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Welcome to my beauty blog! I created this blog because of my love and passion for makeup, skincare and hair. I hope you find this interesting and learn something from my blog. Thanks so much for reading and please follow to show your support!

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Monday, June 14, 2010

FaiResS.oF.Them.aLL = BeauTy?

With the skin lightening industry growing, with pockets of interest and revenue generated all over the world, it leaves you wondering, is the preference of fair skin over olive or dark skin a sign of racism? Or is it just simply "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? 
Historically speaking, fair skin meant that the person was rich and meant they had a high social standing. Dark skin was associated with a labourer, the skin over time became darker due to tending to the crops or farming or road sweeping for example. The obsession with fair skin shows over history. From the slave trade to the rule of British Raj in the Indian Subcontinent. In Japan even, the geishas were and are still known for painting their skin white to represent beauty, grace and a high social status. 
With working in the beauty industry, I get asked many time daily about which products a customer can use to lighten their skin. I always wonder why they want to do it especially when I do not see any age spots on their faces. A lot of the time I find myself asking them. These products and their marketing can lead to insecurities. As these products are mainly targeted toward woman, I believe many of them think it is a sign of beauty to be fair, even still after all these years. I want everyone to take one thing away from this post and that is "you are beautiful no matter what colour, shape, or size you are, everyone is beautiful in their own unique way." I am so proud of my skin colouring! I am mexican/spanish and chinese and I am a nice olive skin colour.
I believe that skin lightening products should only be used for age spots or scarring or pigmentation problems such as pregnancy masks. But to lighten your skin I think is wrong. This subject can be a very controversial topic to discuss as it involves effects on health, identity, self image, racial supremacy and colonial mentality. There is proof that some skin lightening products are harmful. 
Just needed to get that out of my system. Now there are legitimate reasons to lighten the skin. 
It does not matter on nationality or skin colour, you can have uneven skin pigmentation. You could experience blotchiness, patches of brown or freckles. This is caused by too little or too much melanin. Melanin is a pigment produced by melanocytes which creates skin colour, eye colour and hair colour. 

Effects of skin lightening?
It causes sun sensitivity. If you are lightening you skin, make sure to wear a sunscreen! No matter what!!
Some ingredients have been proven to cause leukemia in mice or other animals such as hydroquinone. 
Some skin whiteners contain toxic ingredients such as mercury(II) chloride or ammoniated mercury. 

Ingredients to look for
Kojic acid
Glycolic acid
Niacinamide(vitamin B3)
licorice extract
vitamin C
Morus alba(white mulberry)
Broussoneita papyrifera(paper mulberry)
Mitracarpus scaber extract

If you have any questions about certain products let me know. Or want advice on which to choose as well. I highly recommend doing your research first though.
Thanks for reading! Please FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT!

8 comments:

MINAKICHU said...

Nice post! I'm a sucker for skin lightening products mainly because I feel I look better with it. It just depends on how you view it. But to each his own. I've used kojic, arbutin, glutathione... You name it! Oh well I'm just happier with this tone. Same way other people love their bronzed or tanned look:-)

Unknown said...

And then there are fair skinned people who want to be dark and go to the tanning bad daily. :)

Gennny_fromtheblock said...

hey hun, i'm having a blog sale on my blog. so please feel free to check it out! thanks =)

Kristie said...

I agree with you on using whitening products to help with acne scars. That's the only reason why I purchase them. I never quite understand the obsession behind wanting to look pale for asians.

Miss Krimson said...

To each their own. I mean if you feel better with lighter skin then so be it. It just kills me when I know that some customers look horrible with light skin or the ones wearing TOO light foundation... looks bad.
Maricela

Hershley's Sweet Kiss said...

AMazing Post! it so sad that our our has this horrible history of hate and resentment. I happy to be 100% haitian with caramel dark skin. This make up world can ready suck for darker skined women... I dont really know many companies that make foundation for my skin color. And most bronzers on the market are the same color as my skin completion...and i dont think im dark at all. I love my skin color! and I enbrace other women for the beauty they have.

http://sweetkissmessage.blogspot.com/

Hershley's Sweet Kiss said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Miss Krimson said...

Hershley's Sweet Kiss: Thanks for the compliment! You are beautiful btw! It does really suck that history was that way. but thats why there are people like us. To make this world a better place :) And it is true that darker skins have a very hard time finding the right colour as there is not much selection. But on the other spectrum. Same with the fairer ladies, it's hard for them too. Btw if you have never tried Coverfx. they have beautiful darker colours.
Maricela

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