“It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white” may have been one of Michael Jackson most famous musical lines, but since his death, it still seems to matter to many of his fans, and so do many ladies out there.

The term skin whitening covers a variety of cosmetic methods used to whiten the skin.

Skin lightening or whitening is a controversial topic as it is closely intertwined with the detrimental effects on health, identity, self image, racial supremacy and colonial mentality. There is evidence to suggest that some active ingredients used in publicly available skin-whitening products can even be harmful. Why do so many women out there strive to get a flawless white skin using artificial means?

The vast selections of skin-whitening creams on supermarket and pharmacy shelves are testament to an industry that has flourished over the past decade, with 4 out of 10 women in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan now using a skin-whitening cream, a survey conducted by Synovate, a market research company, found.

Fair is Good?

Sociologists have long debated why Asians, who are divided by everything from language to religion to ethnicity, share a deeply held cultural belief that lighter skin is more attractive.

One commonly repeated rationale is that a lighter complexion is associated with wealth and higher education levels because those from lower social classes, laborers and farmers, are exposed to the sun and thus have darker complexions.

Another theory is linked to the waves of lighter-skinned conquerors, the Moguls from Central Asia or the colonizers from Europe, whose complexions became the standard for attractiveness.

Films and advertising also clearly have a role in promoting the idea that whiter skin is more beautiful. The runaway success of South Korean soap operas across the region has made its lighter- skinned stars emblems of Asian beauty.

Common Ways to Lighten the Skin Color

Many establish cosmetic companies produce their skin lightening face washes, facial gels, creams, lotions and pack to whiten the skin. You can choose any of them for your skin. They are helpful in lighten the skin tone to few shades. If everything from the same brand range is applied for skin whitening than it helps more as they have same ingredients for different purposes. Use the same brand of face wash, lotion, day cream, soap and night cream to target the darkness of your skin.

If you want to go for advanced treatments then you can consult a cosmetologist who gives peels to your skin to make it appear lighter. But some of these treatments are not suitable for sensitive skin.

Bleaching helps the skin to remove scars, reduce sun tan and pigmentation and clears the skin to make it look lighter in shade. But it should be done carefully as if the ingredients have not mixed in proper proportion or you put it more than the applicable time, it might burn your skin. These days’ bleaches are available in the market for sensitive skin so people who have sensitive skin should choose them. Herbal bleach too is a good option. One can learn applying bleach in a right way on the face and body from a professional beautician and then can do it oneself.

Some of the creams and lotions from the skin whitening range of L’Oreal Paris are very helpful in reducing pigmentation, brown spots and prevents discoloration of the skin tone. They make it smooth, even and much lighter in shade without any side effects.

Even while choosing a whitening cream or lotion, ones should keep the skin type in mind and should buy them according to the skin type. As some of them might not suit the oily skin or some might no help dry skin.

Some Natural and Cheap ways to achieve Lighter Tones

Dry orange peels in sun. When they are fully dried, grind them in a mixture and make powder. Add raw milk to it, make a paste and apply it on your skin everyday. Rinse it off with lukewarm water when dries. It’s tested pack for skin whitening.

Take sandalwood powder, add lemon juice, tomato juice, cucumber juice to it, make a paste and apply on the skin till it dries to get a brighter, lighter and even skin tone.

Gram flour has whitening agents to it. Take 2 spoonfuls of gram flour; add a pinch of turmeric to it, few drops of lemon juice and few drops of milk cream. Make it a paste and apply on the skin. When it dries scrub it off. It can be applied all over the body everyday.

Soak almonds in water overnight. Peel them off in the morning. Make a paste and add honey to it. Apply it on face and scrub it off when dries to make skin whiter and glowing.

Potatoes have bleaching agents in them their juice is quite helpful in giving an even skin tone. Reduce pigmentation and blemishes. It can be applied on the skin everyday to get it whiter.

There are still many ways out there. Some people swear by it, some get hurt along the way. If you have any suggestions for fellow women out there, please drop us a note.

Best wishes to all women out there craving for smooth and white skin texture.