Many consider black skin to be the strongest and firmest but it appears that it is more vulnerable than they seem to know. According to skin care specialists, Skin health in tropical regions of Africa faces unique challenges exacerbated by climate change. The region’s diverse climate, characterized by high temperatures, humidity, and varying precipitation patterns, significantly impacts dermatological conditions. Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, prolonged heatwaves, and shifts in humidity levels contribute to a rise in skin ailments such as heat rash, fungal infections, and exacerbation of chronic conditions like eczema. Sunlight directly heats the earth at 90 degrees and the sun burns leading to hyper-pigmentation.
Hence, the tropical region comes with adverse effects to the skin and the population is said to use the wrong products for their skin care. Many have been victims of skin bleaching and lightening because they are in search of the best skin glow products.
Dr Edith Forkwa Gibson who did a great part of her studies in America, decided to come back to fatherland and seek ways of illuminating the tropical skin in the most natural way. She created the Tropics Derma Institute
situated in Olezoa, Yaounde where she began her research on skin health. Her success is combined with the 25 students she graduated last Friday who accompanied her in carrying out about 50,000 skin analyses in the Tropic regions of Africa. For the past 2 years, she has trained the students in
getting solutions tailored to the specific skin health challenges.
Accompanied to this is the full support of UNESCO which in its framework and vision, supports science and technology especially for girls and women and aids educational institutions in addressing global challenges.
Presentations and graduation
The day began at UNESCO’s premises in Yaounde where the graduating scientists in skin care presented research findings and new advancements in tropical skin sciences.
Their presentations were witnessed by some ministries’ representatives, biodiversity experts, policy makers, leaders of science groups and youth leaders in Cameroon.
After the multilateral forum at UNESCO, all roads led to Djeuga Palace
where the graduation ceremony took place.
It was a moment of mixed emotions, joy, cries, sobs and words full of appreciation not only from the students to Dr Edith Forkwa whom they referred to as their mother, but also from her staff and her parents who expressed how proud they were.
Talking to the press, the proprietor of Tropics Derma Institute said her aim is to give tropical skin care a very important place in the society.
“The vision for this is to valorize skin care as a new discipline because it’s not been vulgarized enough. We are people with tropical skin in the tropics and we need to cater for that. All this is the future of what tropical skin care will be because we are showcasing 25 students we have trained. Now we have people who can talk like me and as we continue to replicate ourselves, one day tropical skin care will have the place it needs to have in the society,’’ she told The Horizon.
She adds that, she will work towards replicating herself in many young scientists.
“The vision is to train 10,000 professionals in tropical skin care as a new discipline. We are going to replicate ourselves even more. We are in partnership with different ministries to make this training adaptable and valorized. Platforms where estheticians can work and express what they
know where they want. We will train people to become trainers so they continue to produce and we are going to export this new technology all over central Africa.”
The students, for their part, after performing traditional dances and reciting poems to spice the day up, expressed their willingness to continue in the same path.
One of them, Anne Ndoh, said: “I joined this training purely out of passion for skin care and cosmetics. But the approach that Dr Edith brought addressing tropical skin particularly was so different not like what we have around. A lot of people get burned after using the wrong products. People who do not understand anything about the skin produce products that burn the skin. Today I am a graduate with the capacity of producing skin care products for tropical skin. I am so fulfilled and I will be doing more research on tropical skin and we shall definitely continue from where she stopped.”
One of them who had not been satisfied with treatment given her abroad decided to pay a flight from Germany and get training at Tropics Derma Institute. Dr Edith Forkwa promised to pursue her journey of research and continue to train people in order for the black skin to get the perfect glow.
