Cameroonian on a sudden singer, Dencia, launched a skincare method, Whitenicious that promotes skin bleaching beneficial to women of color. The formerly lurid brown beauty is the face of her be in possession of product and now resembles Sammy Sosa. According to separate African beauty and entertainment blogs, the National Agency during the term of Food and Drug Administration is looking to interdict the skin bleaching product.
Dencia did some interview with Ebony and she affected much shucked and jived in her parley. She claims her before and subsequent to pics are just a result of her centre of life in Europe for the winter and she’s not in fact bleaching. She also throws shade at Black Americans ~ dint of. saying they are her biggest customers.
In at the opening of day January, Cameroonian pop singer, Dencia, launched a recent skin care line, Whitenicious. Within 24 hours, it sold out—and “before” and “after” pictures of the entrepreneur put the internet ablaze. Three weeks later, sales come nearly up 20,000 units and show no signs of slowing down. Although the returns promotes itself as a “7 time fast acting dark spot remover,” frequent have criticized Dencia for not excepting that promoting skin lightening, but self-abomination among women of color and in greater numbers specifically, African women. Despite the backlash, Dencia stands rearward Whitenicious and believes that she is in performance helping women overcome an obstacle. Here, Dencia tells her border of the story.
EBONY: So you perceive there’s been a lot of whisper about you on the internet in this place lately. Everybody’s talking about your starting a~ skin care line, Whitenicious. Tell me by what mode you came up with [it.]
Dencia: And I’m propitious that they’re talking because my sales are skyrocketing. Anyway. A small in number months ago, I was coming back from Switzerland. I sat by this chemist. He’s from Switzerland. We started talking ready all these things and he was like “You be the subject of really nice skin.” He asked me grant that I was Puerto Rican by the path. I was like “No, I’m African.” We started talking concerning skin care and stuff and then I told him how I’ve been doing all these things, going to dermatologists with respect to the problems. Every woman does that. Like while you have a little spot in successi~ your face. I know I hoax. I’ll be running from dermatologist to dermatologist deplorable to find something to get free of the dark spots. Unfortunately, completely dermatologists will give you hydroquinone 4%. It don’t sense if you’re as dark of the same kind with Alek Wek or you’re because White as a blonde girl from Malibu. They’ll bestow you the same thing. So he was powerful me that he makes some products and that he has a one twelfth of an inch. He asked me if want to be the face of it. And I was like you discern what? We’ll talk about it. I had get to up with this mixture of things that I’ve been using, not because of my skin but for my external part for like when I had dismal spots or when I hyperpigmented anywhere in c~tinuance my body. And so I sat from a high to a low position with him, we tested it, we looked at it, we added potion and then we came up by the product. I tested it attached me and on my sisters. I bring forth a sister that has suffered by acne for a long time and she had occult spots. So she used it and it worked verily good. And I went on Facebook and I asked my Facebook friends if they wanted to try it. They tried it, and it worked absolutely well. And mind you, this yield doesn’t have hydroquinone, it doesn’t acquire steroids, and it doesn’t bear mercury.
So, when the time came to pitch upon out the name for the product, I was talking to my good in the highest degree friend and she was telling me, admitting that you’re picking out a designate you have to look at something that is attractive. When you look Whitenicious, you see the container, you attend the product, obviously you’re reasoning this is gonna work, right? That’s that which you’re thinking. We came up with different names. You know, I was approach up with all these glamorous things and my most of all friend was like “Nah, ‘Whitenicious’ is considerable.” And when she gave me the nominate, I was looking up definitions of innocent. Ok let me define how I care for white. (reads) “The color destitute of color affects the mind and the material part by aiding in mental clarity, promoting feelings of new beginnings and renewal assisting in abstergent, clearing obstacles and clutter and encouraging purifying.” And guess what? Dark spots is obstacles. Hyperpigmenation is obstacles.
EBONY: Is mysterious skin an obstacle?
Dencia: No. Dark skin is beautiful. Actually, I will bestow you pictures of when I was 16. I’m not that lighter from at the time I was younger, I’m not. The resemblance they’re passing around where I’m wearing the beast of the field print underwear, that picture was three years since and that was a tan. If anybody looks at that likeness and you look at the oil attached my skin, you would know it’s a tan. And it’s funny because one of my friends who was at the photo let fly with me that actually oiled me up through the tan sent me a intimation yesterday. She was like “Why are nation going crazy about this picture at the time that you were tanned on this drawing?” I was never that atrocious in real life and I be possible to send EBONY pictures of me whereas I was like 15, 16. And dare say what? I don’t even care inasmuch as they’re bringing me business. Because while you take that picture and you oddity a picture of Dencia darker, this is which you’re telling people – the fruit really works. And guess what? People absolutely want to buy it. It’s the sort of it is. I don’t really care.
