A few weeks ago, Cameroonian singer Dencia released a highly controversial beauty product named ‘Whitenicious’ which is meant to be the answer to any dark spots or scarring problems. The singer has received severe backlash since then from every blog and social media platform you can ever imagine. The name of the product in itself has been considered offensive by many as it could imply that it is selling and encouraging self-hatred amongst women of colour and promoting the concept of bleaching and all of the assumed superiority that comes with it.Β Despite the backlash, Dencia stands behind Whitenicious and believes that she is in fact helping women overcome an obstacle.
It’s a pity that even with all the backlash, the product sold out as soon as it was launched online. Dencia says the majority of her customers are African Americans. Which makes one wonder, if this product is getting so much backlash from the black community, why is it selling out? Are the very people who claim to despise this so much, secretly stacking up on Whitenicious? Whatever Whitenicious is, clearly there is aΒ marketΒ for it and Dencia hasΒ cashed in on the opportunity. I do not condone bleaching. It is degrading and once it’s done, it cannot be undone. It is not a tan and it will not wash off. Dencia insists Whitenicious is NOT a bleaching cream. The majority of people beg to differ.
Ebony Magazine reached out to Dencia and here’s what she had to say to defend Whitenicious:
EBONY:Β So you know thereβs been a lot of buzz about you on the internet here lately. Everybodyβs talking about your new skin care line, Whitenicious. Tell me how you came up with [it.] Β
Dencia:Β And Iβm happy that theyβre talking because my sales are skyrocketing. Anyway. A few months ago, I was coming back from Switzerland. I sat by this chemist. Heβs from Switzerland. We started talking about all these things and he was like βYou have really nice skin.β He asked me if I was Puerto Rican by the way. I was like βNo, Iβm African.β We started talking about skin care and stuff and then I told him how Iβve been doing all these things, going to dermatologists for the problems. Every woman does that. Like when you have a little spot on your face. I know I do. Iβll be running from dermatologist to dermatologist trying to find something to get rid of the dark spots. Unfortunately, all dermatologists will give you hydroquinone 4%. It donβt matter if youβre as dark as Alek Wek or youβre as White as a blonde girl from Malibu. Theyβll give you the same thing. So he was telling me that he makes some products and that he has a line. He asked me if want to be the face of it. And I was like you know what? Weβll talk about it. I had come up with this mixture of things that Iβve been using, not for my skin but for my face for like when I had dark spots or when I hyperpigmented anywhere on my body. And so I sat down with him, we tested it, we looked at it, we added stuff and then we came up with the product. I tested it on me and on my sisters. I have a sister that has suffered with acne for a long time and she had dark spots. So she used it and it worked really good. And I went on Facebook and I asked my Facebook friends if they wanted to try it. They tried it, and it worked really well. And mind you, this product doesnβt have hydroquinone, it doesnβt have steroids, and it doesnβt have mercury.
So, when the time came to pick out the name for the product, I was talking to my best friend and she was telling me, if youβre picking out a name you have to look at something that is attractive. When you see Whitenicious, you see the container, you see the product, obviously youβre thinking this is gonna work, right? Thatβs what youβre thinking. We came up with different names. You know, I was coming up with all these glamorous things and my best friend was like βNah, βWhiteniciousβ is good.β And when she gave me the name, I was looking up definitions of white. Ok let me define how I see white. (reads) βThe color white affects the mind and the body by aiding in mental clarity, promoting feelings of fresh beginnings and renewal assisting in cleansing, clearing obstacles and clutter and encouraging purification.β And guess what? Dark spots is obstacles. Hyperpigmenation is obstacles.
EBONY:Β Is dark skin an obstacle?
Dencia:Β No. Dark skin is beautiful.Β Actually, I will send you pictures of when I was 16. Iβm not that lighter from when I was younger, Iβm not. The picture theyβre passing around where Iβm wearing the animal print underwear, that picture was three years ago and that was a tan. If anybody looks at that picture and you look at the oil on my skin, you would know itβs a tan. And itβs funny because one of my friends who was at the photo shoot with me that actually oiled me up with the tan sent me a message yesterday. She was like βWhy are people going crazy about this picture when you were tanned on this picture?β I was never that dark in real life and I can send EBONY pictures of me when I was like 15, 16. And guess what? I donβt even care because theyβre bringing me business. Because when you take that picture and you put a picture of Dencia darker, this is what youβre telling people β the product really works. And guess what? People really want to buy it.Β Itβs what it is. I donβt really care.
