Amira Adawe challenges the powerful skin lightening industry
Brian Mastroianni sits down with Amira Adawe, the Executive Director of The Beautywell Project, to uncover the deep-seated issues fueling the skin lightening industry. Amira sheds light on how entrenched biases, colorism, and the lingering effects of colonialism have imposed harmful beauty standards, leading to widespread discrimination against people with darker skin tones.
Amira, originally from Somalia and now based in Minnesota, discusses the dangerous and often unregulated chemicals found in many skin lightening products—such as mercury, hydroquinone, and steroids—and the significant health risks they pose. Through her work with Beautywell and as an instructor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Amira empowers women, young girls, and families to resist these pressures and advocates for greater awareness and action within the global health community.
How can we challenge these harmful practices and work towards a healthier, more equitable future?
Listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.