Madame Noire has given notice to many topical discussions including one phenomenon starting to emerge in the Western culture about women of color bleaching their skin.
We gave you the inside story and picked up startling facts. Apparently, there was a growing trend among women of color in communities retouching their skin to appear lighter. The news probably hit so close to home for some whose relatives or friends have fallen victim to this precarious skin-bleaching procedure. To our disillusionment, we’ve uncovered a few instances of men bleaching their skin too, and markets opening to them.
Skin-bleaching has generated into a billion-dollar franchise, and developed into a socio-economic debate in the most diplomatic countries around the world.
Is it ethical for men to deviate from their ethnic makeup? And second, are companies misinforming the general public by suggesting that fair skin is better?
Here are six sources of evidence to suggest more men are taking on this trend:
Evidence #1: The U.K. craze
There are various skin lightening and bleaching products on the market for men including this serum released by a company in the United Kingdom:
“Men make up 25% of our customers. Their needs range from wanting to lighten just their face to their entire body. Men come to us looking for a solution that’s suited to their needs.We have found that men want to lighten their face and arms mainly also scar marks on their face caused from razor cuts and bumps which have left a dark mark on their face. This can be easily gotten rid of or lightened by Nur76 Skin Lightening serums.
The men’s skin lightening market is currently under-served and we want to let men know that Nur76 is for men too.”
Source: www.UKSkinLightening.co.uk
Evidence #2: The Mad Facebook Ad
Believe it or not, Facebook has a stake in the skin-lightening venture. India’s users have grativated to Vaseline’s newest service that reads, “Transform Your Face on Facebook with Vaseline Men” that is designed to lighten skin pigmentation in application profile pictures.
“The app was developed to promote Vaseline’s line of skin lightening creams for men by cashing in on India’s notorious preference for lighter skin tones.
The first skin lightening cream for women was introduced in India in the late ’70s and the men’s cream, known as Fair & Handsome, followed in 2005.
Confirming this obsession with lighter tones, Shaadi.com, an online dating site in India, polled nearly 12,000 people in 2009 and asked what they look for when picking a partner. An overwhelming response showed that users considered a fair complexion to be the most important criteria in choosing a mate.”
Source: thegrio.com
Evidence #3: Fair & Handsome Product
India advertized a 40-second commercial about a new skin-bleaching cream catering to men. The product, “Fair and Handsome” for men was a major profit in Europe and Asia for its wide appeal in bleaching darker skin tones. But the campaigners saw it as a ploy for racial prejudice.
Kiran Kaur, a human rights activist in London in west London commented on the Fair and Handsome product:
“The ad simply reinforces the idea that you’ve got to be fair to be anything in life,” says Kiran. “It says that if you’re fair and good looking, you’ll be a wonderful daughter-in-law or husband, your skin colour determines how successful you’ll be in life. The ad reinforces age-old prejudices.”
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
As a footnote, the skin-lightening industry is worth an estimated $100 million in India.
Evidence #4: Germany’s skin-bleaching pill
Germany has an exclusive pill that perfects skin whitening for men and women including body lotions and anti-aging creams.
Mosbeau products are created for the perfection of skin whitening. Exclusively made in Japan, all Mosbeau products are developed from high-quality, proven safe and effective ingredients like Placental Protein, Collagen, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Vitamin C and Glutathione.
Skin whitening cream for men. Skin whitening cream for women. Whitening body lotion for men. Whitening body lotion for women. Whitening pills for men. Whitening pills for women. Anti-aging cream for men. Anti-aging cream for women. Skin whitening for men and women.
Source: blogcatalog.com
Evidence #5: Middle East phenomenon
The Middle East is the breeding ground for skin lightening creams. Their enterprise, BeautyWorld Middle East encompasses a network of beauty brands, cosmetics and fragrances that reach men and women. Recently, their skincare products have intrigued the male population at large. Hence, the skin-lightening creams which have taken the industry by storm. Men are starting to use these products to lighten their overall skin tones.
Managing Director Elizabeth Brehl, raised global initiatives to expand the product at an event for BeautyWorld Middle East:
“Skin lightening is one of the increasingly growing segments of the global beauty industry, with Asia holding the maximum market share and the most potential to expand.”
“The growth in ethnic populations in the UK and US is now said to have accelerated demand for lightening products in the West. Over time, skin whitening products have grown from being lim-ited to only facial care, to encompass overall skincare. Another trend witnessed in the skin whitening market is the huge rise in usage of skin lightening products by men.”
Source: http://www.ameinfo.com
Evidence #6: A More Aggressive Stance Against Hydroquinone
In 2006, the United States proposed a ban on skin-bleaching creams with the powerful drug, hydroquinone that is prevented from being sold over-the-counter unless with a doctor’s prescription. These cremes which contain the skin bleaching agent, are predisposed to possible skin disfigurations and cancer.
According to the Food and Drug Administration:
An estimated 65 companies in the United States sell roughly 130 different skin-bleaching creams and other products that contain hydroquinone.
However, the drug’s link to a disfiguring condition called ochronosis has been widely documented since 1975 in black women and men in South Africa, Britain and the U.S.
The condition is marked by the darkening and thickening of the skin, as well as the appearance of tiny dome-shaped bumps and grayish-brown spots, the FDA said. Studies report the signs have appeared in users even after short-term use of the creams.
Since 1983, South Africa has limited the concentration of hydroquinone in skin-lightening products to 2 percent to combat ochronosis.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com