EBONY:Β Soβ¦you havenβt bleached your skin, is what youβre saying? You were tan in the before pictures?
Dencia:Β Have Iβ¦Has my skin lightened from whenβ¦like from the past five years? Yes it has. It has. Has it drastically lightened? No it hasnβt. Is it what people are saying? No itβs not.
EBONY: Okay. But do you understand peopleβs response to the pictures? Because many people have become aware that skin bleaching is a big phenomenon around the world, particularly in West Africa where youβre from. And so then we see one picture of you or a few pictures of you where you look browner and then we see this new picture of you, and not just that itβs a picture of you per se, but an advertisement for a product called Whitenicious. And then it says βSay goodbye to pigmentation and spots forever.β
Dencia:Β First of all when I did the photoshootβ¦let me tell you something, I did the Whitenicious photo shoot on the 13thΒ of December, 2013. I just came back from Paris. I was in Europe for a month and I was indoors. I donβt go outside a lot generally. If youβre light skinned and you stay indoors a lot itβs gonna give you that pale look. And then I had just been going back and forth to the hospital because I was not feeling too good. My health is not very stable and itβs not because of anything with this, itβs something that Iβve had since I was a little girl. I was dehydrated and they gave me the drips to hydrate me. And when you come out with all those things, it makes you fresh and it gives you that pale look because youβve not been out in the sun. That is why those pictures look like that. And everybody, even my sister said βAre you okay?β because they knew I was not feeling good. So itβs not about being pale because Iβm bleaching my skin. Itβs just because I stay indoors a lot and I take a lot of vitamins. Lots. And all those things have effects on your skin. And in the past Iβve probably taken medications thatβ¦ you know thereβs a lot of medications that have side effects of lightening your skin too.
And anyway, the picture clearly says βSay goodbye to dark spots and hyperpigmentation.β Iβm not saying βsay goodbye to your Black skin and try to be like Dencia.β Thatβs not what Iβm saying. Iβm saying βsay goodbye to dark spots and hyperpigmentation.β Now did I choose to do beginning pictures for a reason? Yes, I did. I did that because sexy sells. Period. I have men, White men, Black men, buying Whitenicous. Guess what is attracting them? Those pictures. And guess what theyβre using it for? Dark spots. Not to bleach their entire skin. I donβt think a White man is trying to bleach his skin.
Trust me, Iβve been running this business for the past three weeks and Iβve read all these emails from girls telling me about how they have this hyperpigmentation, how they have these dark spots. I have seen so many pictures. These girls are not trying to bleach their skin. Theyβre just trying to get rid of these little things that is making them feel uncomfortable, you know?
EBONY:Β I hear you, I do. And youβre right, many women of African descent, many women of color, we do suffer from hyperpigmentation.Β So there are lots of products on the market that work to fade out those spots, if you will. But there are also productsβ¦ and you know this, especially in West Africa. We see the billboards, we see them in the markets, we see the women with all of the damage on their skin β there are products out there that are used to bleach the skin. Your product is called Whitenicious, of course people will buy it because they want to bleach.
Dencia: Ok. Will Whitenicious bleach your skin if you use it on all your skin? Yes, it will.Β
Are we selling Whitenicous for that purpose? No, weβre not. Whitenicous comes in 30 ml and 60ml. You cannot use the 60 ml to bleach your whole skin. Itβs impossible. And that costs about $150 each. 60 ml canβt even go on your whole feet. I donβt see anybody spending all that money to bleach their entire skin. I donβt see that happening. Now, do I have customers who come and buy stuff for over $2000? Yes, I do. Do I ask them what they want to do with it? No, I donβt. Do I know what they want to do with it? No, I donβt care because itβs their money, itβs how they want to spend it.
EBONY:Β I want to go back to something you said earlier. About your definition of white having to do with purification and clearing obstacles. Ok so that sounds like how the dictionary might define white. But what about how society defines white? You know that for many African people they see white–as in White people–as better. Still. And for some of the women who bleach, not that they are trying to be White women per se. No, not at all.Β But what they are trying to do is to gain access to whatever it is they see White people having, whether thatβs being seen as being beautiful or making more money or being more successful in society. And so people look at your ad, itβs called Whitenicious. They see Dencia in a way that theyβve never seen her before. Whether you care or not, whether it was your intention or not, do you understand that the success of your product could be because people think that they can use it to get as white as you?
