So, the tricky subject of ‘skin whitening’ caused a rightful furore on the internet last week, fuelled by an ad and video from Thai based brand, Seoul Secret. The premise of the ad is that you’ll be more successful with whiter skin. To my eyes, this is absolutely shocking (and in fact, to many other people’s eyes too, as the ad and video were removed) the brand issued an apology saying they hadn’t meant to offend anyone. Oh, right then.
However, while we’re all in the throws of being ecstatic about Asian beauty (me very much included!), this whole ‘whitening’ issue is being swept under the carpet when in fact, it’s a good opportunity to face it head-on. A few years ago, I contacted a beauty editor from an Asian magazine to try and get her spin on why ‘whitening’ was so important. I got back a very detailed reply that amounted to it just being something that she’d always done and it was a cultural thing. I felt it wasn’t publishable at the time because it seemed such a narrow view, when in the UK beauty world, we are championing more make up for women of colour and begging for more tones to suit the diversity of our nation while embracing beauty products from other countries and cultures.
And yet, ‘whitening’ is certainly present in the UK beauty arena. A quick check on Selfridges.com shows Guerlain Blanc de Perle, Suqqu Whitening Concentrate and La Prairie White Whitening Lotion. At Harrods.com you’ll find SKII Whitening Source Skin Brightener and Sisley Phyto-Blanc Absolute Whitening Essence. You’ll often see the ‘softer’ word, ‘brightening’, used instead of whitening, and while these products don’t contain the dangerous ingredient Quinone which can have a bleaching effect on skin, they are often aimed at those that want ‘whiter’ skin. Skin brightening is a tricky one – who doesn’t want their skin looking bright and even toned? Brightening often targets un-even pigmentation to get a more uniform tone to the skin, which doesn’t seem that undesirable to me, but ‘brightening’ can often be a sub-text and word use for overall skin lightening that just sounds a bit more palatable to the western ear than whitening.
Horrid and clumsy as it is, at least the Seoul Secrets ad gives us a window into another culture where it’s acceptable to suggest that darker skin is not desirable. And that, in turn, gives us a chance to have a think about whether the UK beauty world is treading on some dangerous ground. We are following Asian beauty culture as a pack right now – it can only be a matter of time before some intense re-labelling (if it hasn’t happened already) occurs as more and more Asian skin care brands enter the UK market. I’ve just been scooting around the Dr Jart Korean site which has an entire section dedicated to ‘dark skin’. On the US Dr Jart site, there is no such section.
I don’t think any beauty culture in the world would come out all sunshine and roses – we all have very set ideas of what is beautiful and what isn’t (hello Instagram filters!). The global reaction to the Seoul Secrets ad has been so strong that it will hopefully serve as a warning shot to beauty brands that tread a very precarious line between whitening and brightening.
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17 comments
I understand wanting a bright, healthy skin. But I don’t get the whole lighter, whiter trend. For me tanned skinned is more beautiful and that’s what I look for. I also think that dark skin in general is beautiful and most of the times dark skinned people look much younger than their years.
It’s a really tricky one as it’s definitely a cultural thing and almost all Asian girls will say that they would like paler, whiter (or as you say, brighter) skin which is linked to being more attractive and healthier looking. People in Asia carry umbrellas around in the Summer to stop themselves tanning and to preserve whiter skin and wearing SPF 50 daily is totally normal. My aunt in Hong Kong will wear a hat and a surgical face mask in the Summer to stop herself from catching any sun – which is crazy.
I’ve owned different ‘whitening’ products in the past but that Ad is absolutely shocking and is definitely fueling the obsession with being fairer skinned – I’m not surprised that it was taken down as it’s really quite offensive!
As a Korean woman I would say that the Western world seems to misunderstand the desire for whitening and brightening products in Asia. The word whitening is a poor descriptor, as effective skin pigment lightening ingredients such as hydroquinone and mercury salts are generally banned in most Asian countries. They definitely are in Korea . I would say the overall desire for the vast majority of Korean women is for a more radiant brighter complexion as we believe that the natural warm yellowish skin tone can appear tired or dull, what in the West we often refer to as sallow. This is why colour correctors (e.g. lilac, green, peach toned creams) are more popular in Korean than I’ve seen in the West.
The geographical location of many Asian countries also mean that the sun and UV rays are stronger and therefore UV induced uneven pigmentation and age spots are a real problem. This is why SPF is a non-negotiable in Korean beauty routines.
However this does not mean lighter skin tone or bleaching. The terms “white” and “dark” to describe skintone are politically charged but they are descriptive as well. Is it not common for Korean women to want to be “whiter” these days. There has been a tendency for the West to pass judgement on Asian women wanting to be paler but perhaps we should look at the proliferation of fake tans and bronzer here to recognise that wanting to alter our skin tone is the same here. Given that tanning is harmful to skin, and there is evidence that the majority of DHA self-tanners can cause damage, getting darker is not altogether safe either.
