Skin-Whitening Products Are Still Big Business in Asia

The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 also put a spotlight on marketing pitches and consumer products with racist or colorist legacies around the globe. Some companies in the U.S. responded by dropping Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s, and other racially charged brands. In the cosmetics world, however, not much has changed. A popular commercial on the YouTube channel of French cosmetics giant L’Oréal SA’s Garnier skin-care brand in Thailand shows how its Sakura White masks and creams can help women achieve “Korean pinkish skin” in only a few steps. “It’ll transform dull skin to bright-pink color in just seven days,” a woman says in Thai, her smile growing wider as her skin transforms from dark to light. The video has had 11 million views.

Skin whitening in Asia is big business. From Japan to India, pharmacies and department-store cosmetics counters peddle all sorts of body moisturizers, face creams, and serums that promise to whiten users’ skin, playing off a traditional belief that a light complexion denotes status and wealth because people with fairer skin can afford to stay inside instead of toiling for hours under the sun.