The harmful practice of skin-bleaching remains a serious issue across Caribbean, African, and Asian countries; but fortunately, one country is doing something about it. The West African nation of Ghana has taken a stand against the multi-billion dollar skin-bleaching industry with a new daring piece of legislation.

According to Answers Africa , the Food and Drugs Authority of Ghana has issued a ban on the importation of all products which contain the skin-lightening chemical hydroquinone. Hydroquinone, found in popular products like Fair & Lovely, has been known to cause side effects like skin irritation, blistering, and severe discoloration. It's also been suggested that skin-lightening products have the potential to cause skin cancer.