The preference for lighter skin has its roots in colonial histories.
STEFAN HEUNIS/AFP via Getty Images
A scholar of social work shares what he has learned about colorism by conducting research in more than 20 countries over the past few decades.
Skin-lightening creams for sale in a shop in New Delhi, India, in 2020.
Sajjad Hussain / Getty Images
Fair skin as a beauty ideal underpins the global bleach cream industry – valued at $8.6 billion. There is a nascent backlash against the practice, which endangers health and can perpetuate racism.
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Cosmetics companies have agreed to remove racially offensive language from their skin products - but history, in Kenya and South Africa, shows they’ve done the same before.
Detail of book cover.
Wits University Press
The long history of racist beauty standards alone cannot explain the ongoing global use of harmful skin lighteners.
Lil’ Kim performs during the 2015 BET Awards in Los Angeles, Calif.
Kevork Djansezian/Reuters
The longing for lighter skin remains a taboo topic in African-American communities.
In India, a light complexion is associated with power, status and beauty, fueling an innovative and growing market of skin-bleaching products.
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Indian girls grow up in an environment where they are constantly reminded that fair is beautiful.
Children as young as three internalise a bias against dark skin.
Shutterstock
At the root of the skin bleaching phenomenon is a psychological complex.