The Skin Bleaching & Whitening Industry “I’m not RACIST”- But are you COLOURIST
“ We had spent our lives fighting against
colour
bias, but we realised that
it’s hard to unlearn what we’ve spent our whole lives internalising. Especially when, a billion dollar industry is betting on us all to believe that our dark skin is
undesirable.
Deep Rooted Colourism Is Fueled By The Beauty Industry
The beauty industry continues to grow at an increasingly fast pace, with estimates ranking it at about $532 billion in 2019. Of this $532 billion, the global skin lighteners market is estimated to grow to about $31.2 billion by 2024. And these skin lighteners have been in the market for a long time, physically and emotionally damaging consumers all around the world – especially in the Asia Pacific region. The idea that black is ‘unclean’ fuels the skin whitening industry. Throughout history, society has associated prestige, status, success, beauty, happiness, and anything ‘positive’ with light skin—deeming White civilization superior to other races. Anyone with dark skin would be deemed incompetent, unsuccessful, low-status, or ugly according to society’s standards. The Black Power movement has tried to replace this mode of thinking with messages such as, ‘Black is Beautiful,’ but that message hasn’t undone that centuries of harm that colorism .
In addition to skin whiteners, colorism is present in the lack of proper shade ranges that accurately reflect the true variety of skin tones. It’s important to be aware of a brand’s failure to be racially inclusive as this enforces racist ideals of beauty and keeps us from moving forward into a society that could, and should celebrate diversity. However, many brands have missed the mark and have excluded deeper cosmetic shades in their lines. Excluding an entire group of people by creating cosmetic lines with limited shade ranges sends the message that those with darker skin tones don’t fit into society’s ideal standard of beauty. It’s as if brands include fifty shades of “medium beige” and add on a couple of deep shades at the end as some sort of consolation prize. It’s clear to see that many feel forgotten, excluded, and made to feel ‘less than’ in the makeup world. Makeup and skincare may seem like a trivial topic of discussion for civil rights advancement.
“
We had spent our lives fighting against colour bias, but we realised that it’s hard to unlearn what we have spent our whole lives internalising. Especially, when a billion dollar industry is betting on us all to believe that our dark skin is undesirable.”
What Is Skin Bleaching And Whitening? Skin lightening (SL) for cosmetic reasons is associated with profound negative impacts on well-being and adverse effects on the skin (Charles, 2003), resulting in immense challenges for dermatologists. Despite current regulations, lightening agents continue to dominate the cosmetic industry. In this narrative review, our international team of dermatologists tackles the topic of SL as a global public health issue, one of great concern for both women’s health and racial implications. We examined SL throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas, and aim to inspire a global discourse to increase public education campaigns and formulate how modern dermatologists can utilize scientific evidence and cultural competency to serve and protect patients of diverse skin types and backgrounds. In doing so, we hope to promote healthy skin.
The idealization of light skin as the pinnacle of beauty affects selfesteem for women of color around the world. In many cultures, skin color is a social benchmark that is often used by people of color and whites alike in lieu of race. Attractiveness, marriageability, career opportunities and socioeconomic status are directly correlated with skin color. As a result, many women of color seek chemical remedies to lighten their complexion. They have created a booming global business in bleach creams and injectables valued at US$8.6 billion in 2020; $2.3 billion was spent in the U.S. alone. The market is projected to reach $12.3 billion by 2027. Bleach cream manufacturers now face growing pressure to address racism, with activists arguing that their products perpetuate a preference for lighter skin. In 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced that it will no longer sell products marketed to reduce dark spots.
Pale skin became desirable because for hundreds of years it was associated with wealth and status. After all, only rich women could afford not to work outside, thereby avoiding the skin-darkening effects of the sun. And it wasn’t only lead that people poisoned themselves with in the pursuit of beauty. By the 19th century, arsenic wafers had become a much-promoted beauty treatment. Arsenic was known to be poisonous, but it was thought that tiny amounts would simply induce a fashionable pallor. Unfortunately it was also addictive, so increasing doses were needed to avoid unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Although the number of deaths from arsenic abuse was not trivial, many arsenic eaters managed to develop a certain tolerance for the poison and showed no signs of chronic poisoning. Skin bleaching has become a widespread global phenomenon.
Long Term Effects Of Skin Bleaching Hashtags such as #skinwhitening and #yellowbone, advertising skin products that supposedly deliver immediate results and lead to a happier life, saturate social media platforms, especially Instagram. Most contemporary skinbleaching creams contain ingredients that inhibit the production of melanin, a body chemical that darkens skin. One such ingredient is hydroquinone, a depigmenting agent that lightens skin. But WHO warns that hydroquinone’s side effects include dermatitis (skin irritation), blue-black discolouration and even blindness. Some creams contain steroids, compounds that doctors sometimes prescribe to treat skin conditions such as eczema, allergic reactions and dermatitis, which are meant to be used for not more than seven days and only on affected areas. Overuse of steroid creams over a long period can cause thinning or weakening of the skin.
