Skin Whiteners Options

[leejeongmee]

What is with skin whiteners? I am very very pale naturally, but growing up in the US, tan is beautiful. I recently found out about skin whiteners especially in Asia, why?

[Imtina]

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was in Taiwan you`d see women carrying umbrellas when it`s sunny, but in Canada many people go to tanning salons. I think part of the reason for this is that in Asia many people associate darker skin with the lesser educated classes who do manual labour outdoors.

[ckcl]

What is with skin whiteners?  I am very very pale naturally, but growing up in the US, tan is beautiful.  I recently found out about skin whiteners especially in Asia, why?
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They sell like pancakes in Korea because pale skin is the ideal. A lot of people argue that this is because Koreans are trying to be like caucasians, but I think it has to do more with the fact that in the old days; farmers were tanned because they were out there working in the fields whereas rich people were pale because they didn't stay out in the fields.

So it's more of a status thing.

Personally I like tanned skin better than pale, because it looks healthier

[burntdream]

It's partly the old status thing; you know, more aristocratic, sheltered people could stay inside while the farmers and low-class people had to bake in the sun, so pale skin was a status of wealth. Nowadays, though, although the skin whitener business still has to do with that quaint old custom, it also has to do with globalization and Hollywood movies imposing their beauty standards on Asian countries. If you've lived in an Asian country for more than a few years, you'll probably have noticed how much the people there love/hate white people white they look down on dark skinned people like African-Americans or Latinos. Well, it's not just Hollywood movies, either; Western countries have been sort of "colonizing" Asia, as well. Japan, with the opening of the ports and the Meiji era; Korea, with the Korean war and the division into N. and S. Korea, and all the other countries too. Since for many years they've occupied both countries and influenced them culturally, perhaps it's natural that some Westernization of beauty standards has occurred. There used to be a time when round, moonlike faces, crescent moonlike eyebrows and eyes were beautiful--not so anymore, you see all these women getting cosmetic surgery to narrow their noses and get their faces to thin out. So yeah, a number of factors figure in into this "white is good" business.

[Imtina]

Nowadays, though, although the skin whitener business still has to do with that quaint old custom, it also has to do with globalization and Hollywood movies imposing their beauty standards on Asian countries. If you've lived in an Asian country for more than a few years, you'll probably have noticed how much the people there love/hate white people white they look down on dark skinned people like African-Americans or Latinos. Well, it's not just Hollywood movies, either; Western countries have been sort of "colonizing" Asia, as well. Japan, with the opening of the ports and the Meiji era; Korea, with the Korean war and the division into N. and S. Korea, and all the other countries too. Since for many years they've occupied both countries and influenced them culturally, perhaps it's natural that some Westernization of beauty standards has occurred. There used to be a time when round, moonlike faces, crescent moonlike eyebrows and eyes were beautiful--not so anymore, you see all these women getting cosmetic surgery to narrow their noses and get their faces to thin out. So yeah, a number of factors figure in into this "white is good" business.

If your misguided notions of cultural imperialism were true then Japan and Mongolia would be the dominant beauty influences because they had bigger empires in Asia than any other European countries or the USA. This doesn`t even take into account imperial China`s tributary system. Anyway, the dominant pop cultural force in Asia these days is the Korean Wave which is sweeping Asia. This from a country that didn`t have an empire in Asia. The Korean pop culture stars are the really bankable ones in Asia these days........not black/white Hollywood stars.

[Mabuhay]

CKCL is right on target. One could say that SE Asian women who use skin whiteners are trying to look NE Asian. However, the truth is closer to what CKCL wrote. Personally, I like being brown. When I was in the Phil I wanted to be lighter toned, but here I celebrate my brown skin.

[katrina007]

My skin soaks in the sun very easily. So in the summer time I'm darker and in the winter my skin is lighter. I think most of these comments have some validity to them. However there are even more simple answers that do not concern social status. Why do people use skin whiteners? Well, this morning I put on whitening skin moisturizer, by ORIKI (they have a very nice line of products btw). Why? Simply because I have skin discoloration. Some of my body parts are lighter or darker than others. So I think its nice to have skin whitening lotion available in the market.