Dencia:Β No, thatβs not how I see it.Β This is how I see it. Everybody that has something negative to say, 1- doesnβt need it and 2 – donβt have the money to buy it. First of all, let me clear this up. As of now 80% of people that buy my products are African American. Itβs not Africans. People are saying that itβs Africans because they think I live in Africa. I go back and forth but I live here. I can send you the stats – it is African Americans. I have to be honest with you β I have TV personalities buying Whitenicious for over $1000. People who work for TV stations like Fox. I have celebrities buying Whitenicous and all of these people are African Americans, they are not Africans. My African market is just 10% because guess what? They donβt have credit cards to buy the products and Iβm only taking credit cards or PayPal. And they donβt have that access, do you get what Iβm saying? Itβs these people that can access that.
Now, my other 10% is White people β I have White people from Europe, America, and everywhere buying Whitenicious. Now, Iβm thinking to myself, what do they want to do with it? Of course theyβre not trying to bleach their skin. Are Black people trying to get White to be accepted in society? No, I donβt think so. Now I canβt speak for everybody but first of all, White people love the darker skinned Africans. They like the African that is Alek Wek. Thereβs no in between for them. Itβs extreme. Youβre either at A or youβre at Z. Now, do you think Africans are lightening to appeal to the White man? No, theyβre not because the White man doesnβt even like the light Africans. They like the Black Africans. Look at all the Africans that are successful in the world. They are as Black as Alek Wek. And if I was as Black as Alek Wek, I would never ever use anything on my skin. Trust me I wouldnβt.
EBONYβΒ And I hear you in terms of those extremes, youβre right. Alek Wek, dark. Lupita Nβyongo, dark. The mainstream loves that. And youβre right, thereβs no in between or appreciation for in-between colors. So did you feel like because you werenβt that extreme color that you needed to kind of move to the other end of the spectrum?
Dencia:Β Honestly? Yes, I do feel that that is why I did it. I used to tan a lot. When I moved to America and I moved to L.A. I used to tan a lot to be dark like you see on that one picture because I wanted to appeal. I wanted to be an African. I wanted to come out as an African because that is what was winning. The dark African. And I would tan and but then I looked at it like, βyou cannot go darker than you are. You canβt. Thereβs nothing in the world that can make you go darker than you are. But guess what? Thereβs something in the world that can make you lighter than you are.β And listen, I grew up being a sickly. Iβm always constantly sick and from the time I was a little girl. Iβm not going to do anything that will put my life at risk because God has given me so many opportunities to be alive. Contrary to what people are saying βOh, this is going to cause you cancer.β No, it wouldnβt. Whitening your skin will not cause you cancer. There is no, how do they call this thing?
EBONY:Β Medical research?
Dencia:Β Yes, there is no medical research!
EBONY:Β But there is.
Dencia:Β That it causes cancer?
EBONY:Β Yes!
Dencia:Β But guess what? The air you breathe outside causes you cancer.Β Everything in the world causes cancer.
EBONY:Β If I tell you that for the last 40 years dermatologists all over the world, many of whom are in Senegal, in Nigeria, in Ghana, have done research to show that bleaching products, particularly those products with hydroquinone and corticosteroids, those products stop the production of melanin. And you know in West Africa we need melanin to protect our skin from the sunβs harmful rays. Naturally African people donβt get skin cancer because of how much melanin we have. But when we stop producing melanin, we make ourselves susceptible to skin cancer. And so because of that, because of skin bleaching, and because of the use of these products, we see an increase in the numbers of cases of skin cancer in Africa, when that wasnβt a medical issue that we suffered from before. Do you understand? So if I tell you, Dencia, yes you can get skin cancer from lightening your skin, are you concerned?
Dencia;Β You know what? Iβm not. First of all, body lotion cannot stop melanin. Melanin comes from inside, not externally. Thatβs why people still have hyperpigmentation. You can bleach your skin all you want you will still produce melanin. Body lotion does not stop your melanin from coming. It does not.
