這個非洲國家全面禁止美白產品 理由竟然是……

非洲國家盧旺達正在全國上下推行美白和漂白產品禁令，因爲這些產品“很不健康”。世界衛生組織指出，美白產品中所含的一些化合物會造成肝損傷，降低人體抵抗力，還會加重焦慮、抑鬱和精神錯亂症狀。也就是說，這些產品雖然能讓你變白，但對你的身體很不好，還會讓你感覺很不好……

The Rwandan government is sending officials across the country to enforce its ban on skin lightening and bleaching products.

盧旺達政府正在全國各地推行美白及漂白產品禁令。

The African country is leading a campaign against skin bleaching and substandard cosmetics, particularly products that include hydroquinone, a spokesman from the Rwanda Standards Board told cnn.

盧旺達標準委員會的一名發言人告訴cnn說，該國正在推行一場反對皮膚漂白和劣質化妝品（尤其是含有對苯二酚的產品）的活動。

"It is been implemented by the Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Food and Drug Authority and the Rwanda Standards Board," said Simeon Kwizera, the public relations and communications officer for the board.

該委員會的公共關係和傳播官員西米恩·科維澤拉說：“盧旺達衛生部、盧旺達食品藥品局和盧旺達標準委員會共同推行這一活動。”

"Operations are being conducted by technical people," he said. "The police is there to oversee only and make sure that all operations are being conducted in a safe way."

他說：“具體措施將由專業人員開展，警方只起到監督作用，確保所有的工作都安全開展。”

President Paul Kagame sparked discussions on the need to ban the sale of skin "whiteners" on social media in November.

去年11月，盧旺達總統保羅·卡加梅在社交媒體上引發了關於禁止銷售皮膚增白產品的討論。

In response to a post from a woman calling for the government to crack down on skin bleaching, Kagame said on Twitter that bleaching creams are unhealthy, and he called on the country's ministry of health and police to rein "this in very quickly."

一名女子發貼呼籲政府打擊皮膚漂白行爲，卡加梅在推特上回應稱，漂白霜是不健康的，他呼籲本國的衛生部和警方“迅速遏制”這種風氣。

Government officials and police are now patrolling markets in the capital, Kigali, and in provinces across the African nation, seizing skin-lightening and bleaching products from vendors.

目前，盧旺達政府官員和警察正在首都基加利以及各省巡查市場，查處沒收小販的美白和漂白產品。

Last month, the country's Standards Board warned the public about the alternative names for hydroquinone, one of the prohibited ingredients in ordinary commercial cosmetics.

上個月，盧旺達的標準委員會警告公衆，要警惕易名後的對苯二酚，這是市場上普通化妝品中的禁用成分之一。

"All the ingredients that can help in body bleaching, skin bleaching, are banned," a government spokesperson told cnn.

盧旺達政府的一名發言人告訴cnn說：“一切有助於身體和臉部皮膚漂白的成分都被禁止了。”

"We are now putting much effort, like educating people, going around and seizing those illegal products," Francois Uwinkindi, director of the cancer unit at the Ministry of Health, told Reuters news agency.

衛生部癌症中心的主任弗朗索瓦·烏雲金蒂告訴路透社說：“我們現在正大力對民衆進行宣傳教育，到處查抄非法產品。”

Rwandan police said they seized more than 5,000 banned bleaching products -- including lotions, oils, soaps and sprays -- from beauty shops across the country last month, according to local media, New Times.

據當地媒體《新時代》報道，盧旺達警方稱，他們上個月已經從全國各地的美容店查抄了5000多件被禁售的漂白產品，其中包括乳液、精油、香皂和噴霧。

Skin whitening creams are sold in many African countries without restriction, despite increasing push-back from the public and governments on the continent.

儘管非洲越來越多的公衆和政府開始抵制美白產品，但是美白霜依然毫無限制地在許多非洲國家銷售。

American reality TV star Blac Chyna faced immense criticism after announcing that she had partnered with a beauty line called Whitenicious to launch a face cream in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.

美國電視真人秀明星布萊克·希納日前宣佈自己和美白產品公司Whitenicious合作，在尼日利亞最大城市拉各斯創立面霜品牌，結果遭到了猛烈的抨擊。

Skin-lightening products contain chemicals such as mercury and hydroquinone, which can cause liver damage, reduce resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, and increase anxiety, depression and psychosis, according to the World Health Organization.

世界衛生組織指出，美白產品中包含水銀和對苯二酚等化合物，會造成肝損傷，降低人體對細菌和真菌感染的抵抗力，還會加重焦慮、抑鬱和精神錯亂症狀。

psychosis[saɪ'kosɪs]: n. 精神病；精神錯亂

The global market for skin-lighteners is projected to reach $31.2 billion by 2024, up from $17.9 billion in 2017, especially in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to Global Industry Analysts.

根據全球行業分析家的數據，預計到2024年底，全球美白產品的市場價值將達到312億美元（約合2103億元人民幣），相比2017年的179億大幅增加，而且美白產品的市場份額在亞洲、中東和非洲增長得尤爲迅速。

Around 25% of women in Mali, 77% of women in Nigeria, and 59% in Togo regularly use skin-lightening products, according to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization.

世界衛生組織2011年的一份報告稱，25%的馬裏女性、77%的尼日利亞女性和59%的多哥女性定期使用美白產品。

Ghana implemented a ban on skin lightening creams in 2017, following Côte d'ivoire's ban in 2015.

繼科特迪瓦在2015年禁止美白產品後，加納也於2017年實施了美白霜禁令。