fair skin?

I was shocked at the amount of whitening creams on sale when we went to Thailand. I think it's a case of wanting what you haven't got or what is rare. I'm a pale English girl and would love dark, tanned skin! Beauty companies are greedy and will always use peoples insecuruites to make money, terrible really. When talking to Thai people they told us that in their country people perceive those with dark skin as lower class because if they have darker skin it is likely that they work outside doing manual work. So it seems it's a class thing over there. Pale skin = higher class/richer people in their eyes. I agree with you though. It's ridiculous to worry about something like skin colour.

It is so true. A wrong perception. I am a fair skinned and I say there are disadvantages having it. What is funny about it is that many dark skinned desire to become fair skinned and the fair skinned are trying to become tanned. ....

I think this also is true in countries other than India. I have a friend from Cambodia who hates the color of her skin. She says her skin is black (what she was called in Cambodia) and won't go out in the sun for fear of getting darker. I think the color of her skin is beautiful - a delicious caramel color. I tell her every woman in America would love to have that color skin. In fact, to get it, we lay out in the sun at the beach, sunbathe in our backyards and risk getting skin cancer for that gorgeous golden tan. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Hi pree, Its not only Indians but a lot of other countries where skin color is very important in judging a person. Indians are usually brown in color and thats what we should be proud of. Iam brown and i have never use fairness cream, Iam not into artificial things anyway. Its stupid but its true. For me Black is extreamly beautiful and u wrote it very correctly that one needs to increase the quaity and the texture of the skin rather than the colour. Cheers, Tutul

It is something that is associated with our society since long. It is the obsession that is making it worse.Now the manufacturer of these products are using this in their own good. They are cashing on it. Its the way they portray on media and dark skinned people are always seen inferior.

i'm not sure how qualified i am to comment on this as i am very pale but i have black and asian friends who say this is a real problem

Why would anyone be obsessed with being fair skinned. I am fair-skinned and I cannot stand it at times. I have to really be careful of the sun, I have to make sure my face is really clean everyday, and I always have to use a lot of lotions to keep my skin soft. Also, people who are fair are prone to more skin conditions, I should know, I have four of them. Honestly, it is not easy being any race.

When I've heard about that (I'm American) I've always been shocked...as I've personally always admired the ladies of India with their dark skin. I'm part Native, and I'm not as dark as I'd like...and I'm happy whenever I can get a deep enough tan to my olive complection that'll stay through til the next spring. I suppose skin-color bias travels wherever it can be sold, in reality. Monetarily or otherwise. And that IS a true shame.

I don't understand either. Isn't it strange how some people with dark skin try to lighten it with creams and lotions while white people sunbake trying to become tanned, they go to solariums and burn themselves alive to get brown and also spend heaps every week getting fake spray tans! It would be so nice if every one accepted themselves. I believe the mass adoration of celebrity has contributed to the fact that people of all ages and backgrounds just aren't happy with themselves. It's time to focus on yourself not other people in magazines.

I guessed it's all about women. They are more obsessed in getting white skin. I just don't really understand why women who had darker skin needs to apply whitening cream to their skin. White skin is not really pretty to look at, no offense meant, this is only my opinion.

I think that it is to do with people not being happy with whatever they look like. In the UK the shelves are filled with fake tanning products, and tanning salons are very popular. Maybe people just want to look different. I think it is a shame that people aren't happy the way they are.

Actually it's not only the case of India but the whole Eastern and Southeastern Asia has get fascinated with whiter skin tone and such appreciation has gone too far. I believe that such easthetic value is totally socially constructed, as Asian people (I myself is asian too) do not genetically possess the fair skin, but the fairness has been highly valued for thousands of years before the process of westernization, so this is really a paradox. I agree with you that healthy, smooth skin is charming enough, no matter what tone it is.

u r very right that wat ppl have to realize ... beauty is not just ur outer look ... ur inner beauty shows ur beauty truely but it is trend all over world that fair ppl r beautiful in any way ... n dark ppl get underestimated every day ... its not just fault of dark ppl but its a fault of socity we r living in ... pther ppl make u feel complexed every time

If anything, this trend is just a continuation of the past. It used to be much, much worse a century ago. Not only did not-fair women try to become fair, but women with already light skin avoided the sun altogether. It was a sign of many cultural, social, and economic factors. Today, though, I see everyone trying to change their skin color. Light women tan to get as dark as they possibly can. Dark women try to lighten their skin. To be honest, I think today's problem is an inability to accept yourself. Wherever beauty is portrayed a certain way, that's what people try to attain. Beauty in America today usually shows a bunch of white women who have been tanned to a crisp. Really, none of it is healthy. I'm extremely pale, and in past years I've wanted tan skin because of the images in popular culture, but it's just not achievable for me (besides, the sun exposure is extremely unhealthy--also by the time spray tanning came around I didn't want to be tan anymore). Whatever color your skin is, just work on taking care of it and make sure it's healthy and protected. You will be luscious. The truth of it is that ANY fake skin tone will always, always look FAKE, whether you darken or lighten. Work with what you have and let your skin change with the seasons. It's what your beauty was meant to look like!

unfortunately I believe the media is to blame for this sort of discrimination and does not only happen in India, its a worldwide problem. Even in Africa, lighter skinned women are glorified more than their darker skin counterparts. But I do believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder and beauty is much more than the complexion of your skin. I am a dark skinned girl and I still get men drooling over me so its nothing to do with skin complexion. Sadly people in the world today are so materialistic that they have put vanity and worthless things as skin enhancement to measure one's life worth which is not the case. I say just be happy with what God gave you and if somebody out there doesn't like it then that's their problem.

i agree with you, the quality and texture are really more important than color... but not all people will look at it that way. here it's the same thing, many wants to have fairer skin. blame it on the media and celebrities, showing off fairer skin and making people that having a fair skin is more beautiful than darker skin. there are very few celebrities here that i know of having dark skin, and those that have really dark skin have used whitening products and became so very white... black to white. if a person have a low self esteem chances are that person will want to blend in and will want to have fairer skin too. i wont say i have not used those whitening products, i still am using them because i used to be fair and have turned dark because of staying under the sun and swimming, my skin color is not balanced, some parts are darker and some are white...

Lol, I don't know. I think they think only white women are beautiful. That's not true. Brown women can be beautiful too.