EBONY:Β But it does. Β
Dencia:Β I can assure you. It does not. It doesnβt, you canβt rub oil on your skin and stop melanin. It is something your body produces from inside. That doesnβt even make sense. And now, secondly, if hydroquinone and all those things cause cancer why do dermatologists in America still prescribe it? Straight up. Why do they do that if it causes cancer? Why is it FDA approved in America if it causes cancer?
EBONY:Β We can go back and forth about the medical evidence. And there is medical evidence. Hydroquinone is approved because it was originally created for White bodies and White people donβt need melanin in the ways that Black people do. Now that they prescribe it to Black bodies, or bodies that have higher doses of melanin, we see more of these damaging effects. And itβs not that hydroquinone by itself causes cancer. Itβs the higher, unregulated doses that we find in other so-called Third World countries, mixed with the steroids and other things. Prolonged used over time while still having to be under the hot sun is what causes cancer. In the United States youβre not supposed to be able to get more than 2% without a prescription, and only up to 4% with a prescription, but when you travel to other places in the world, you can find upwards of 25-30% of hydroquinone in these products.
Denicia:Β Yeah, well, Whitenicious doesnβt have hydroquinone and it doesnβt have steroids and it doesnβt have mercury because guess what? Iβm not gonna put those things on my body because I am very conscious when it comes to my health. My grandmother spent millions on me as a child growing up being sick and Iβm not gonna grow up and mess up my life after all that money was spent to keep me alive. And anybody who knows me knows that Iβm the girl who will go to the doctor for anything. My doctor is tired of seeing me by the way. And I can assure you that theyβve tested me for everything and itβs never caused me any harm. Iβm being honest. If you want, I will sendΒ
you my medical records. I donβt mind doing that. Iβm one of those people who speaks with facts and I speak out of experience. Again, Whitenicious clearly states, βSay goodbye to dark spots and hyperpigmentation.β If a Black person thinks their whole body is hyperpigmentation then so be it. I donβt know what to say.
EBONY:Β But you know? Thatβs whatβs funny, Dencia. When I first looked at the ad and saw the words that was the same thing I said, but I was talking about you. Β [I thought] βSo you think your whole body is a spot?β
Dencia:Β No, I do not. Look, with Whitenicious honestly my intention is not to sell to the average dark-skinned person. Iβm not saying that you should lighten your skin, itβs better. Itβs not. I have nieces and nephews who are dark. And I mean dark. And they will not tell you anything but my auntie tells me that I am beautiful the way that I am and that I should never mess with my skin. Any dark person I know will tell you. And I remember this little girl from Africa sent me an email and she said she gets laughed at in school and gets bullied because sheβs dark. She said she has all these dark spots and she wants me to help her with Whitenicious so she can have a better skin tone. I told her to send me her picture. So she sent it and I looked at her and sheβs very beautiful. Gorgeous. Very beautiful. She does have some dark spots here and there but sheβs really beautiful. I sent her back a message and I told her to send her phone number. She sent it, I called her, I spoke to her. In the beginning she was pissed off that I didnβt want her to get light but after talking to her she understood where I was coming from. I told her she was beautiful. And I talk to her here and there because I want to encourage her that you should not let people get to you. Donβt do something because people want you to do it.
EBONY:Β So you didnβt help her? You didnβt help her lighten her skin?
Dencia:Β No, and I will not do that to her because guess what? Sheβs a beautiful dark-skinned girl. Sheβs beautiful.
EBONY:Β But what about you? Now when I look at the before picture, and I know you said you were tan, but Iβm looking at a woman whoβs beautiful. Beautiful skin color, rich skin tone. And then the after picture I see a woman whoβs very pale. I canβt see any color, or any undertones. When you look back and you look at those pictures, when you see Dencia before, what about her? Did you think she was pretty?
Dencia:Β Iβve always been a beautiful girl. It didnβt matter if I was Black, White, yellow, blue, green. I have always been a very beautiful girl. It didnβt matter. Do I look more beautiful than I was before? Did I look more beautiful before than I am now? No. My beauty is who I am inside and out. Itβs what is in my heart, itβs what I do for people, [and] itβs what I read in the Bible that makes me a better person. Do you get what Iβm saying? I read the Bible a lot and I donβt see any place in the Bible that says that βIf you bleach yourself, if you change your skin color, itβs a sin.β I have never seen that so please, if youβve seen it let me know so I can go read that part of the Bible.
