WOMEN’S KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES REGARDING VOLUNTARY COSMETIC SKIN LIGHTENING: THE CASE OF THE MARKETS IN LIBREVILLE

Introduction: Voluntary cosmetic artificial depigmentation (VCAD) is a practice that aims to lighten the skin using depigmenting substances (DS). Understanding the motivations of certain women to engage in artificial depigmentation led us to conduct this study, the purpose of which was to assess women’s level of knowledge and practice regarding artificial depigmentation (AD).
Materials and methods: Our study was conducted in Libreville. The following markets served as the setting for our study: the Mont-Bouet Market, the Nkembo Market, the Akébé Market, the Petit Dubaï Market, the Oloumi Market, and the Nzeng-Ayong Market. This was a prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted over a 4-week period from Monday, April 13, to Sunday, May 3, 2026. We included female customers and female vendors who frequented these markets in our study. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire, entered into Microsoft Word, and analyzed using EpiInfo version 7.2. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to the study.
Results: Out of a total of 200 women, 28 used skin-lightening products, representing 14% of the study population. The 26- to 40-year-old age group accounted for the majority of skin-lightening product users (n=15; 53.57%). Single women were in the majority (n=18; 64.29%). Half of the women using skin-lightening products had a high school or college education (n=14; 50%). The majority of women had a good understanding of the definition of VCAD (n=184; 92%); among this group, the primary motivation was the desire to please others (n=140; 70%). Regarding knowledge of the complications of VCAD, the majority of women cited skin cancer (n=197; 98.5%), followed by skin infections (n=45; 22.5%). Among the 200 women, a significant proportion were unaware of depigmenting products (n=66; 33%), the most commonly cited products were topical corticosteroids (n=88; 44%) and hydroquinone (n=30; 15%). Most of the 28 women who used depigmenting products purchased them at markets (n=10; 35.71%). The most common monthly spending range among female users was less than 10,000 FCFA (n=15; 53.58%). The reasons these women gave for continuing to use VCAD were changes in skin color after stopping the use of depigmenting products (n=19; 67.86%). The most commonly used skin-lightening products were primarily fruit acids (n=16; 57.14%) and artisanal skin-lightening creams and soaps with no listed active ingredients (n=7; 25%).
Conclusion: Artificial depigmentation remains a major public health problem among young African women; fruit acids are the most commonly used, followed by hydroquinone and topical corticosteroids. Skin complications continue to occur.