Efforts to lighten the skin using harsh chemicals have dated as far back as the sixteenth century in certain Asian countries, and even today, the skin whitening industry continues to have mass popularity. In fact, it is estimated that the industry as a whole will be worth over $31,200,000,000 in three years’ time. However, it must be noted that it is a business built on insecurities, potential hazards, and peer pressure.
A recent study found that over half of men and women in India had tried, or continuously use, skin lightening products, and 44.6% felt the need to have paler skin due to social media, television advertisements, and the desire to keep up with models. This is alarming, as bleaching creams are known to use chemicals such as mercury and hydroquinone to reduce the amount of melanin in the skin. This can result in possible kidney failure, as it can be very difficult to know just how poisonous these chemicals are. There is also an immense amount of psychological damage, not just to the individual, but to the society as well. Darker-skinned Asians have often stated experiencing a sense of inferiority.
Inna Samson, who grew up in the Philippines, was recently interviewed by Refinery 29, explained that she was 15 when she finally gave in to the pressure to take pills to lighten her skin tone. “It’s definitely the biggest regret I have from high school. I was always called beautiful, but…; beautiful, but dark. Beautiful, but short. There was always a ‘but.’ I just thought, Maybe if I were fairer, I’d be a little more attractive to boys, my parents could show me off more, or I’d be seen as smarter or more responsible. That fair girl in my head is someone that’s a little better than me.” Unfortunately, Samson’s story is not unique. The Philippines was ruled by Spain for 333 years before it was briefly occupied by Japan and then the U.S. before gaining independence in 1946. There is a deeply ingrained desire to emulate western beauty ideals.
However, there is some hope that with the help of celebrities, colorism can start to enter the fore in Asian public discourse. In 2016, Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee spoke out about being bullied for her darker complexion; indeed, Bollywood is a paragon of colorism that casts fair-skinned actors in leading roles almost exclusively. This helped prompt a backlash when lighter-skinned Bollywood superstars such as Sonam Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra Jonas started posting about solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Critics argued that not only were their careers made possible because of ‘pale privilege’ but that they also actively reinforced these biases by being brand ambassadors for skin-whitening creams.
All in all, it will be a long time before the long-standing beauty stereotype is altered, however, regulation of the harmful skin bleaching creams would be the first step that many countries need to take in order to battle the toxicity of the industry.
