One of the world’s biggest cosmetics company, L’Oreal has announced that they will remove the words ‘white’, ‘fair’ and ‘light’ from its skin products. Neutrogena and Clean & Clear brand, which is under the giant company Johnson & Johnson also announced it would stop selling skin whitening creams sold in Asia and the Middle East.
L’Oreal Backlash
L’Oreal has been accused of hypocrisy for dropping British model Munroe Begdorf from its brand in 2017 for comments she made about systemic racism. Earlier in the month on Twitter, L’Oreal posted the statement, ‘it stands in solidarity with the Black community, and injustice of any kind’, facing huge backlash.
Begdorf recently agreed to serve as a consultant on the L’Oreal’s UK Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board. Following her appointment, she received racist and trans-phobic abuse. Before her announcement, she posted a message on her social media stating:
“Excuse my language but I am SO angry. F**K YOU @lorealparis. You dropped me from a campaign in 2017 and threw me to the wolves for speaking out about racism and white supremacy. With no duty of care, without a second thought,”
Her reconciliation with L’Oreal is the latest example of the Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by the death of George Floyd, are forcing companies to take a hard look at their policies.
Are Skin Whitening Products Safe to Use?
Skin whitening products have been highlighted as a problem due to their branding and marketing concepts recently. Although, the bigger problem lies beneath all the packaging, the ingredients. Are skin whitening products generally safe to use? Or are we putting on a cream that is potentially harmful to our skin.
In this case study we will look at the major brands in the market today, L’Oreal and Garnier, which is valued at 4 billion USD.
L’Oreal Paris White Perfect
“Achieve clear, translucent and radiant skin with White Perfect. It fades dark spots and brightens skin to give you the fair, flawless complexion you desire.“
The description L’Oreal provides when describing their White-Perfect skincare line. But how well does it fair with our Potential Risk Index rating? In all of the products, there are some harmful ingredients that are identifiable.
- Benzyl Alcohol
- Phenoxyethanol
- Methylparaben
- Ethylparaben (night cream)
To many, just like myself, have no knowledge of what these ingredients do. Just how harmful are these ingredients? To list a few of the safety and hazards of them;
- Skin irritation
- Allergic skin reaction
- Serious eye damage and irritation
- May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways
Mental Effect
In South Asian culture, fairer skin can be regarded as superior. For many, it has a negative effect on them, making unhealthy comparisons. Karishma Leckraz, a free-lance make-up artist, stated “it’s so deeply rooted in our culture that if you’re lighter, you’re so much prettier.”
One of the major influences for India is Bollywood, whose stars endorse many of the skin whitening products that are on the market. Adverts have included men being more attracted to women who became lighter-skinned.
In recent weeks, Unilever dropped the word “fair” from its skin-lightening cream in India. A skin tone filter has also been removed from Asian marriage website Shaadi.com because of the uproar of George Floyd’s death.
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We should be comfortable in our own skin. Skin whitening products have harmful ingredients that can do more harm than good. Check the ingredients before making any purchase.
Phenoxyethanol for example can cause a localized toxic sensation of burning and itching through the exposure of dermal tissues. It is a controversial chemical that can be detrimental to marine lives including corals, therefore adversely affecting our environment and our lives. Pregnant women should consult their doctors before using products containing Phenoxyethanol.