No. Just no.
In an advertisement for their beauty cream, a leading FMCG brand claims their product made of wheat germ oil, turmeric, aloe-vera and basil etc will take care of skin ailments like dry skin, wrinkles and - wait for it - dark complexion.
This gem of an advertisement was shared by activist Kavita Krishnan in a tweet.
For the benefit of the brand, we bring you 3 reasons why #DarkIsBeautiful.
Dark Skin People have More Melanin, Will Age Slower
Globally, skin lightening industry is projected to triple to $31.2 billion by 2024, according to a report released by the research firm Global Industry Analysts. Indian stores are lined up with fairness creams endorsed by Bollywood stars, all this when a fairer skin leaves you more at risk of skin ailments.
Our skin colour is decided by a pigment called melanin, and while everyone has melanin (both fair and dark-skinned people), it comes in different ratios. Light skin people have a lower ratio of melanin. This actually makes them more susceptible to diseases and makes their skin age faster.
Melanin is a pigment that provides protection against the harmful effects of UV rays and other light sources. In case of fair-skinned people who are deficient in melanin, chronic/long-term exposure to the sun can cause damage in various forms. Ageing will be caused in dark skinned people too due to chronic sun exposure, just not as much.Dr AL Das, Senior Consultant for Dermatology, Fortis Hospital
Fair Skin = More Skin Diseases
Fair-skinned Caucasian population, due to their lack of pigmentation, are at a much higher risk of getting non-melanoma or melanoma skin cancers, according to the World Health Organisation.
Still want that skin lightening product?
Sun Burn? What's That?
If light-skinned people spend a long time under the sun, they’ll turn a bright tomato red and their skin will burn. A dark-skinned person can spend a much longer time on the beach without worrying about burns and blisters. Now that doesn’t mean they won’t get sun burns, just that they’ll be less susceptible.
People low on melanin are more prone to damage by direct sunlight, but otherwise all kinds of skin, dark or light, is prone to several skin conditions, depending on several factors like atmosphere, photo-sensitivity and so on.Dr AL Das, Senior Consultant for Dermatology, Fortis Hospital