depigmenting products: Soon banned from sale in Benin

The Beninese authorities announce strong measures against the sale of cosmetic products, in particular those used by certain people to change the color of their skin. Guest last week on a private radio station, the head of the legal and litigation unit of the Beninese Agency for Pharmaceutical Regulation (ABRP) unveiled the conditions for now claiming to market cosmetic products in Benin.

In his intervention, Nicolas Sodabi indicated that the sale and distribution of cosmetic products are now carried out in accordance with a prior procedure in this area.. It is in fact a marketing authorization issued by the Beninese Agency for Pharmaceutical Regulation (ABRP). The other possibility available to the person authorized to distribute or sell these products is that they must have a derogation granted by the structure following a special import authorization procedure in accordance with the ministerial decree dated 18 January 2022. Construction of the high school, products used for depigmentation will not be authorized according to the explanations of the head of the legal and litigation unit of the ABRP. “Depigmenting products will not be authorized because it is a public health problem. The decree of the Minister of Health dated 18 January 2022 is not aimed exclusively at depigmentation. But depigmentation is part of cosmetic products… », he clarifies before adding that “When issuing the marketing authorization, that we will see that there is a substance in it which will allow depigmentation and prohibit authorization ". This means that addicts to skin-lightening products will no longer have the possibility of doing so with regard to this measure by the authorities.. And this is in their health interest.

Consequences of depigmentation

Voluntarily lightening your skin is also a necessity for a frank of the Beninese population men and women, young girls and young men. Depigmentation, although it has consequences on the skin of the latter, is far from being banned from their aesthetic practices.. According to Professor Dieng Mame Thierno "Besides aesthetic complications, there are life-threatening complications, foremost among which are infections that kill quickly by septic shock”, he says, adding that "the most frequent and serious infections are bacterial dermo-hypodermitis". Besides these consequences, it must be said that depigmentation leads in some people to premature aging of the skin, this is much remarkable because of the wrinkles and creases on their bodies. Depigmentation is also according to some disease specialists like : l’hypertension, diabetes, different forms of skin cancer, kidney failure, disruption of the menstrual cycle in women… These consequences are not observed immediately but after a long period of practice of depigmentation. As for the possibility of a return to normal, Doctor Andonaba confided in an interview published by the site santetropicale.com "that stopping in time can avoid certain distant consequences and minimize the sequelae already installed on the skin". Enthusiasts of this practice are therefore warned.

Edmond HOUESSIKINDE