The multi-million-dollar skin fairness product industry should understand that melanin is not something to fix.
The industry has perpetuated racism and colorism by reinforcing beliefs about the benefits of skin lightness for cultural socioeconomic mobility.
Colorism is a form of prejudice that places a higher value on people with lighter color skin, according to a Jul 1, 2020 Vox article.
Colorism differs from racism because the discrimination occurs commonly within racial groups, not between them, according to the same Vox article.
The skin lightening industry targets women of color from all around the world and makes money off of colorism and racial inequalities.
The global market for skin lighteners is estimated at $8.8 billion in 2022 and could reach $11.8 billion by 2026, according to a Feb. 2022 world market report about skin lighteners led by market analysis company StrategyR.
Skin whitening products are available as soaps, lotions, creams and pills.
The Women’s Dermatology Society International review, which focuses on health issues faced by female patients, gathered figures in a 2020 study reporting on the importance of worldwide practice of skin bleaching. It’s estimated that 75% of women in Nigeria bleach their skin, 60% in Jordan and Senegal, and 50% in Mali, according to the study.
Half of all spending in the skincare industry is for skin lightening creams in India, according to the same study.
Skin color in India unfortunately still determines one’s social status, despite caste-based discrimination being outlawed in the 1950s.
The Indian caste system is an old social hierarchy system, according to a June 19, 2019 BBC article.
On Nov. 15, 2021, CNN launched a six-month series exposing the danger of skin whitening and raising awareness about colorism.
CNN reporters analyzed marriage advertisements in the Sunday edition of three Indian English-language newspapers in August 2021. They found 22% of all the matrimonial advertisements published used words including “fair,” “wheatish,” or “medium complexion” as attributes sought in a prospective match.
Western colonialism, American slavery and class hierarchies in Asia are at the roots of colorism, said Sarah L. Webb, who founded a global initiative called Colorism Healing.
Exposure to eurocentric wealth and beauty standards have associated fairness with power and created insecurities in many dark-skinned communities.
Colorism can create disparities in every region of the world, affecting education, employment and social value.
A 2019 World Health Organization study warned about the risks of skin lightening products, especially ones containing mercury salts which inhibit the formation of melanin to create a lighter skin tone.
The regular use of skin lightening products containing mercury can lead to rashes and skin discoloration. Long-term exposure can damage the eyes and multiple organ systems, according to a study published in March by the international coalition Zero Mercury Working Group created by the European Environmental Bureau.
The Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever, locally marketed in India and Bangladesh, announced in a June 24, 2020 public release that it plans to change its skin bleaching cream brand name from “Fair and Lovely” to “Glow and Lovely.” L’Oréal followed Unilever’s steps the same month, according to a June 27, 2020 Guardian article.
Rather than addressing the issue, the brands changed their vocabulary to make them look better. Unilever will no longer use words like “white/whitening,” “light/lightening,” or “fair/fairness” according to its press release.
Unfortunately, banning these products won’t be enough either.
Though skin-lightening products are banned in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana, fair skin is still still seen as desirable and black market sales persist, according to a June 15, 2019 Washington Post article.
It’s imperative to praise dark-skinned women's beauty all around the world to cut societal roots of this public health crisis, and for media and advertisement systems to stop linking lighter skin with beauty and socioeconomic mobility.
The beauty industry must prioritize dark-skinned women's self-esteem and health over making money from colorism and racial inequalities.
