Key points
- A viral video of a Lagos spa founder swallowing about 22 pills has sparked health alarm.
- Vendors sell glutathione, vitamin drips and whitening creams through Instagram and TikTok.
- Doctors link stacked supplements and bleaching creams to liver, kidney and nerve damage.
A viral video of a Lagos spa founder swallowing about 22 pills has exposed how far some Nigerians will go for lighter skin, and doctors say the habit puts the liver and kidneys at risk.
The clip, which spread on X on Sept. 29, shows Divine Adedayo, who runs a spa in Orile Agege, tipping multicolored tablets and capsules into her mouth.
She captioned it “Luxurious skin” and offered free consultations. Later, she insisted the pills were supplements, not drugs. Pharmacists who reviewed the footage identified some capsules as vitamin E, vitamin D and omega-3.
Even so, medical professionals pushed back hard. “No responsible doctor is prescribing that for skin whitening,” said family physician Chika Ehiemere, adding that unregulated pills taken in huge doses can lead to organ problems.
A market built on social media
Saturday PUNCH found that glutathione, vitamin C, collagen, zinc, biotin and multivitamins are heavily sold by spa owners and vendors on Instagram and TikTok.
Many of those sellers have strikingly light skin, and clients say that matters. “If I can’t see the result of her product on her face, I’m not buying,” said customer Tosin Ogundeji.
Prices run high. One spa owner showed vitamin capsules at N65,000 each, while whitening vitamin C serums sell for N5,000 to N7,000. In addition, some spas offer intravenous vitamin drips for faster results.
Meanwhile, NAFDAC sealed eight cosmetics shops in Abuja’s Wuse Market last year and seized banned or unregistered items valued at over N170 million.
What the risks look like
Pharmacist James Ucheaga warned about “supplement stacking,” where several products contain overlapping vitamins and minerals, pushing daily intake far above safe levels.
High-dose vitamin A can injure the liver, he said, and severe vitamin D toxicity can cause dangerous calcium buildup.
Topical products carry their own dangers. Physician Zakariya Aminu said some whitening creams contain mercury, hydroquinone or strong corticosteroids, and he described prolonged use as one of the commonest causes of chronic kidney disease.
Similarly, the World Health Organization says mercury in skin-lightening products can damage the kidneys and nervous system.
Psychologist Dayo Courson traced the trend to internalized colorism and curated social media images.
Consequently, consultant dermatologist Shakirat Gold-Olufadi urged Nigerians to stop damaging “the largest organ in the body,” noting that repairing skin is difficult and costly.