EBONY:Β Okay so Iβm looking at this one article online, and it has the same picture you were talking about on it. The before picture with you in the leopard underwear and the title says that skin bleaching is self-hatred and it suggests that you have a lack of self-love.
Dencia:Β (laughing) Thatβs funny. Do you know why Iβm laughing? Itβs funny because I come from a really large family but I have always been the center of attention in my family. I get everything I want. My family told me every time I was beautiful. They treated me like a princess. And in school I was always the popular girl everybody wanted to hang with, everybody wanted to be friends with. I was loved. Do I love myself? Hell yeah! I love myself a lot. I love myself, my family loves me, Iβve gotten nothing but love from people. Do I get hate from outside? Yes. Did I get insulted? Yes. Did I let that get to me? No. Was I ever bullied? No. You canβt even bully Dencia. You canβt. So itβs not about self-hate. Do the people who bleach their hair, the people who put perm on their hair, do they hate themselves? No. I donβt think they do. People who wear contacts, do they hate themselves? No. I donβt think they do. People who put fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake Brazilian hair and all those things, do they hate themselves? No they donβt.
EBONY:Β Why do you think they do it?
Dencia:Β Because they like it. They think it looks good. Does that mean that people who wear those things hate themselves? No. Itβs just because they think it looks good. Thinking something looks good doesnβt mean you hate what you have. You see what Iβm saying? Thatβs how I see it. And everybody who was questioning Dencia about her skin does all of the things I just listed. Does it mean they hate themselves? If they think I changed my skin because they think I hate myself then they hate themselves too because putting fake lashes, youβre changing yourself. Straightening your hair, wearing fake hair, it means the whole world hates themselves right?
EBONY:Β Good question. So why did you decide to lighten your skin?
Dencia:Β Why did I get a couple of shades lighter than I was? Thatβs a personal choice. That is what I wanted to be. And honestly, I just wanted to. Iβm very daring. I like trying things. Iβm not doing it because I wanna have boyfriends. And Iβm not doing it because I want anybody to accept me. Itβs because I just wanted to do it.
EBONY:Β Did you think it would make you more successful as an artist?
DENCIA:Β No, it wouldnβt and it didnβt. But you see what just happened in America with this whole Whitenicious thing? Last year I was telling my sister and her husband that Iβm gonna take over the world in 2014. Iβm gonna be talked about every where in this world. And that is what happened. But unfortunately it happenedβ¦well itβs not unfortunate, but it happened with Whitenicious. β¦
EBONY: So then you lightening your skin got you the attention that you wanted?
DENCIA:Β Actually, you know what? Iβm not looking for attention, Iβm not trying to be famous, Iβm trying to be rich. Donβt get it twisted. Iβm not trying to be broke and famous.
EBONY:Β But Whitenicious is making you rich.
DENCIA: Is Whitenicious making me rich? Whitenicious is putting money in my pocket but itβs not as much as the money that I have spent being a celebrity.Β It hasnβt gotten to that point. Trust me Iβve made a lot of money off Whitenicous in 3 weeks. A lot of money. A lot of money that I didnβt even expect. And Iβm using it to build an orphanage in Cameroon. Iβve always wanted to build an orphanage but the only way that I could really realize this project was by starting a business. And then Whitenicious fortunately happened.
EBONY:Β But why Whitenicious? Out of all the business that you could have engaged in, why Whitenicious?
DENCIA:Β Why Whitenicious? Because thatβs a business that no celebrity is doing. A lot of celebrities have lightened their skin, we all know them. Them BeyoncΓ©s, them Rihannas, them Nicki Minajs. Β But nobody has been honest. This is about honesty. This is about being yourself. You get what Iβm saying? For me, Dencia to step out and do this thing knowing that Iβll get so much backlash that is because Iβm honest with myself and Iβm comfortable with who I am.
EBONY:Β So you donβt really care about the backlash?
