Body Politics, Skin Lightening, and Colorism in Postcolonial Media and Beauty Industries

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 323–336

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001338

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Body Politics, Skin Lightening, and Colorism in Postcolonial Media and Beauty Industries

Names of Author: Ijeoma Nnamdi¹, Camila Ortiz², & Sarah Jenkins³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; ²Department of Cultural Studies, University of the Andes, Bogotá, Colombia; ³Department of Media and Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom.

Abstract:
Multinational cosmetic corporations and algorithmic social media beauty filters continue to propagate Eurocentric aesthetic hierarchies that equate lighter skin tones with professional success, desirability, and social mobility. Across postcolonial societies in Africa and Latin America, pervasive colorism fuels the widespread consumption of toxic skin-lightening creams containing hydroquinone and mercury, posing severe dermatological and systemic health hazards for women. While public health campaigns often blame individual women for vanity, feminist scholars emphasize the structural legacies of colonial racialization and global beauty capitalism. This paper analyzes the intersection of colorism, digital beauty culture, and anti-bleaching feminist activism in Nigeria, Colombia, and the United Kingdom. Grounded in postcolonial feminist body politics, the study examines social media beauty advertisements alongside focus groups with 60 young women. We argue for strict regulatory bans on toxic cosmetics paired with decolonial media literacy campaigns celebrating dark-skinned beauty.

Keywords: Colorism, body politics, skin lightening, beauty industry, postcolonial feminism, media representation, public health, racialization

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 09, 2026; Revised: October 09, 2026; Accepted: October 13, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Nnamdi, I., Ortiz, C., & Jenkins, S. (2026). Body Politics, Skin Lightening, and Colorism in Postcolonial Media and Beauty Industries. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 323–336. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001338

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