The Yearning for Whiter Skin

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

There is a saying in Japan that pale skin covers nine flaws, and the belief seems to have spread to contemporary Korean society. The Japanese yearning for whiter, paler skin is epitomized by the makeup of kabuki actors, and Koreans seem to have an even greater craving for flawless skin.

But the desire for whiter skin is not limited to specific countries. It has existed throughout history in all parts of the world. Ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra tried to maintain her pale skin by washing her face with pearl powder, using mud packs from rare plants, and bathing in milk and beer foam. White skin has always been a symbol of wealth and status and therefore a powerful standard for beauty. Research indicates that considerable numbers of women died of mercury poisoning in the Europe of the 15th and 16th centuries because of the high mercury levels in face powder.

Dark skin is associated with hard physical work, and the media are full of tips on how to look younger and whiter. To have flawless skin, many women in Korea turn to cosmetics and dermatologists, spending an estimated W2 trillion (US$1=W1,194) a year on skincare products. Lancôme produces whitening products exclusively designed for Asians.   

Interestingly, the craving for white skin becomes stronger as Asian countries have more contact with foreign cultures and are economically better off. LeeJiHam Cosmetics CEO Kim Young-sun said, "The yearning for white and flawless skin like Korean TV stars is very strong in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, where Korean TV dramas are popular. It's probably even stronger than in Korea."

Sources: The Chosun Ilbo, chocolatexaddict

Comments

[nudrive.livejournal.com]

It's everywhere
Especially in places like India... >.<

Ironically 'white' people want to be darker [tanned].

[edgirl-12.livejournal.com]

Ironically 'white' people want to be darker [tanned].

I KNOW, ITS SO MESSED UP! The irony...

[edgirl-12.livejournal.com]

It's not even just in Korea...i remember when i was in India, the amount of commercials and billboards promoting such products surprised me. I just don't see that sort of thing in England...i just don't understand it, but its sort of interesting to hear why such countries find fair skin so alluring and attractive. I don't agree with it though.

[nudrive.livejournal.com]

Yeah, India LOVES white skin
It's just the asian culture over there ://

[doraichan.livejournal.com]

Lol that's exactly what I thought xD

Not just in Korea but other countries like China lol~ I wanna go back just to get more whitening shit xDDD

[freezing-flames.livejournal.com]

Uh, wtf? :o
Some people would do anything to get a tan and they like pale & white skin?
Personally, I don't like pale skin lol. A tanned person looks healthier to me :)

[nudrive.livejournal.com]

A tanned person looks healthier to me :)

mte

[pixifaerithingy.livejournal.com]

In America, I've always been endlessly taunted because I'm so pale! People call me Casper the Ghost! I can't help it, I'm Irish. But my boyfriend is Korean,and he's pretty light skinned, and he says he was teased when he was living in Korea for being so pale! So I guess it's just a girl thing?

[now0anon.livejournal.com]

Hmm as someone who worked in a tanning salon for three years, this is ironic to me.

[mnemo-syne.livejournal.com]

Oh man your icon, I wish Flight of the Conchords would come back!

I have pale skin, but I just manage to look perpetually ill. :/

Re: And this article pissed me off.

[albeitalways.livejournal.com]

especially those gyarus. it makes me think wtf are those people doing to their skin.

[stopthedisco.livejournal.com]

It's even worse in India. I swear, just look at the biggest Bollywood names, they all have very clear and fair skin while most of India is medium-dark skin, it's like a subliminal [? I forget the word] message that to be beautiful you must have fair skin which is so not true.

[vanny92.livejournal.com]

I'm asian and I'm quite fair. I can never get a nice tan. I only get burnt, even with SPF 150 sunscreen. :\

Asians are stereotyped to be "yellow-skinned", and yellow skin isn't very attractive imo. I guess that's why they would rather be fair.

[theheartless69.livejournal.com]

I just recently found out that there's little difference if you use higher SPF sunscreen.

[albeitalways.livejournal.com]

i blame the cosmetics/beauty companies. always trying to make us think of something we ~should~ be even if we're already fine the way we are.