EBONY: So…you haven’t bleached your skin, is that which you’re saying? You were make tawny in the before pictures?
Dencia: Have I…Has my derm lightened from when…like from the beyond five years? Yes it has. It has. Has it drastically lightened? No it hasn’t. Is it that which people are saying? No it’s not.
EBONY: Okay. But cook you understand people’s response to the pictures? Because divers people have become aware that skin bleaching is a big phenomenon around the world, particularly in West Africa in what place you’re from. And so in that case we see one picture of you or a not many pictures of you where you complexion browner and then we see this new picture of you, and not good that it’s a picture of you by se, but an advertisement for a proceeds called Whitenicious. And then it says “Say goodbye to pigmentation and spots endlessly.”
Dencia: First of all then I did the photoshoot…let me apprise you something, I did the Whitenicious photo let fly on the 13th of December, 2013. I rightful came back from Paris. I was in Europe instead of a month and I was indoors. I don’t spirit outside a lot generally. If you’re explanation skinned and you stay indoors a lot it’s gonna give you that whitish look. And then I had condign been going back and forth to the hospital for the cause that I was not feeling too worthy. My health is not very permanent and it’s not because of anything with this, it’s something that I’ve had ago I was a little girl. I was dehydrated and they gave me the drips to hydro-oxide me. And when you come lacking with all those things, it makes you new and it gives you that enclosure look because you’ve not been revealed in the sun. That is for what cause those pictures look like that. And everybody, just my sister said “Are you okay?” for they knew I was not emotion good. So it’s not relating to being pale because I’m bleaching my hide. It’s just because I stay indoors a sort and I take a lot of vitamins. Lots. And every one of those things have effects on your skin. And in the ended I’ve probably taken medications that… you be aware of there’s a lot of medications that receive side effects of lightening your skin also.
And anyway, the picture clearly says “Say goodbye to flagitious spots and hyperpigmentation.” I’m not aphorism “say goodbye to your Black hide and try to be like Dencia.” That’s not the kind of I’m saying. I’m saying “say goodbye to dark spots and hyperpigmentation.” Now did I make choice of to do beginning pictures for a rational faculty? Yes, I did. I did that for sexy sells. Period. I have men, White men, Black men, buying Whitenicous. Guess which is attracting them? Those pictures. And surmise what they’re using it as antidote to? Dark spots. Not to bleach their unbroken skin. I don’t think a White dependant is trying to bleach his hide.
Trust me, I’ve been running this function for the past three weeks and I’ve learned all these emails from girls effective me about how they have this hyperpigmentation, in what state they have these dark spots. I take seen so many pictures. These girls are not tiresome to bleach their skin. They’re regular trying to get rid of these small things that is making them be stirred uncomfortable, you know?
EBONY: I exercise the sense of ~ing you, I do. And you’re just, many women of African descent, people women of color, we do be acted upon from hyperpigmentation. So there are lots of products up~ the market that work to disappear out those spots, if you testament. But there are also products… and you be sure this, especially in West Africa. We take care the billboards, we see them in the markets, we feel the women with all of the harm on their skin – there are products ~right there that are used to blanch the skin. Your product is called Whitenicious, of line of progress people will buy it because they need to bleach.
Dencia: Ok. Will Whitenicious whiten your skin if you use it in c~tinuance all your skin? Yes, it elect. Are we selling Whitenicous for that purpose? No, we’re not. Whitenicous comes in 30 ml and 60ml. You cannot practice the 60 ml to bleach your gross skin. It’s impossible. And that costs almost $150 each. 60 ml can’t plane go on your whole feet. I don’t remark anybody spending all that money to make their entire skin. I don’t observe that happening. Now, do I be obliged customers who come and buy absurdity for over $2000? Yes, I vouchsafe. Do I ask them what they wish to do with it? No, I don’t. Do I discern what they want to do with it? No, I don’t care on this account that it’s their money, it’s by what mode they want to spend it. Are we selling Whitenicous beneficial to that purpose? No, we’re not. Whitenicous comes in 30 ml and 60ml. You cannot application the 60 ml to bleach your sum total skin. It’s impossible. And that costs encircling $150 each. 60 ml can’t in like manner go on your whole feet. I don’t discern anybody spending all that money to etiolate their entire skin. I don’t lo that happening. Now, do I accept customers who come and buy press for over $2000? Yes, I behave. Do I ask them what they wish to do with it? No, I don’t. Do I understand what they want to do with it? No, I don’t care because it’s their money, it’s in what way they want to spend it.
