This story is part of ‘White lies’, a series by CNN’s As Equals investigating skin whitening practices worldwide to expose the underlying drivers of colorism, the industry that profits from it and the cost to individuals and communities. For information about how CNN As Equals is funded and more, check out our FAQs.
In 2020, as the Black Lives Matter movement amplified calls for racial justice in the US and beyond, a succession of corporate announcements signaled what appeared to be a watershed moment for the cosmetics industry.
With multinationals pressured by the public to express support for racial equality, consumers were quick to highlight the inconsistency between companies’ public statements and their continued promotion of creams, serums and lotions promising to “whiten” users’ skin. In response, several major skincare manufacturers pledged to revise their branding and product lines.
Johnson & Johnson announced it would stop selling skin whitening products altogether in Asia and the Middle East. L’Oréal promised to remove words like “whitening” and “fair” from its ranges. So did Unilever, which also bowed to growing pressure by renaming its controversial South Asia-focused brand, Fair & Lovely, to Glow and Lovely.
Nivea’s owner, Beiersdorf AG, also distanced itself from the terms “whitening” and “fair,” telling Allure magazine that it was carrying out an “in-depth review” into its “product offering and marketing approach.” Last year the German company told CNN it had conducted the review and, taking extensive consumer research into account, would cease communications that “do not embrace the complexions of our diverse consumer base.”
For campaigners, these were small but significant steps toward rewriting industry narratives equating beauty — and, often, success and happiness — with whiteness. Indeed, visit any of these cosmetic giants’ websites from the US or Europe today, and explicit references to skin color are seemingly absent.
Log on from Asia,…
Source : cnn
