On sale in the high street in Harlesden, North-West London, yesterday was a face cream called Maxi White. "Could there be a less subtle name for a product aimed at black and Asian women desperate to lighten the colour of their skin? Indeed, those who purchase the £4.79 gel are guaranteed results almost overnight. "It worked quite well to start with," said one customer. "But as I carried on using it, my skin became thin and dehydrated. If I moved my mouth, my whole skin moved, too. My forehead looked like a crinkled up piece of paper it was so cracked. "Then, ugly blotches which developed into boils and ulcers started appearing on my face. I was a complete mess." The reason can be found in the list of ingredients on the back of the Maxi White packet; one is called hydroquinone - which is as nasty as it sounds; the biological equivalent, in fact, of paint stripper. It not only removes the top layer of skin, which initially results in a "brighter face", but also the body's natural defence against infection and the sun, thus increasing the risk of skin cancer. If the chemical - which is used in certain industrial processes - enters your bloodstream, it can cause fatal liver and kidney damage. Other side effects include headaches, nausea, convulsions and permanent scarring. It is illegal to use hydroquinone in cosmetics. This month, a couple who made more than £1 million selling toxic skinlightening creams from two outlets in Peckham, South London, were ordered to pay costs and fines totalling £100,000. But a spokeswoman for the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) admitted: "No sooner do you shut one place down than another springs up." Maxi White, and other banned brands containing harmful steroids, are available under - and over - the counter all across the country. A Mail investigation found them on sale from Brixton to Birmingham (one of the shops featured in our investigation was raided by Trading Standards officers yesterday). Behind such names as "Maxi White", "Sure White", "Fair & White" and "Skin White" is a multi-million-pound industry - and an untold story of exploitation and racism within the black community itself. It's a taboo subject, but a cruel racial hierarchy still exists in Britain where the lighter-skinned Jamaican, for example, is "superior" to the darker skinned Nigerian; where light brown is preferable to dark brown. Dark skin means failure; light skin is beautiful and equates to success. One young woman we spoke to told how she decided to have her skin bleached after being teased and bullied at school (she was called "blackie" by paler-skinned Jamaican girls). There are reports that some parents are even "bleaching" their children It is an attitude all too familiar to Sherry Dixon, editor-at-large of Pride, the lifestyle magazine for the British black community, and reinforced by the complaints that flood in from female readers whenever a woman with strong African features - such as dark hair, broad nose, and tightly curled hair - appears on the cover. "It's cultural racism, or shade-ism as I call it," she says. The most photographed - and admired - black women ( Beyonce, Halle Berry, Naomi Campbell, Iman) are all Westernised, of course, whether by their fairer skin or European features. The legacy of such stereotyping can be found in any shop or market stall specialising in black hair and skin products; "Black is Beautiful" was the old slogan, but shelves are bulging with creams and lotions promising a "brighter face". Not all are harmful; nevertheless they promote the image - intentionally or otherwise - that blackness is something to be ashamed of, and whiteness revered.# Southwark Trading Standards officers, who were involved in the Peckham prosecution, have a list of nearly 100 banned cosmetics seized from outlets in the borough over the past few years, including some that contained poisonous mercuric iodide, which can cause organ failure, vomiting and depression. More here,,,,,,, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-428541/Dying-whiter-The-black-women-risk-lives-lighter-skin.html

Oh my God I forgot how to post pictures!!!! help!

'looool what do u mean she was real? lol JB in english! can u imagine

CL I met in Somaliland of all places, and she looked right at home- okay last part is a lie, but she was making it her home-ish for a few weeks. Juxa mac mac- Im waiting for my reply dude? wajibookga eeg JB and JUXA miid weli SL kumaan samenynin. JB send me a good one please. Do I have to write inshallah, mashaallah and allah mahad leh on the MOU? is between two somali institutions.

SalamAlikum and Hello Have not written an MOU for ages, forgot how to write one, trolling whilst trying to remember.

LOOOOL samir iyo Iman @ weddings from now on. lol. Your women are mad theory refuses to take off old man

Leave him, he sounds like a manipulative immature *****, and you sound like a clingy, indecisive weak women (and he knows it too, hence he pulls your strings and then pats you on the head). His mother, sister, cats and nxt door friends will always take priority. How anyone can stay married to someone the dont respect and admire at the very least is beyond me (unless if course you think you deserve it or cant get better) In your own words he is selfish, lazy, immature, uncaring and irresponsible (does want to work for his family)! great sounds like an ideal husband and you should bend over backwards to stay with him, so him and his family can take turns emotionally abusing you.

No They are not mentally sick- they just have some growing to do, or as they did not grown up yet- it takes some people longer. You cannot call it mental sick.

