Volume 79, Issue 2, July 2025, Pages 150–159
Amuda Baba Dieu-Merci1, BONEBANA AKIKI Espérance2, and NGINJINI BALONGE Samuel-Lévi3
1 Professeur Associé, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bunia (ISTM, Bunia), RD Congo
2 Independent Researcher, Office for the Coordination of Schools of Health Sciences, Ituri Provincial Health Division (DPS, Ituri), RD Congo
3 Research Assistant, Jeremiah Center, Bunia, RD Congo
Original language: English
Copyright © 2025 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This research explores the perceptions of the inhabitants of Bunia on the use of depigmenting cosmetic products. The qualitative research design using ethnographic method was used to conduct this study. Semi-structured interview was used to carry out this study with a sample of 80 participants, chosen by occasional sampling. After analysis, the study revealed that the main reasons for the use of depigmenting consmetic products were the desire to achieve a clearer complexion and to improve one’s appearance, influences marked by social norms and the media. Some users also use it for therapeutic purposes, in particular to treat skin problems such as acne. The analysis reveals a preference for several types of product. Milks and lotions top the list, followed by injections and tablets, while depigmenting soaps are still widely used. Although some people believe that men and women use depigmenting products equally, the practice is still predominantly female. Participants expressed deep concern about the associated health risks: skin cancers, medical complications, unpleasant body odours and irregular pigmentation problems. In view of these results, it is vital to adopt a multidisciplinary approach, by stepping up targeted awareness-raising campaigns, using innovative approaches, but also by ensuring regulation, banning the most harmful products and promoting greater individual awareness of the risks.
Author Keywords: perception, population, use, depigmentation cosmetics, skin, Bunia.
Amuda Baba Dieu-Merci1, BONEBANA AKIKI Espérance2, and NGINJINI BALONGE Samuel-Lévi3
1 Professeur Associé, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bunia (ISTM, Bunia), RD Congo
2 Independent Researcher, Office for the Coordination of Schools of Health Sciences, Ituri Provincial Health Division (DPS, Ituri), RD Congo
3 Research Assistant, Jeremiah Center, Bunia, RD Congo
Original language: English
Copyright © 2025 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
This research explores the perceptions of the inhabitants of Bunia on the use of depigmenting cosmetic products. The qualitative research design using ethnographic method was used to conduct this study. Semi-structured interview was used to carry out this study with a sample of 80 participants, chosen by occasional sampling. After analysis, the study revealed that the main reasons for the use of depigmenting consmetic products were the desire to achieve a clearer complexion and to improve one’s appearance, influences marked by social norms and the media. Some users also use it for therapeutic purposes, in particular to treat skin problems such as acne. The analysis reveals a preference for several types of product. Milks and lotions top the list, followed by injections and tablets, while depigmenting soaps are still widely used. Although some people believe that men and women use depigmenting products equally, the practice is still predominantly female. Participants expressed deep concern about the associated health risks: skin cancers, medical complications, unpleasant body odours and irregular pigmentation problems. In view of these results, it is vital to adopt a multidisciplinary approach, by stepping up targeted awareness-raising campaigns, using innovative approaches, but also by ensuring regulation, banning the most harmful products and promoting greater individual awareness of the risks.
Author Keywords: perception, population, use, depigmentation cosmetics, skin, Bunia.
How to Cite this Article
Amuda Baba Dieu-Merci, BONEBANA AKIKI Espérance, and NGINJINI BALONGE Samuel-Lévi, “Population perception of the use of cosmetic skin depigmentation products in the town of Bunia, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo,” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 150–159, July 2025.