DENCIA: No. No, I do not. I have more important things going on in my life. I have my health, I have my career, I have so many things. I have an orphanage Iβm trying to build. Where do I have time to sit and think of these people? I donβt. Because I donβt really feel bad about everything you guys are saying, I donβt.Β Because βshe, me, her I donβt careβ in my Tamar voice. You guys talk sh*t about everybody. You guys have said too much sh*t about Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, but guess what? Theyβre winning. Theyβre at the top of their game. Why donβt you just see that what youβre doing is not helping youΒ
or them and just try to better yourself and be successful and bring out something. Instead of sitting there and bashing Whitenicious how about somebody bring out Blackenicious? Then weβll know that youβre doing something instead of being ignorant. So keep talking. I donβt care because my sales are skyrocketing. They have all these stories talking so much s*it and itβs funny because people come and theyβll tweet, βWhere can I buy Whitenicious? I just read about it on Bossip.β I take negative and turn it into positive.
EBONY:Β So Whitenicious is hugely successful. You sold out in how long?
DENCIA:Β We sold out in like 24 hours. We actually started Whitenicious with 5,000 products and weβre at 15,000 right now.
EBONY: So you started with 5,000 and that sold out in 24 hours? And then you went back to production?
DENCIA:Β Yes, and weβre at 15,000 and before this week ends weβll be at 20,000. And we have back orders. I wanted to go for glamour, I wanted to go all out. You see how the container is all beautiful? That is the trick. Most people donβt even buy Whitenicous because of what is inside, itβs what is outside. Itβs what it is.
EBONY: Okay, so [as of] right now today, youβve sold 15,000?
DENCIA:Β Over 15,000. And weβre back ordered. But you know weβre working, my team is working hours on hours. Like we didnβt expect it. Whitenicious is bigger than Dencia right now. I have major companies sending me emails that they want to talk to me about Whitenicious. I have big department stores wanting to carry Whitenicious. Itβs bigger than me right now. It is.
EBONY:Β What is the product line? Is it just a cream? Or is it a complete line of products.
DENCIA:Β For now, itβs just the cream but Iβm thinking of making an oil and then a stretch mark oil. Weβre still testing that. Weβre making skin oil and Iβm testing that, trying that to see how it works. Oil is very essential for your skin. Again it doesnβt matter how Black, White or blue you are, oils are very, very essential.
EBONY:Β Now you know there have been all kinds of products for hyperpigmentation, there are things that have been around for years and I donβt know that theyβve been as successful as Whitenicious. What do you think is the key to Whitenicious success? How do you sell out of 5,000 products in a day if itβs just for hyperpigmentation?
DENCIA:Β You know what? Itβs God. Honestly, I donβt know. Like I canβt even explain. I think its God. Everything I touch turns into gold. And itβs not just today. I have run businesses before. My first I was like 15. I had a hair salon and a clothing store. And it was really successful. I just think some people are born to be what they are. It was really successful. And if you believe in yourself and you believe in something and you pray to God to make it successful itβs gonna happen. Itβs no way it wonβt happen. I have other things I could do. I have other things I am doing. Like everything you see me wearing, I make them. I have made stuff for a lot of celebrities in America. I have made stuff for Nicki Minaj, I have made stuff for Christina Milian, I have made stuff for Lilβ Mama, Iβve made stuff for Rihanna. Iβve made stuff for many celebrities. I do design well. I do hair very well. You see all the hair I have on? The wigs or whatever? I make those wigs. I sew, I make shoes, I do all those things. Now, why didnβt I get in with these things to the market? Because itβs saturated. Everybody and their mama and their grandmama and grand uncles have clothing lines. Everybody is selling hair. Everybody is doing these things. I donβt follow the pack, I lead the pack. But my clothing line is still gonna come out, my shoe line is still gonna come out. I just do it exclusively for celebrities.Β I have a really big project Iβm working on in America. When that project comes out, Iβm gonna be able to market the other things that I have but for right now Whitenicious is a better market. Whitenicious markets itself. I donβt need to do nothing.
EBONY:Β But you are the marketing. People look at you and assume that Whitenicious is able to do that.
DENCIA:Β Itβs not really that. Itβs just that people need the product. They see how it works. We put pictures of before and after, itβs not about me. And people are amazed at it. And again, all these people have these dark spots. Like people send me pictures and I feel so bad. Like these girls will send me pictures of the dark spots on their faces and Iβm like wow. They donβt send me pictures like βLook at me, I wanna bleach my whole skin. No. Youβd be surprised. They donβt. In 10,000 emails itβs just like 10 people saying that βOh Iβm dark, I wanna whiten my skin like Denciaβ or whatever. And when they do that, we ask them to send pictures and when they send me pictures, this is what I tell them β βYouβre beautiful just the way you are. Donβt try to be Dencia. Just try to be you.β Because I, Dencia Iβm not trying to be anybody but me. What I do with my skin as an adult is what I want, itβs my choice. Itβs not influenced by anybody. You get what Iβm saying?