When we focus on RACISM and not on COLOURISM please note that women darker than a paper bag will continue to be invisible in mainstream media whilst the world celebrates black (but lighter than a paper bag) prominence.
Lack Of Diverse Media Representation Over the past few years, the “Black Girl Magic” movement has exploded onto the movie and television screens across the country. And while it’s a huge step for on-screen representation, there’s just one problem: This representation tends to be limited by Hollywood’s colorism problem. The range of young female blackness displayed on the big screen does not represent the range of blackness seen in today’s society. Based on American media, an outsider could rightfully assume the vast majority of black women in this country are lightskinned, which is not the case. Despite the rise in diversity on film, many black girls are not still not seeing many actors who look like them on-screen. Even Zendaya herself has addressed this, as she openly admitted to “have a bit of a privilege compared to [her] darker sisters and brothers” in her acting career due to having lighter skin, making her more desirable.
To be clear, Hollywood’s issue of colorism is not the fault of lightskinned actresses. They are not the ones perpetuating the belief that a black woman must have light skin and straight or curly hair to be cast as a leading lady. The fault lies with Hollywood producers and casting agents who refuse to push the boundaries and cast young, dark black women in important movie roles — including roles that were made specifically for them only.
“ Society said to me and so many
other dark girls that beauty was our only inherent value as women, but our skin was an obstacle to this beauty that was our currency. ~Zeba Blay
They only choose to endorse a small, incredibly narrow selection of black women, yet at the same time, want to get accolades for also achieving diversity and representation on-screen. This is a problem that’s particular to black women; Just look at dark-skinned male actors like Idris Elba, John Boyega, and Shameik Moore, who are able to achieve a level of success that eludes their dark-skinned female counterparts. While modern Hollywood has made progress in tackling racist history.
It has the visual power to influence, pronounce judgements, divide, confer privileges and even influence the right to love, hate, embrace, protect or kill merely based on colour-the colour of the skin. ~Anuranjita Kumar
How Has Colonisation Affected Colourism in India? Indian society has been primed for years with the notion that fairer skin is simply better. It means you’re more attractive, a more desirable spouse and even a more sought out employee or leader. But where does this colorism come from? Some scholars point to Ancient India and the construction of the caste system, which divided labor among different groups with the intention that each class had an equally important role to society. Yet as time passed, misinterpretation occurred. Higher status went to more “noble” occupations religious Brahmins, education related jobs and lower status belonged to.
After becoming a British colony, the image of a “Black colored” Indian was projected as inferior by British public officials. Darkerskinned Indians were less likely to be hired by the British empire and were given odder jobs and more tedious work, while lighterskinned Indians were targeted as “allies” of the British and were hired more frequently for government roles. As stated by an American Sociological Society paper, “Whiteness became identified with all that is civilised, virtuous and beautiful,” and these lighterskinned Indians were “closer to the opportunities that were only afforded to white people.”
Producers wanted to showcase a feel-good, fun atmosphere with Western ideals, but trying to include these Western ideals also incorporates the image of the lighter, more desirable identity. This is reflected in Indian media its advertisements, TV shows and movies which all emphasize lighter women and men and label them as the mark of beauty. This implicit bias has been internalized by Indian society and culture for decades. It does not outwardly show itself in the same way the United States’ prejudice systemically affects Black Americans, but it still accepts and normalizes the belief that lighter is better. which is harmful.
The Skin Bleaching Epidemic in Nigeria
It is challenging that Nigeria is currently facing an epidemic of drug abuse and unacceptable rates of suicide. But there is a more serious addiction that has taken hold of both men and women in the country. Unfortunately—skin bleaching— this silent epidemic, which has remained with us and has eaten deep into the fabric of almost every family is overlooked. Sadly, while medical experts warn of an imminent increase in number of skin cancer cases among other side effects, many users say it is difficult to stop. Bleaching has become a way of life for many Nigerians. From the streets of Lagos to the remotest community in Maiduguri, users are everywhere. Stories abound about how many women, in particular, deny themselves and their children other basic necessities of life in order to buy these bleaching products. In some cases, homes are broken when money for these creams is not made available or when some ambitious women decided to do otherwise in the quest to maintain the much-desired light skin. Today, the obsession for skin bleaching has been traced to the fact that many Nigerians believed that light-skinned is a sign of beauty, higher status and superiority. Findings have also shown that media representations and lack of public education are among factors fuelling the sharp increase of the dangerous practice. The situation has become so bad that many women now .