Yes there is such thing as baby sitting, if someone still dont know what they want, is silly or immature or easily impressionable and influenced! it is baby sitting and a lot of work. They just need to finish all that and figure things out on their own before they get tangled up with someone else life. But sadly Somalis have a habit of saying ha guursado wuu ku deegi or he will mature or responsibility will be good for him= eeer trail and error marriage anyone?

Lol @ I just want MAN! Blessed: ... " They as fussy as they were in there early 20s and sometimes let silly things like age, job get in the way of getting to know a really nice man, it's a constant debate I have with some of my GFs. As for the father complex, I think that too is due to dhaqan conditi[oning, there's the assumption that an older man can take care of a family. eeeer Blessed since when did JOB become a silly requirement!!! :eek: :eek: As for age, some guys tent to remain kids right up to about 28 29, after which point waa man-ish with possible upgraded to a man, I guess most girls dont want to baby sit or mummy some dude. Laakin a real man is a man, regardless of the age, older or younger- superficial to hold their age against anyone- man or women.

loool @ juxa learning a new lahjad!!!! lol A few times I got invities to go the xamar laakin Im waiting for juxa! Laakin all of SOL who endless debate about LA, Garowe, and Xamar- I will beat them to touching the local sand and smelling their respective air. Xamar and Kismayo uun baa iga yar fog and long journey- laakin summerka iga eega! Howdy the rest of you.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL @ may not April!!!!!! :D lol, does anyone ever say that "eventually end up with a married man" it is almost a target!

SalamAlikum Sayid, how can I greet someone maqaan!!! first you must arrive and ask about Ibti P.s. How is the hood doing?

Loool!!! JB is indeed the man who knows all, up till now if I need information on people in Hargeisa, I call JB and ask, sometimes he even knows where they are at that specific time!!!!

Loool @ Juxa!! leave it alone. Adam, thank you. It is true, laain somehow, someway I have no time to do anything- so many things to do here. Got lots of paperwork to do these three days hence I found my way here- otherwise 15min checking e-mails and no time for anything else before logging off. Malika, hello, how you doing, nice to see you still about- where is your summer holiday this year- some far way hot beautiful cheerful place. North sii soco, soo soco aya ku dishey maad iska joogtiid.

**** Big hug to Adam**** How I miss you!!!! Blessed and Juxa labadeena uunaba telephone ka complain gareyah- it must be a north london thing GG: salam, why would he be funky looking= cadowsan!?!!! lol you made me laugh!

Loooool @ NGonge. After I was so nice to welcome you!!!!! anyway you've made fun of me all the time, every time, so I kind of expect it now. Hey Nuune, muxu jinkagi iga so war dooni wayeh?

SalamAlikum people. ; Today, I passed by in between sending abusive e-mails to my friends!!! juxa your one is coming How are you all and how I miss the normal space and time which allowed me to be a member of the online community, way before my life was taken over by randomness. Howdy and salamaz

Shaqalaan baadaan. Somali men will never grow up, old, young, shikh, whatever the title. :rolleyes: She (the said women) and they (the said others in Kenya or elsewhere) are living their life based on their own judgement and needs, and dont care too much for clan or politics. When did who is sleeping with who become news or something any worthy poety would compose about? :confused: What does it matter? Most of you can't control who your own daughters and sisters sleep with let alone miida aad isku qabil tihiin. Let it go! P.s. Now that Mahiga is being replaced with an Algerian it does not matter too much either way

Looool^^^^^ Tusbax waa iska suufi. Juxa!!! lol your so mean. If I know them waan iska daaf- just delet them on bulk, laakin people you dont know waa iska cajiib. North I dont use my work e-mail to join groups or networks (dont join them in any case).

Salam peeps Ever wonder how your e-mail address ends up on the e-mail group of certain mad people. This wadadad in Medina is holding my e-mail account hostage, he sends jobs, dacwa, telling off, lectures, news, your going to hell e-mails and more jobs for Muslim women in mecca/ medina. He now even hold puzzles and quizes via his e-mail. I have no idea who he is, wonder how my e-mail got on his list. :confused: aah on well, nevermind, Ngonge :D you should have given him more!!!!!

SalamAlikum all :-)

Loool Bet his wife left him after seeing this clip. Ido*it, looooool

Nuune Congratulation again :-) I think weeli jiin partigiis buu ku maqanyahey and his camapign team naah wuu uu yeedey- Ngonge ciidi mey argiin since the win.

^^^Malaha aniga ayaab kugu so nooqon London,. My return ticket is on the 11th Jan 2012, been thinking shall i go, shall i stay. Im stay- so u come over