Short answer: love the skin you’re in. As an Asian woman, I’ve dabbled in both self-tan and skin brighterning/whitening but ultimately faking it always looks weird and is too high maintenance for me.
I think it’s a really complicated subject but thank you so much for your perspective which is very helpful x
I think it’s essentially the same thing in the western world, isn’t it? Everybody says that being tan is the ultimate ideal and the same message is being marketed to the whole world (hello?! Bronzing mousse, bronzers are all over the place). Ads showing pale people is less desirable compared to tan skin are everywhere. I understand that the Seoul Secret ad has gone a bit too far, but we should all see things in perspective. Companies are always trying to make as much profit as possible. Trying to sell anything to the whole world for more profit. We as consumers have to be mindful of all marketing strategies.
Yeah, horrendous advert. I use a Korean ‘whitening’ cream for my acne scars but I think whitening is definitely the wrong word! There are some great aspects to Korean beauty- this is not one of them!
I understand that the point of many asian whitening products are to reduce or eliminate hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and other skins issues. And thats perfect, we all love baby smooth skin 🙂 But what I dont understand of this ad is why they painted black the model’s skin? Theres no reason for that, and of course is offensive and make it easily to misunderstand. Surely, the objective of this brand was not offend other people, but making their model appear black, was a big mistake. Every culture in world is beautiful, however you have dark or pale skin, you are beautiful and unique.
Different is beautiful.
I remember going mad for the SKII products when they first came out. I have a really boring pale skin but, at 75, with lots of ‘freckles’ (aka sun damage :(). The sales lady at the SKII counter in Selfridges did a good sales job and I bought lots of products. The result was that my pale skin got paler, thus showing up the skin damage even more. Ack!!! I’ve always envied people with coloured skin — so beautiful, so vibrant.
I am Chinese-Filipino and grew up in the Philippines but I have lived in Europe and the US after age 18. Here’s my perspective.
The term “whitening” as used in Asian cosmetics means: (1) paler skin; and (2) skin without brown spots, freckles, scars, or hyperpigmentation. To claim it means only white skin is not quite accurate.
The outrage among Westerners concerning the Thai black-face ad has a lot to do with the history of racial discrimination against black people in the West. Given that in Asia, there is no sizeable population of people whose ancestors come from Africa, there has been little sensitivity to this issue. There is more sensitivity now because of 2 things: (1) globalization of news and social media, allowing people from all over the world to have access to Thai (and other Asian) ads, and therefore getting upset when they see things like this; and (2) Thai people themselves are traveling a lot, reading foreign press and looking at foreign ads, so becoming sensitive to Western ideas about what is acceptable and what is not in advertising. That’s why a number of Thai people were also upset.
Historically, pale skin versus tanned skin has had more to do with class than race. Traditionally, pale skin meant you weren’t outside in the fields working – you weren’t a peasant. In the West, this is what it also used to mean. But with the rise of the leisure class, who had a lot of holiday time and money to loll around on the beaches of France, Italy, Greece and Spain, having a tan meant you belonged to that class. Hence in the US, Britain, France and so on, cosmetics companies began marketing self-tanning and fake tan products.
In Asia, you have to be careful about which countries you are looking at. The Philippines, with its history of Spanish colonization (around 400 years), there is definitely a racial element that cannot be separated from class. Filipinos with Spanish blood are fairer and constitute the upper class of society. If you look at the photos of the Filipino upper class attending galas, parties, and other social functions, you will see that they are taller and fairer than the vast majority of Filipinos. In the Philippines, it’s a compliment when people say you are “mestizo” (mixed blood) – they mean you look more beautiful than others.
You say the same about Japan and Korea which were not colonies of European countries. The preference for “whitening” comes from a completely different source.
But back to the world of commerce: cosmetics companies care mostly about making money and they don’t want bad publicity. So, no matter where they are, they adopt “international” standards of sensitivity which are ultimately Western standards of sensitivity because if they don’t, their politically incorrect ads will be tweeted around the world and their brands will suffer.
It’s ironic though that no one in Asia complains about the Western ads showing heavily tanned white women lounging on the beach exposing their skin to harmful UV rays. Asians don’t go around screaming that the ads are encouraging Asians to sun themselves and increase their risk of getting skin cancer. In my opinion, ads like these are much more harmful.
I understand.. until being ‘tanned’ became a symbol of wealth and prosperity in the UK (because you could afford to go on holiday etc), it was a similar thing as you say. But, without getting into a huge, huge race debate here, because it isn’t the place for it, the UK has a vastly different demographic now than even a few years ago and we need to be able to cater to all. Ethnicities are underserved in the UK. So, while I understand that there are historical and social background, I would argue that we struggle to cater to racial diversity still and something like this gives us pause for thought because we live in the now. I see that CookiesNoMore thinks there is bias – it’s my point of view that it is not helpful for a multi-cultural country like the UK to promote whiteness as an ideal. If you want to split hairs about what whitening means, eradicating natural freckling, for example, so your skin can look ‘whiter’… I don’t see that as an ideal either because it promotes one tone. However, the point of the post was to provoke debate and though, and thank you for your very detailed and thoughtful comment.
