Expanding the Public Awareness of Skin-lightening Practices and Chemical Exposure and Creating a Framework that Advances the Wellbeing of Impacted Communities

Project Summary
Project activities:
Communities receive information in diverse formats-- from trusted community health workers,
cultural brokers, local language media, and community leaders. We have learned that cultural
specificity and trust is critical to this work. Many of these immigrant communities of color are
very trust relationship-oriented, and messages are well reserved from the trusted messenger.
Most communities utilizing these products do not refer to government public health websites
or the FDA websites. We propose expanding the culturally responsive content we have been
creating and the community-based education to address skin-lightening practices and chemical
exposures. Grounded in community participatory approaches, we will train and build ethnic-
based media such as community radio, television, and website. To empower and develop the
health literacy of ethnic media leaders and staff as it relates to combating skin-lightening
practices and chemical exposures. In many of the immigrant communities that we serve, their
source of media information is not the mainstream media; rather, their source of information and
media is ethnic media that is culturally and linguistically relevant to them. These ethnic media
understand cultural norms and are positioned to deliver public health messages safely and more
effectively within these communities. Having credible information is so important to most of the
immigrant communities of color that we serve, and the ethnic media is positioned to cover
important information that is beneficial for their communities.
Our primary objective is to continue increasing public awareness and education on the health
dangers associated with skin-lightening creams and products that contain mercury and
hydroquinone that are manufactured in other countries and brought into this country and sold
illegally online or in stores. Through our work, we have seen secondary manufacturing of skin-
lightening products, where individuals are mixing multiple skin-lightening products with the
intent to relabel and sell them as a new product. It is important to continue and expand upon
the public education we have already done. This funding will support us in that process. Our
education and awareness training will not only include increasing the public's understanding of
the toxic chemicals used in skin-lightening products, chemicals like mercury, hydroquinone, and
steroids but also the negative health impacts posed by these chemicals. We will work to
educate communities about this issue, why these products are so prolific within their
community, and their effects on mental health, cultural wellness, and overall well-being.

Grant Number: 1U01FD008269-01
NIH Institute/Center: FDA
Principal Investigator: Amira Adawe