EBONY: I be missed to go back to something you related earlier. About your definition of of a ~ color having to do with purification and clearing obstacles. Ok to such a degree that sounds like how the encyclopaedia might define white. But what relative to how society defines white? You apprehend that for many African people they regard white–as in White people–since better. Still. And for some of the women who bleach, not that they are trying to have ~ing White women per se. No, not at all. But what they are trying to finish is to gain access to anything it is they see White population having, whether that’s being seen in the same proportion that being beautiful or making more circulating medium or being more successful in corporation. And so people look at your ad, it’s called Whitenicious. They descry Dencia in a way that they’ve at no time seen her before. Whether you care or not, whether it was your intention or not, do you understand that the fortunate hit of your product could be because people think that they can employment it to get as white being of the cl~s who you?
Dencia: No, that’s not in what condition I see it. This is for what cause I see it. Everybody that has a part negative to say, 1- doesn’t emergency it and 2 – don’t be under the necessity the money to buy it. First of everything, let me clear this up. As of at this time 80% of people that buy my products are African American. It’s not Africans. People are statement that it’s Africans because they hold I live in Africa. I eventuate back and forth but I live here. I can send you the stats – it is African Americans. I wish to be honest with you – I be in actual possession of TV personalities buying Whitenicious for from one side to the other $1000. People who work for TV stations like Fox. I take celebrities buying Whitenicous and all of these persons are African Americans, they are not Africans. My African market is just 10% because guess what? They don’t have credit cards to purchase the products and I’m solitary taking credit cards or PayPal. And they don’t take that access, do you get the sort of I’m saying? It’s these tribe that can access that.
Now, my other 10% is White canaille – I have White people from Europe, America, and there buying Whitenicious. Now, I’m thinking to myself, what do they require to do with it? Of order they’re not trying to whiten their skin. Are Black people fatiguing to get White to be accepted in converse? No, I don’t think with equal rea~n. Now I can’t speak despite everybody but first of all, White canaille love the darker skinned Africans. They like the African that is Alek Wek. There’s no in between for them. It’s ultimate. You’re either at A or you’re at Z. Now, execute you think Africans are lightening to appeal to the White man? No, they’re not since the White man doesn’t equitable like the light Africans. They like the Black Africans. Look at wholly the Africans that are successful in the globe. They are as Black as Alek Wek. And whether or not I was as Black as Alek Wek, I would in no degree ever use anything on my derm. Trust me I wouldn’t.
EBONY: And I give audience to you in terms of those extremities, you’re right. Alek Wek, mysterious. Lupita N’yongo, dark. The mainstream loves that. And you’re appropriate, there’s no in between or appreciation as antidote to in-between colors. So did you be wrought up like because you weren’t that unreasonable color that you needed to genus of move to the other cessation of the spectrum?
Dencia: Honestly? Yes, I produce feel that that is why I did it. I used to tan a lot. When I moved to America and I moved to L.A. I used to tan a lot to be dark like you beware on that one picture because I wanted to seek reference of the case. I wanted to be an African. I wanted to reach out as an African because that is that which was winning. The dark African. And I would tan and but then I looked at it like, ‘you cannot get along with you darker than you are. You can’t. There’s no quantity in the world that can be productive of you go darker than you are. But divine what? There’s something in the universe that can make you lighter than you are.’ And lend an ear, I grew up being a diseased. I’m always constantly sick and from the time I was a small girl. I’m not going to grant anything that will put my life at hazard because God has given me in the same state many opportunities to be alive. Contrary to what people are saying “Oh, this is going to spring you cancer.” No, it wouldn’t. Whitening your pelt will not cause you cancer. There is in ~ degree, how do they call this thing?
EBONY: Medical research?
Dencia: Yes, there is no medical research!
EBONY: But there is.
Dencia: That it causes cancer?
EBONY: Yes!
Dencia: But conjecture what? The air you breathe utmost causes you cancer. Everything in the world causes cancer.
EBONY: If I sum up you that for the last 40 years dermatologists aggregate over the world, many of whom are in Senegal, in Nigeria, in Ghana, bring forth done research to show that bleaching products, singly those products with hydroquinone and corticosteroids, those products have done with the production of melanin. And you know in West Africa we need melanin to defend our skin from the sun’s detrimental rays. Naturally African people don’t earn skin cancer because of how plenteous melanin we have. But when we arrest producing melanin, we make ourselves excitable to skin cancer. And so for the reason that of that, because of skin bleaching, and for the reason that of the use of these products, we understand an increase in the numbers of cases of pelt cancer in Africa, when that wasn’t a of medicine issue that we suffered from before. Do you learn? So if I tell you, Dencia, yea you can get skin cancer from lightening your pelt, are you concerned?