Glutathione is an antioxidant naturally found in human cells that neutralises free radicals, boosts the immune system and detoxifies the body. It also causes skin lightening by converting melanin to a lighter colour and deactivating the enzyme tyrosinase, which helps produce the pigment. However, experts say whichever method users are adopting, skin bleaching is life-threatening and comes with different complications including cancer. In the views of a Senior Registrar in Dermatology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
To grasp the extent of Nigeria’s skin lightening obsession, we must understand why a significant part of the population feels the need to alter their natural complexion. Africa’s history of colonisation heavily impacted individual and societal perceptions of beauty. The oppression of Africans during the European colonial era, particularly apartheid in South Africa, still has a negative hold on the continent. In many parts of the black community, being light-skinned is a sign of beauty, superiority and socio-economic status.
77%
60%
60% of the population of India, and 77% of the population of Nigeria uses skin lightening treatments to become fairer. The practice is not new. It became popular in many African countries in the 1950s; today, about 77% of Nigerians, 27% of Senegalese and 35% of South African women bleach their skin. Indian castebased discrimination was outlawed in 1950, but dark-skinned women (and men) are still persecuted – and fair skin remains a distinguishing social factor, associated with purity and elite status. In the Middle East, the practice of bleaching is most common in Jordan, with 60.7% of women bleaching. The Brazilian government seems to sanction white skin over dark by encouraging immigration from Europe.
Skin Lightening Market By Product Type Other
7.5%
Face Masks Scrubs Cleanser & Toners Creams & Lotions
CAGR
Global Skin Lightening Products Market Share (2018) Synthetic Natural Organic
$8.6 Billion The amount spent worldwide on skin bleaching creams in 2020
In the next decade, the rapidly growing market is estimated to reach $24 billion The global skin lightening market value is amounted to be about $4.8 billion in 2020 It is estimated that by 2024, the skin bleaching industry will be worth over £7.2 billion
Push For More Diverse Representation In Media and Society
Stop worrying about the tan:
Change must begin from within. Stop being the only person covered from head-to-toe on the beach, in order to avoid the darkening On a general level, everyone needs of your skin colour. to start proactively challenging Use sun-block to colourist beliefs and behaviours. protect yourself Listen to the experiences of darker from the harmful skinned people, their stories are effects of the sun’s valid. Advocate for them, especially UVA and UVB rays, when they’re not in the (figurative but appreciate and literal) room. Within influencer the Vitamin D and marketing, dark-skinned content healthy bronzecreators aren’t asking for much from coloured glow that brands and agencies: only for fair accompanies being outdoors in the sun. representation and compensation.
Accept that beauty comes in all colours:
Ultimately, each of the steps outlined above will only work to get rid of colourism, if there is a sea-change in the mindset of every person. The supposedly accepted standards of beauty are thrust upon us through advertisements, magazines, TV shows and cinema. The fact that these standards frequently change show that beauty is indeed timeless.
Educate And Inform Others
How are companies and corporations responding to colourism
Some companies have responded. Unilever, the parent company of the popular skin care brand Fair & Lovely, also announced that all skin care products under its umbrella would have the words “fairness”, “whitening”, and “lightening” removed, and the Fair & Lovely brand would be renamed Glow & Lovely. A spokesperson for the company says these changes to the brand were already underway, but have been accelerated in light of recent events – such as the launch of a widespread petition calling for the company to pull Fair & Lovely from shelves altogether, and people on social media denouncing Unilever CEO Alan Jope for criticising systemic racism while continuing to market and sell the incredibly profitable £256m-a-year line. And while changing the name to Glow & Lovely has garnered the company some praise, experts say it’s not enough. It is after all still on the shelves. “The word ‘glow’ itself – the image it is conjuring and the advertisements they produced through the years are women who have this glowing white image. My hope is that we see a complete elimination of this product.”
Colourism consequences
While much more research needs to be done, several studies have pointed out the damage caused by colourism. One consequence is the effect on mental health. One study, for example, found a correlation between symptoms of depression and prejudices against darker skin tones among Asian-American women. “Historically, a lot of communities have held ‘blackness’ as a bad thing and there are lots of connotations of [people who have darker skin tones] being ‘dirty’ or ‘less educated’ that people have culturally transmitted across time, within and outside of their groups,” says Alisia (Giac-Thao) Tran, one of the study’s authors and associate professor of counselling psychology at Arizona State University.
One of the most prominent manifestations of older generations imposing colourist ideals occurs in the realm of matrimony – as seen in Indian Matchmaking. In South Asian communities, it is common practice for parents to arrange the marriages of their adult children by meeting prospective spouses and their families, elders must approve.
“As you move along the color spectrum, the darker you are, the less important, beautiful, viable, or all of those things that society has imposed upon based on that notion of supremacy.” Author and clinical psychologist Dr. Joy DeGury
EVERY COLOUR, EVERY TONE, EVERY SHADE IS BEAUTIFUL
When we focus on RACISM and not on COLOURISM please note that women darker than a paper bag will continue to be invisible in mainstream media whilst the world celebrates black (but lighter than a paper bag) prominence.