Kenyan rapper and media personality, Kush Tracey, recently took to Instagram to share a deeply personal reflection on her past experiences with skin bleaching.
In her heartfelt post, she bared her soul, recounting a tumultuous journey from feeling lost and pressured to conform to society’s beauty ideals to ultimately finding self-acceptance and embracing her true skin color.
Known for her candid and unfiltered approach to life, Kush Tracey posted two contrasting images of herself. The first depicted her with visibly lighter skin, a result of years of skin bleaching, while the second showcased her natural, unbleached complexion. In her caption, she blended humor and vulnerability, explaining, “In my early to mid-20s, I was as lost as they come 𤣠yes, that second pic is still me, skin bleached, skinnier, looking like I’m living my best life, but the reality is I was broken, lost, confused, and I definitely lacked an identity đ.”
She then delved into the misconceptions that had led her down the path of skin bleaching, openly admitting that she had once believed that being light-skinned equated to being “more beautiful.” She debunked this myth, emphatically stating, “that’s a lie from the pit of hell đŽ (no offense to the natural light skins out there, y’all are as gorgeous queens â¤ď¸).”
Kush Tracey’s candid revelations did not stop there. She addressed a question frequently asked by her followers: how she stopped bleaching and reclaimed her natural skin tone.
“Why am I sharing this today, so many women DM me asking how I stopped bleaching and got my natural color back; the reality is I destroyed some parts of my skin then, and it’s been a journey of patience and healing to get to where I unconditionally love my skin color, embrace my unbalanced melanin,” she shared.
She acknowledged the harm she had inflicted upon her skin and described her journey as one of patience and healing, underlining the importance of embracing one’s natural self. She shared, “I’m no longer ashamed of my story.”
Kush Tracey’s openness about her skin-bleaching addiction shed light on a problem that remains largely unspoken. She admitted that she had been unaware of the severity of her addiction until she conducted extensive research to understand the reasons behind her struggle to break free from this harmful habit. The potential long-term consequences of skin bleaching, which could lead to severe health issues, were something she felt compelled to explore further in the future.
“I never thought skin bleaching addiction was a real thing until I did a lot of research to understand why it was a struggle for me to just stop doing something that was actually causing harm to my body and could potentially have severe consequences in the long run (story for another dayđ¤).”
In a poignant turn of events, Tracey opened up about “friends” who had once pressured her to maintain a lighter complexion, believing that was when she looked her most beautiful. Her response to this peer pressure was resolute â she chose to distance herself from those individuals, focusing on her mental well-being and her spiritual journey.
Tracey’s spiritual awakening played a significant role in her transformation. She credited her renewed sense of self to her faith and understanding of her identity according to her beliefs. She said, “The more I’ve worked on my mindset, and thank God for the Bible, I’ve embraced the truth of who God says I am.” This newfound clarity led her to a powerful realization: she no longer needed to alter her skin color for validation or fit into a specific beauty category.
The singer extended her message of self-acceptance to all her followers, particularly women of color. In an inspiring message, she reassured them, “Y’all are beautiful just the way you are.” She urged them to reject the societal pressure to change their skin tone and emphasized the intrinsic beauty in embracing their natural melanin.