Esme, exactly what I said above. There’s a certain unfair bias here.
Very well articulated and interesting to read. So much conversation about “Asian” beauty tends to be centred around South Korea these days, but it is just one country. Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective.
I definitely understand the controversy though I would gravitate towards whitening products on the basis that being white as a milk bottle I want products that work with my colouring and might provide a slightly lighter base so that foundations look more natural on me (trying to find foundation for pale skin that isn’t too yellow or too pink is difficult for me and a whiter base helps neutralise and adapt the colour). With Tony Moly Panda’s Dream the graphic implies that the panda wants to get rid of the dark circles round his eyes therefore the whitening in that would to me be more like making dark circles, red/sallow/dark eyelids, dark pigmentation, scars or blemishes lighter and less noticeable, presumably using other skin coloured products on top of that. If you don’t want/need that then the product isn’t aimed at you. I also remember in the late 80s being bought Dior’s Blanc de Blancs foundation and powder so such products have been around for us palefaces a long time and sat alongside other foundation and powder shades without comment.
I see it much the same as avoiding things with “glow”, “healthy radiance”, “summer skin”, “tinted” etc in the title as they are aimed at adding tanned colour to the skin, which on me looks as if I haven’t washed, while at the same time implying that I will look horribly pale/ill/unhealthy/not normal if I don’t use it. To me, using fake tan, bronzer etc is as wrong as it promotes a brown skin colour (or even orange) as normal and anyone not choosing to look like that is strange and needs to be told how to be different. Even a pro make up artist added bronzer to me when I was trying out their foundation despite me saying I don’t use it – she was horrified and told me I should to add colour and interest to my face. I don’t tan naturally, if the sun hits my face it turns it bright pink not bronze and now I just look as if I’ve rubbed grubby fingers round my face, cheers! Swings and roundabouts, though the language and images used can make one look racist and the other seem normal.
*Not advocating use of language/images implying that any one skin colour is better than another.
It is still prevalant amongst black people some countries more open about it it’s very obvious nd dangerous
Hi Jane. First of all, I do love your blog and all the wonderful products you write about. I saw the video of you from Sali’s youtube channel and became an avid reader ever since.
I am from the Philippines and I can say that this is very much an Asian thing (and extremely prevalent in our country). Our race is made up of different races (Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, etc.) so it is very common here to have different skin colors ranging from very pale to very dark and tanned. It seems like being whiter here means more opportunities. Step into any drugstore and you will find that most of the products on the shelves are aimed to make you fairer. Even on ads, it seems like having a fair model would mean better sales. It is a little difficult to explain but I should say that it leads back to history. Even ads here use fairer models than those with darker skin, as it makes it more aspirational to the everyday woman. (I’ve heard that even in China, darker skin is shunned). Recently, I’m seeing younger women here who are starting to be proud of their natural color but it seems like it’s going to take years before most of them (if not all) love their own skin color. XO from the Philippines.
Thanks John for following and also for your interesting response. x
This is interesting – well firstly the advert is absolutely stupid and tasteless, no doubt.
But in terms of Asian beauty – I personally think, that Whitening is more of a blanket term for products that create what they call the ‘transparent’ skin – pale, smooth, unblemished, almost like porcelain. That obsession with white pale skin I thought, came from the age old belief that the wealthy or educated stayed indoors or had office jobs and the poor worked outdoors and therefore caught the sun and got ‘darker’. The word Whitening could easily be substituted for Brightening, I think it is essentially the same thing in therms of Asian products but then, many things are lost in translation. For example, only with a Korean brand can you get products for blocked pores on your nose called ‘Pig Nose’ (gee thanks!). It all sounds that bit harsher but then, Asian culture is that bit harsher when talking about peoples appearances.
Most of the whitening products I have seen remove (or try to remove) hyperpigmentation and freckles caused by sun damage (quite a big Asian skincare concern). I remember being concerned about being recommended some products from Shu Uemura that was for whitening, and I said I am not ‘in to that’ and the sales assistant (who happened to be black) said it’s not going to lighten my skin, just give it that brightness, and that she used it herself for the same reason.
Also whitening ranges specific to Asia have been around forever – Chanel, Dior, YSL, even The Body Shop etc. there’s such a small market for it here compared to Asia where I think you can be judged more harshly on the quality of your skin. When my mum meets someone, she might say to me, “Oh didn’t she have lovely skin?” as opposed to, “I like her handbag”. Anyway I think that is why brands like Dr Jart don’t even bother having their whitening ranges on the Western websites.
Whilst Korean skincare may take off over in the UK, I don’t think many people will necessarily buy in to the whitening thing too much – everyone loves fake tan so much!