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In many countries, particularly places like Asia, skin
whitening products are incredibly popular and provide huge profits for the
companies involved in their sale. This essay will examine the reasons why
people use these products and the effects this has on people’s health and on
society.
The principal reason that people use skin
whitening products is because whiter skin is seen to be more desirable than
darker skin. To understand why, we need to firstly look at history. In ancient
times, those people of a higher status tended to stay indoors, whilst people of
a lower status worked outside, usually farming. As a result, those people who
were indoors had much lighter skin, which means that whiter skin is now
associated with having a higher status than dark skin. Another reason, which is
partly related to this, is the desire for the ‘Western’ look. For example,
plastic surgery to creat western eyelids and noses is common in Asia, and the
white skin is part of this. These beliefs and images are also perpetuated in
the media, with adverts showing people with white skin as more successful and
attractive.
However, despite the fact that having
whiter skin may improve a person’s self-esteem, these products can have
negative effects. Regarding health, there are reports that people are harming
their skin permanently as some products bought over the counter have
prescription-strength ingredients. For instance, some contain steroids or
toxins which can severely damage the skin and other parts of the body. In terms
of society, there are also detrimental effects. Such behaviour perpetuates the
belief that ‘white’ is better than ‘black’, and thus those with darker skin may
experience discrimination.
In conclusion, people use whitening
products due to the fact that white skin, usually through the media, is
portrayed as more desirable. However, steps should be taken to change
this image as the drawbacks of this are clear, with potentially dangerous
consequences for people’s future health and society as a whole.
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