Asia's Skin Whiteners Won't Fade Away

The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 also put a spotlight on marketing pitches and consumer products with racist or colorist legacies around the globe. Some companies in the U.S. responded by dropping Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben's, and other racially charged brands. In the cosmetics world, howeve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bloomberg businessweek (Online) 2021-09 (4714), p.17
Main Authors: Chuwiruch, Prim, Makol, Malavika Kaur, Saxena, Ragini
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Cosmetics
Cosmetics industry
Marketing
Skin
Skin care products
Skin diseases
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 also put a spotlight on marketing pitches and consumer products with racist or colorist legacies around the globe. Some companies in the U.S. responded by dropping Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben's, and other racially charged brands. In the cosmetics world, however, not much has changed. Skin whitening in Asia is big business. From Japan to India, pharmacies and department-store cosmetics counters peddle all sorts of body moisturizers, face creams, and serums that promise to whiten users' skin, playing off a traditional belief that a light complexion denotes status and wealth because people with fairer skin can afford to stay inside instead of toiling for hours under the sun. Abandoning the whiter-is-better marketing pitch hasn't been as straightforward in Asia, largely because the products are so popular there.
ISSN:0007-7135
2162-657X