies in their ads claim to have been voted as the number 1 beauty product.
This issue was bought in attention after 15 shops were caught by the London Trading Standard for selling whitening creams, and were fined on average 11,000 pounds each. Some shop owners were even given suspended jail sentences.
“The courts are looking at this as a criminal activity as it is poisoning someone for profit,” said says Cenred Elworthy in the video. “It’s not the kind of activity where people can think they can run a legitimate business and sell these kinds of products.”
These companies are not only slowly destroying our lives; they are also humiliating us in front of other countries. Dear Government of Pakistan, it is about time that priority should be made compulsory towards maintaining quality standards for such beauty products. In fact, there should be strict laws for companies who manufacture goods that are directly used by humans. We hope they get banned in Pakistan too so many girls get untreatable skin infections that result in permanent scars and we as a society need to change our opinions so that sale cancerous products decreases. As for the ones who want a Gori Bahu, may God help you.
Kluchit Staff
Amna Sajjad