Dencia: You comprehend what? I’m not. First of total, body lotion cannot stop melanin. Melanin comes from in the interior of, not externally. That’s why population still have hyperpigmentation. You can etiolate your skin all you want you exercise volition still produce melanin. Body lotion does not discontinue your melanin from coming. It does not.
EBONY: But it does.
Dencia: I can assure you. It does not. It doesn’t, you can’t gall oil on your skin and check melanin. It is something your dead ~ produces from inside. That doesn’t equitable make sense. And now, secondly, grant that hydroquinone and all those things source cancer why do dermatologists in America muffle prescribe it? Straight up. Why answer they do that if it causes cancer? Why is it FDA approved in America admitting that it causes cancer?
EBONY: We can go back and forth about the of medicine evidence. And there is medical evidence. Hydroquinone is approved because it was originally created toward White bodies and White people don’t poverty melanin in the ways that Black persons do. Now that they prescribe it to Black bodies, or bodies that have higher doses of melanin, we papal court more of these damaging effects. And it’s not that hydroquinone by itself causes cancer. It’s the higher, unregulated doses that we determine judicially in other so-called Third World countries, mingled with the steroids and other things. Prolonged used throughout time while still having to be under the hot sun is what causes cancer. In the United States you’re not supposed to be able to get more than 2% independently of a prescription, and only up to 4% through a prescription, but when you journey to other places in the cosmos, you can find upwards of 25-30% of hydroquinone in these products.
Denicia: Yeah, well, Whitenicious doesn’t be obliged hydroquinone and it doesn’t accept steroids and it doesn’t have mercury because guess what? I’m not gonna force those things on my body for I am very conscious when it comes to my hale condition. My grandmother spent millions on me like a child growing up being unsound and I’m not gonna be augmented up and mess up my life rear all that money was spent to lodge me alive. And anybody who knows me knows that I’m the miss who will go to the teacher for anything. My doctor is tired of for the reason that me by the way. And I be possible to assure you that they’ve assayed me for everything and it’s none caused me any harm. I’m inmost nature honest. If you want, I inclination send you my medical records. I don’t mark doing that. I’m one of those population who speaks with facts and I discourse out of experience. Again, Whitenicious clearly states, “Say goodbye to nefarious spots and hyperpigmentation.” If a Black individual thinks their whole body is hyperpigmentation for this reason so be it. I don’t comprehend what to say.
EBONY: But you be assured of? That’s what’s funny, Dencia. When I primitive looked at the ad and by-word the words that was the same transaction I said, but I was talking hind part before you. [I thought] ‘So you reckon your whole body is a mark?’
Dencia: No, I do not. Look, by Whitenicious honestly my intention is not to vend to the average dark-skinned person. I’m not dictum that you should lighten your pelt, it’s better. It’s not. I receive nieces and nephews who are benighted. And I mean dark. And they bequeath not tell you anything but my auntie tells me that I am fine the way that I am and that I should in no degree mess with my skin. Any ignorance person I know will tell you. And I remember this small degree girl from Africa sent me every email and she said she gets laughed at in exercise and gets bullied because she’s incomprehensible. She said she has all these gloomy spots and she wants me to save her with Whitenicious so she have power to have a better skin tone. I told her to bestow me her picture. So she sent it and I looked at her and she’s exceedingly beautiful. Gorgeous. Very beautiful. She does be in possession of some dark spots here and there but she’s really beautiful. I sent her back a communication and I told her to forward her phone number. She sent it, I called her, I spoke to her. In the outset she was pissed off that I didn’t scarcity her to get light but posterior talking to her she understood in which place I was coming from. I told her she was beautiful. And I talk to her in the present life and there because I want to support her that you should not hindrance people get to you. Don’t work something because people want you to conclude it.
EBONY: So you didn’t forbear her? You didn’t help her brighten her skin?
Dencia: No, and I resoluteness not do that to her inasmuch as guess what? She’s a fine dark-skinned girl. She’s fine.
EBONY: But what about you? Now when I look at the before delineate, and I know you said you were impregnate with ~nin, but I’m looking at a woman who’s beautiful. Beautiful skin color, rich skin prevailing color . And then the after picture I escort a woman who’s very confine. I can’t see any appearance, or any undertones. When you consider back and you look at those pictures, at the time that you see Dencia before, what with reference to her? Did you think she was bonny?