Thereβs no place on my website that says bleach your whole skin. No. And if people took time to read and comprehend they will understand better. We live in a world where people just see headlines. And that is what is killing us Black people. And that is what is killing us Black people. I tell you, my brother. We donβt read. We donβt take time to understand. Weβre busy insulting people. Β Why are you sitting talking sh*t about Whitenicious when you could be talking some good stuff and appreciating a girl who needs it somewhere? Why? Thereβs people who come on Twitter and talk about being bullied and talk about how theyβre suffering from self issues. Why donβt you go and encourage them instead of sitting and bashing Whitenicious. Why not help somebody who needs it? You get what Iβm saying?Β
EBONY: I do, I hear you. So last words? Whatβs the last word from Dencia on Whitenicious?
DENCIA:Β Iβm going to say that itβs important as human beings to take our time to read and understand things instead of just assuming and looking ignorant because thatβs what a lot of people look like in my eyes. Yeah, you might be mad that I said that, but itβs the honest truth. Whitenicious is what it is. You guys donβt like people who are honest. Take people for who they are and accept people for being honest about who they are, what they do and all that. If I sat there and lied about everything about who I was they would honor me, they would adore me.
And for people out there looking at celebrities like their role models, you need to find a role model that you know, that you see, that you watch everyday, that you watch get better, that you watch grow, that you talk to. That is the best way to make somebody a role model. Donβt look at us on TV, donβt look at us on magazines and think weβre your role models. No, take out the positive things and use it. Donβt try to look at the negatives. And please donβt believe everything you read on the blogs. You can believe this what youβre reading on EBONY so long as they transcribe it the right way.
(Interview courtesy of EBONY).
Love & Light xx
Lydie
bleaching creamdark spot creamdenciaDencia Defends Beauty Cream 'Whitenicious' (Full Interview with Ebony Magazine)dencia interviewebony magazineskin colourskin lighteningwhitenicious
Miss Ayo DΓ©lΓ©
February 4, 2014I haven’t read it all yet, I’ll do it later but I’m convinced that whitening is an error, it’s a big mistake based on lack of self an comunity esteem, frustration and discrimination which just emphasizes it while creating new psychological problems, skin problems and money problems.
Alvarado
February 4, 2014it was so painful to see her contradict herself on so many occasions (first she bleached then no she didnt bleach)…but even more painful was when she insisted on letting us all know how ignorant she is…IT IS scientifically proven that whitening your skin increases your chances of contraction cancer…however, i say that it is a personal choice…no point hating on one thing and practicing another that could be equally/more dangerous!
Tiki
February 4, 2014I took the time to read every last word of this interview, so I consider myself fully empowered to say I am hard-pressed to remember when last I was treated to such a display of vociferous ignorance, blatant lies and shoddy advertising, with a bit of fact-manufacturing thrown in for good measure. It was more palatable when she just shut up and sold her CrΓ¨me-de-Ghost and made money – this interview makes a mockery of even the business acumen us hapless onlookers were wont to believe she possessed.
eexxx
February 5, 2014hahahahaha Tiki
Cecilia Forbin
February 4, 2014I was embarrassed on her behalf.she opened her mouth and a bunch of rubbish came out,contradictions, no articulation,no knowledge of the product or the industry,no interview etiquette,low language proficiency, this was a great chance for he defend her brand,or at least try but she just failed…….Maybe they caught her off guard….I don’t know….
MsAidyl
February 5, 2014Especially when she says she can send the pictures of her when she was younger…that is no interview etiquette. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone. let your words speak for themselves.
I like the ‘tan’ from the photoshoot where she appeared dark skinned. looks pretty good. can we know what they used please….#sideeye
Seyi sandra
February 4, 2014I’m naturally tan, and I love my skin. It’s strange that I’ve never heard of Dencia before, she seemed like a business woman more than anything. Enjoyed the post!
π
Christy
February 12, 2014what ought to be right attire to a citizenship interview
sunlightbeauty
February 25, 2014oooooh Dencia…
Cheryl
March 17, 2014She just added salt to the injury…total crap!