The obsession to have whiter skin has been prevalent all over Asia. Pale skin is said to be the dominant beauty norm, so skin whitening products can be seen here and there. But why a lot of Asians are fascinated to have whiter complexion?
Billboards and advertisements of skin whitening products can be seen on the streets of many Asian countries. You can't deny it is a big business as a lot of people are dreaming of having paler skin.
In a survey by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 40 percent of women from China, Malaysia, South Korea, and the Philippines use whitening products. Sixty percent of India's skincare market is also dominated by whitening products.
"It's a multibillion-dollar industry," Nathalie Africa-Verceles, director of the Manila-based University of Philippines Center for Gender and Women Studies, said. "It will continue for a very long time, and I don't think it will stop."
GlobeNewswire reported the global skin whitening products market has a value of about $4,075 million in 2017. It is even expected to reach around $8,895 million by 2024. Euromonitor revealed China's anti-aging and the skin-whitening market had a value of $618.8 billion, Thailand had $432.2 billion, and Taiwan had $334 million in 2014.
Skin lightening products use synthetic or natural ingredients to decrease the melanin content to make the skin look paler or whiter. There are different lightening agents that help achieve whiter complexion by lessening skin pigmentation. Some whitening products even have anti-aging properties.
The industry of skin lightening products grows because of the continuous demand of the people who becomes more conscious of their looks. The fastest selling whitening products are said to be lotions and creams because of its easy availability.
But aside from the desire to have whiter complexion, there is a "deeply rooted cultural notion" as to why people want to have paler skin. According to the South China Morning Post, dark skin is often associated with poverty.
People who are working in the fields are said to have a dark skin tone, while the ones who have fairer skin are believed to be living a more comfortable life. They are not working under the sun, so they have higher socioeconomic status.
People in the Philippines have tanned or darker skin, but the society favors those who have fairer skin. "We've already accepted being white is equivalent to being beautiful," Marvie Dela Torre, a student from the country, said.
Africa-Verceles said beauty is a "social, cultural, political, and economic issue." It has been a part of beauty companies to promote the beauty of having whiter skin to sell their products. However, these businesses are capitalizing to the people's insecurities by promising a "better-looking," whiter self with the use of their products.
The fascination with having whiter complexion goes beyond the physical looks. It runs deep from the cultural to the societal issues.
