Ghana to ban skin bleaching cosmetics in 2016

Head of Communications at the FDA, James
Lartey, who disclosed this at a public forum in Ho, noted that his outfit currently permits
products that contain up to 2 percent
hydroquinone into the Ghanaian market.
He however noted that from August 2016,
such products will not be permitted based on a
new regulation set by the Ghana Standard Authority.
“Concerning skin lightening products, we are
saying that from August 2016, all products
containing hydroquinone will not be allowed into
the country. From 2016 the acceptance for
skin lightening products is going to be zero,” Mr. Lartey.
Hydroquinone products are marketed for their
skin-lightening properties in Asian and African
cosmetics markets, according to the U.S Food
and Drugs Administration.
But a research conducted revealed that hydroquinone may act as a carcinogen or
cancer-causing chemical, hence its ban in the
European Union, Japan, Australia,the
U.S, a couple of years ago and also
In some African countries like Ivory coast.