Business Description
A billboard caught my eye on the way to work this morning. It wasn’t promising economic stability or national security, like most of the billboards you see around town these days, but something much, much more important.
“Four out of five women believe their body is darker than their face. Are you one of them?”
The horror! Thankfully Vaseline is vowing to put an end to this national nightmare, with the introduction of Healthy White Skin Lightening Body Milk, which ensures an Aryan glow from head to toes. Intrigued, I logged on to the Vaseline India Web site to see how it works.
“When it’s healthy and cared for, our skin has the natural ability to maintain a light tone and clear texture. Unfortunately, when it’s exposed to the sun, the skin’s natural lightening processes are interrupted. Pigment producing cells become increasingly active, tanning the skin, and leaving it several shades darker than it’s supposed to be.
New, Vaseline Healthy White skin lightening body milk works with the skin to reverse signs of darkening and prevent future pigmentation. A balanced combination of vitamin B3, yoghurt serum and conditioning moisturizers hydrate and even out skin tone. Triple sunscreens help prevent future darkening and encourage the skin to lighten itself.”
In other words, dark skin is not only unattractive and unhealthy, it’s unnatural, too. Eugenics makes a comeback! Inaccurate medical claims aside, it’s not really fair to pick on Vaseline. All the major international cosmetics companies appear to have a stake in the flush Indian skin care market, in which skin lightening products are the top seller.
Maybelline must have assembled a branding committee of Klansmen to come up with “WhiteStayUV,” the name of its compact powder. “Instant Fairness at the Touch of a Puff!” comes in five shades, including the blinding White Ivory — perfect for anyone auditioning to be a mime.
Avon promises “whiter and silkier skin in one week flat” with its Refined White product line. With Absolute White+, Revlon boasts a “unique triple whitening technology.” Estee Lauder sells CyberWhite EX: Extra Brightening Skincare. Nivea’s got a “Sparkling Glow” Fairness line. You get the idea.
The bottom line is that cosmetics companies, foreign and Indian alike — Hindustan Unilever’s Fair & Lovely line has dominated the market since the late ’70s — are making a fortune off the problematic (to say the least) premise that light skin is preferable to dark.
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