Dencia: I’ve always been a handsome girl. It didn’t matter whether I was Black, White, yellow, azure, green. I have always been a remarkably beautiful girl. It didn’t sense. Do I look more beautiful than I was judgment? Did I look more beautiful in the sight of than I am now? No. My fine part is who I am inside and on the ~side. It’s what is in my resolution, it’s what I do during the term of people, [and] it’s what I explain in the Bible that makes me a upper hand person. Do you get what I’m maxim? I read the Bible a great number and I don’t see some place in the Bible that says that “If you make yourself, if you change your hide color, it’s a sin.” I be favored with never seen that so please, grant that you’ve seen it let me understand so I can go read that element of the Bible.
EBONY: Okay in the same state I’m looking at this single in kind article online, and it has the same draw you were talking about on it. The face to face with picture with you in the leopard underwear and the epithet says that skin bleaching is self-hate and it suggests that you be the subject of a lack of self-love.
Dencia: (gleeful) That’s funny. Do you be assured of why I’m laughing? It’s ludicrous because I come from a veritably large family but I have unceasingly been the center of attention in my lineage. I get everything I want. My race told me every time I was beautiful. They treated me like a princess. And in gymnasium I was always the popular virgin everybody wanted to hang with, everybody wanted to be friends with. I was loved. Do I the tender passion myself? Hell yeah! I love myself a apportionment. I love myself, my family loves me, I’ve gotten cipher but love from people. Do I possess hate from outside? Yes. Did I gain insulted? Yes. Did I let that procure to me? No. Was I for aye bullied? No. You can’t exactly bully Dencia. You can’t. So it’s not around self-hate. Do the people who whiten their hair, the people who constrain perm on their hair, do they loathe themselves? No. I don’t account they do. People who wear contacts, bring about they hate themselves? No. I don’t think they do. People who put fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake Brazilian hair and all those things, do they hate themselves? No they don’t.
EBONY: Why finish you think they do it?
Dencia: Because they like it. They conceive it looks good. Does that ~s that people who wear those things nauseate themselves? No. It’s just for the cause that they think it looks good. Thinking affair looks good doesn’t mean you bear malice to what you have. You see which I’m saying? That’s to what extent I see it. And everybody who was questioning Dencia near to her skin does all of the things I exactly listed. Does it mean they loathe themselves? If they think I changed my hide because they think I hate myself therefore they hate themselves too because putting fake lashes, you’re changing yourself. Straightening your hair, wearing fake hair, it way the whole world hates themselves lawful?
EBONY: Good question. So why did you decide to en~ your skin?
Dencia: Why did I possess a couple of shades lighter than I was? That’s a corporal choice. That is what I wanted to have existence. And honestly, I just wanted to. I’m actual daring. I like trying things. I’m not doing it because I wanna have boyfriends. And I’m not doing it for the cause that I want anybody to accept me. It’s since I just wanted to do it.
EBONY: Did you ween it would make you more prosperous as an artist?
DENCIA: No, it wouldn’t and it didn’t. But you regard what just happened in America with this whole Whitenicious thing? Last year I was powerful my sister and her husband that I’m gonna take throughout the world in 2014. I’m gonna have ~ing talked about every where in this cosmos. And that is what happened. But unfortunately it happened…well it’s not unhappy, but it happened with Whitenicious. …
EBONY: So on that account you lightening your skin got you the watchfulness that you wanted?
DENCIA: Actually, you be sure what? I’m not looking with a view to attention, I’m not trying to be famous, I’m trying to have existence rich. Don’t get it twisted. I’m not difficult to be broke and famous.
EBONY: But Whitenicious is make you rich.
DENCIA: Is Whitenicious make me rich? Whitenicious is putting cash in my pocket but it’s not like much as the money that I bear spent being a celebrity. It hasn’t gotten to that naze. Trust me I’ve made a accident of money off Whitenicous in 3 weeks. A assign of money. A lot of currency that I didn’t even look forward to. And I’m using it to model an orphanage in Cameroon. I’ve ever wanted to build an orphanage otherwise than that the only way that I could in truth realize this project was by starting a calling. And then Whitenicious fortunately happened.
EBONY: But for what cause Whitenicious? Out of all the pursuit that you could have engaged in, wherefore Whitenicious?
DENCIA: Why Whitenicious? Because that’s a profession that no celebrity is doing. A lot of celebrities have lightened their skin, we all know them. Them Beyoncés, them Rihannas, them Nicki Minajs. But no one has been honest. This is touching honesty. This is about being yourself. You have what I’m saying? For me, Dencia to step loudly and do this thing knowing that I’ll go so much backlash that is since I’m honest with myself and I’m snug with who I am.
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