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Skin lightening creams have been around for decades and the dangers they pose have long been known about. Yet millions of African women still use them as beauty products. Sarah Britten is a South African writer and lipstick artist. Sede Alonge is a Nigerian writer, photographer and lawyer – she feels that not all African women believe 'black is beautiful', and that's OK. First, a 1976 song about the perils of skin lightening from the late Fela Kuti, who coined the phrase 'yellow fever' for the impact the creams have on black skin. (photo: Getty Images)
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