Well, there’s no easy way to tackle the topic of skin whitening for lady parts, but this Huffington Post feature here picked up news of a feminine hygiene product from India, said to brighten the intimate area by many shades. Fair & Lovely Clean & Dry Intimate Wash has spread horror across the internet at the very idea that anybody would need a ‘brighter’ vagina. My views on skin bleaching and whitening are clear; there is no need for it but I know that’s easy to say when I am not submerged in a culture where skin whitening is common. There is a whole shedload of issues all rolled up in this one product, because you don’t actually really even need a feminine wash; the ad just dives on into a million and one insecurities about the female body and at the same time keys into all sorts of ethnicity issues. Way to go.. one tiny product causes so much trouble.
But all that said, who has the time? Seriously? I have enough trouble keeping my face looking half decent and it strikes me that if you’ve really sat down and considered that your vagina needs a brightening treatment, you just have far, far too much time on your hands.
It’s the first time I have heard of a ‘brightener’ for that area, but at one beauty trade show, when I was looking for brands to bring onto a retail site I was working for I came across an entire range, including wash, moisturiser and soothing balm for what was excruciatingly referred to the entire way through the pitch as your ‘intimacy’. The range also now includes a Protective Haze to ‘neutralize the friction of synthetic lingerie’. What..really? The one product I did think was a great idea was a pack of wipes, ph balanced and freshening without chemicals (thinking for flights here, or even for women who live in extremely hot countries) but they are now bafflingly discontinued.
It seems the beauty industry is determined to refresh the parts that other products can’t and unless we make sure that we don’t actually buy into yet another body insecurity formulated by fiction, they might actually just do it.
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11 comments
Ridiculous. All of it. Who gets taken in by this nonsense?
And don’t use wipes either. You don’t have sweat glands there so you can’t get overly sweaty or smelly. Leave well alone.
I am totally with you on the fact that these companies are thriving on the insecurities of women who don’t realise that these things aren’t actually necessary.
A woman’s ‘intimacy’ (cringe) has evolved to clean itself and keep itself healthy. It has a delicate pH balance that if disturbed by fancy creams and lotions, can cause infections due to changing the balance and eliminating healthy bacteria that prevent these things.
As for brightening…what the? That is pretty weird, but you are right, it must be more acceptable in countries where skin bleaching is more the norm. Crazy things people will do for men.
x
Interesting indeed! Ive got an issue with ph down there and all sorts of inbalances, so wipes, any sort of soap or literally any intervention (how bad does that sound) is just a big nono if I wanna stay sane, I even have to watch food, no too spicy, not too much chocolate, argh.
But that whitening issue, if Im gonna be totally honest, I think it might have a use. I guess I do have some hyper pigmentation issues after epilating, so can imagine that Im not the only one and there would be a market for such a thing?
x
Is this the one with the frankly offensive and misogynistic video ad?
the only market for this is porn stars who might want, the skin around the bum, omg i cant believe i am talking about that, lighter for better presentation. if there is a proper product for that, then it’s better that that some people using more dangerous methods and not safe for the hoo ha and assorted bits. having said, do i want to see adverts for that on blogs and on magazines? no. this belongs to the shelves of ann summers, not on beauty blogs and such xx
would i personally find some use for this and buy this? hell no. i have got better things to worry about. haha xx
This does seem really ridiculous product. I read this article yesterday which deals with the same issue: http://www.xojane.com/sex/vagina-videos, where a gynecologist discusses whether similar products are actually safe for our lady parts.
Thankfully it seems most men in India are even more turned off by the advert and the product than the women. Except, of course, this super-intelligent and experienced male advertising exec who gives this explanation:
“It is hard to deny that fairness creams often get social commentators and activists all worked up. What they should do is take a deep breath and think again. Lipstick is used to make your lips redder, fairness cream is used to make you fairer—so what’s the problem? I don’t think any Youngistani today thinks the British Raj/White man is superior to us Brown folk. That’s all 1947 thinking!
The only reason I can offer for why people like fairness, is this: if you have two beautiful girls, one of them fair and the other dark, you see the fair girl’s features more clearly. This is because her complexion reflects more light. I found this amazing difference when I directed Kabir Bedi, who is very fair and had to wear dark makeup for Othello, the Black hero of the play. I found I had to have a special spotlight following Kabir around the stage because otherwise the audience could not see his expressions.”
Seriously!!?!
“I have enough trouble keeping my face looking half decent and it strikes me that if you’ve really sat down and considered that your vagina needs a brightening treatment, you just have far, far too much time on your hands.”
I totally agree! You summed my feelings on the issue up perfectly.
I find this quite disturbing to be honest.
I suffer from an auto immune disorder called Vitiligo. My bodyattacks the pigment in my skin and as a result i have permanent pure white patches.
It started on my hands in very small dots but now my work affected areas are my “lady area”, in between my buttocks, under my arms and it is now spreading to my face.
My vitiligo was triggered by another health issue which i unfortunately have for life so i haven’t a clue if it will ever get better.
Knowing how much distress this has caused me, lots of worry and tears, i fail to see why anyone would want to intentionally do it to themselves.
I’m 28 with dark hair and olive skin, so its really noticeable.
It took me months to allow my boyfriend “down there” because i was so scared my patches would put him off. Turns out he didn’t even notice! And now he makes light of it (no pun intended) by playing that game where you find shapes in clouds but on my thighs and “area”….. Go figure.
I’m used to it now, although the fact its spreading across my body still concerns and upsets me but its beyond my control.
I know its not the same, but I would urge people to steer clear of skin bleaching in any form at all.
Basically, what it means is, “Congratulations ladies! There is yet one more thing that’s wrong with you!”
Crazy! Yet another thing WRONG with our vaginas!
Pft!
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