[lucyownsjoaquin.livejournal.com]

im cuban/colombian and everyone in my family has beautiful dark brown skin except for me. i'm so pale that last year my teacher was like are you sick you don't look too well (didn't help that i dyed my hair black lmao) i was like no im naturally like this tyvm.

[bakewells.livejournal.com]

My teachers ask me if I'm ill all the time because I always look 'pale' apparently. One time my friend blurted out, "she isn't sick... that's just her colour." :| Makes me wish I had that ~healthy glow~ lol!

[stopthedisco.livejournal.com]

As related my post a little above, about how in India most people think that you need lighter skin in order to be successful.

I think what sucks the most is that even companies that we're all familiar with [Garnier, Nivea, Ponds, etc] have skin bleaching products in India. Wtf pisses me off so much.

[xshinebrighterx.livejournal.com]

what?
that's wrong in so many levels.

[xshinebrighterx.livejournal.com]

i don't care about girls but dark korean boys are the prettiest.
kbai.

[umbrella-smile.livejournal.com]

Seriously! I would take a dark Korean boy over a pale one any day

[catchmyambition.livejournal.com]

I'd rather be pale and look creepy than have cancer.

[-ochre.livejournal.com]

I had something totally tl;dr to say. But I changed my mind.

[honeebs.livejournal.com]

say it.

[xkimchi-ninja.livejournal.com]

That commercial reminds me of US bronzing commercials :O
It's weird cuz in America I'm taunted to death because of my ghastly white color ;_; I can't even find foundation that matches it in drugstores.

[pickychu.livejournal.com]

Same. When I did theater, the foundation (or whatevs it was) was at least 2 or 3 shades darker than my actual skin tone.

[pandatablo.livejournal.com]

tanned is always better . not shauna sand tanned, but you know that chocolate milk kinda tanned or even better a olivy color . It just seems healthy to me. Pale is more of a symbol for being sickly in other non asian coutries . it's strange how things are completely upside down lol

[pickychu.livejournal.com]

Everyone should just love the skin they're in and call it a day.

[goldi.livejournal.com]

lol truest fact

[bysae.livejournal.com]

I wonder which nine flaws get covered by pale skin. If anything I find flaws are more noticeable when you have lighter skin

[the-machine.livejournal.com]

not always. people with darker skin are more prone to getting hyperpigmentation, which is where your body produces too much melanin - stuff that colours your skin, so you can get uneven, dull skin discolouration, or when you are cut, the scab heals but you are left with a dark mark in the shape of the wound that takes years to fade or never goes away completely.

/tl;dr

[vanee.livejournal.com]

The yearning for white skin is tragic and painful. Ask Toshio.

[summercello.livejournal.com]

lol aww he looks so pained XD

[calandrinon.livejournal.com]

There is a saying in Japan that pale skin covers nine flaws

Well this Japanese saying is wrong. I have really white skin and every little blemish is 5 times more visible on my face. I usually can hardly wait for summer to come so I can get a bit of colour and coverage.

[vanee.livejournal.com]

seriously, same here. you can see every little red spot, every zit even more than on tan skin.

[honeebs.livejournal.com]

The darker the berry the sweeter the juice, sorry ladies and that booth doesn't help! I'm just saying!
Srsly this is sad... once again the girls are holding their stock in things like legs/eyes/boobs/skin and all things other than their brains. Anywho.
-->My pale sisters of the world the natural ones that is, be proud and don't forget your SPF, because I care.

[iheartomntd.livejournal.com]

that is true, especially when you're older. The lighter skin are usually looser, and easier to sag when age starts kicking in in comparison to darker skin people. Not saying for people to go and tan the heck out of the sun and get that leathery look but people do need expose to the sun, for better health of their skin.

[etude.livejournal.com]

Some of India's ads are heartbreaking. I love darker/tanned skin on Indian women, they look so pretty that way. :) I wish the world would start caring less about skin color, and more about the person in the skin. Who cares if you're pale or dark, both are beautiful.

[audiobebop.livejournal.com]

THIS

[nene718.livejournal.com]

Everyone wants what they can't have.

[freezing-flames.livejournal.com]

Yeah, basically XD