Women of color spent US$8.6 billion on bleaching creams worldwide in 2020
An eye-popping number!
Harmful effects of associating dark skin with masculinity
On TV, dark-skinned Black women are often portrayed as aggressive or antagonistic. This is a problem that causes real-life pain.
Allure: Skin Whitening Products Get a Rebrand, But It Doesn’t Erase Centuries of Colorism
Beauty companies are rebranding their skin lightening products, but will this be enough to change deep-seated prejudices around skin tone?
Vogue: Skin lightening is fraught with risk, but it still thrives in Asia—here’s why
A Vogue article exploring why demand for skin whitening creams persist in Asia despite the real risk of skin damage.
Marie Claire: Why Black women in a predominately Black culture like Jamaica are still bleaching their skin
Marie Claire reporters take a look at the deep-rooted paradoxical ideals of fairer skin in Jamaica. An intriguing read.
New York Times: Where beauty means bleached skin
In Ghana’s Makola Market, endless shops and stalls had walls filled with potions dedicated to skin lightening. The “why” goes back centuries, and says much about the searing effects of colonization that lingers today.