Feature

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? An expression we are all familiar with, yet what many of us do not realise is that to a generation of children all over the world, behind this expression lies a deeply disturbing, all consuming obsession, to indeed be the fairest of them all.

There has been huge controversy regarding skin whitening for many years yet many of us are unaware of just how wide spread this problem is. Though it is true that these problems often occur in African, Asian and other non-European countries, they are not restricted to the countries themselves but rather to the communities within them. Over the years as these communities have moved else where, they have taken these problems with them.

The skin lightening industry is currently a multi million pound worldwide phenomenon that is growing at an alarming rate. With the rise of the internet it is now possible to buy a whole range of skin lightening products in the form of soaps, pills, lotions and drinks, from anywhere in the world.

Some products contain harmful ingredients such as Hydroquine, the chemical equivalent of paint stripper, which has been linked to skin cancer, premature aging and a skin disfiguring condition called Ochronosis. Although Hydroquine has been banned in the UK since 2001, the US have refused to enforce a ban upon it, meaning that products containing Hydroquine are still readily available via the internet.

In the US alone there are 65 companies selling 130 different skin bleaching products containing Hydroquine.

Universally known brands Loreal, Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent, Clinique and Elizabeth Arden all sell a range of Hydroquine free skin lightening products. It is even possible to buy these products from supermarkets such as Tesco for as little as £2.39.

The leading product, ‘Fair and Lovely, has existed for over 30 years and is now distributed in 40 countries worldwide. Shockingly 38% of their sales last year were in Europe.

There are many theories about where this preference for fair skin in African, Asian and other non-European communities derives from.

It is generally believed that Colourism, as it is now known, exists within Asian communities as a direct consequence of the Aryan Invasion. The Islamic invaders were of Persian heritage and therefore very fair in their complexions, this along with the British colonialism enforced in later years meant that fair skin became equated with power and high status.

Similarly in African communities, Colourism stems from the days of slavery where lighter skinned slaves were given preferential treatment. They were allowed to travel with their owners and often became educated as a result; this once again meant that light skin became equated with power.

This equation of colour with status exists all over the world. In England untanned skin once reflected a life of leisure spent indoors but after the industrial revolution and subsequent rise of capitalism, tanned skin became more favourable, as it represented the ability to holiday abroad. This year alone it is estimated that 40,000 people will get skin cancer, yet this does not stop millions of us from sunbathing.

Whether we are lightening or darkening our skin, the message here could not be clearer. We are all ultimately striving for the same goal, to look as though we are privileged.

It is unlikely that we will ever be able to put an end to all these stereotypes. However by acknowledging them and learning to accept ourselves the way that we are, we will certainly be one step closer to doing so. It is only then that we will be able to look in the mirror, smile at our reflections and say yes, we are indeed the most privileged of them all.