How is it we still accept to be sold cancer in jars?

How many women, keen on achieving that perfect complexion and trusting the beauty shop, are still being convinced to buy cosmetic concoctions only more dangerous than helpful? wonders Christine Wanjiru Wanjala

“I can make for you a mix for your face. It is going to work to brighten your complexion and smoothen it, “A promise every woman wants to hear and the sales girl at the beauty shop, one of those high end ones scattered in the city centre, knew this when trying to sell me her wonder face creams.

I was curious on what was contained in that concoction, and Ms Salesgirl listed several creams, lotions and tubes which made this wonder-mix. Now mixing several products wouldn’t be the worst crime committed by the beauty industry and even if the doctor or some other learned folk may have something to say about combining the different active ingredients in the various lotions, there shouldn’t be something life threatening. Except that on that list were two or three medicinal tubes, the type that you only use with a prescription and I am pretty sure only for the period you have a diagnosed skin affliction.

“To have it in a cream you are supposed to use daily” did not make any sense, not to mention it could be dangerous and I did not hesitate to point this out. Miss Sales Lady, after a long suffering sigh, explained that the magic of the whole mix lay in these ingredients. And several other substances that I suspect contain hydroquinone or mercury.

Now, I must admit there was a bit of my world famous “you are dead to me look”, for implying my skin is not smooth or bright enough (like the next woman, even if it is not I do not want to hear it). For trying to sell me cancer in a jar ,I had no words, especially when I thought how many other gullible women, keen on achieving that perfect complexion and trusting the beauty shop, have bought the cream. That this unscrupulous saleslady has the guts to do her pitch means she gets away with it and that because there are several women seeking the very solutions she offers health implications notwithstanding.

And that therein is the tragedy: That even today learned exposed women are looking for the light complexion. I should think we should all have swallowed enough of the accept yourself gospel and realised there is a reason each of our complexion is the way it is.Why should a woman mix up things she has probably no knowledge about in the name of selling a wonder mix and even more puzzling, why does a woman, of right mind and body not only buy but use this potentially hazardous mix?

It is really sad that despite a lot of talk on the dangers of the active ingredients in most skin lightening products, the battle is not yet won, if anything the frontier has just moved from the low end street shops down town to high end shops in the form of concoctions without labels!