White matters

We are rightly shocked when we hear of people doing blackface. For example: white students smearing dark makeup on their face to attend an offensive theme party. Blackface party

How aware and shocked are we at the ways people of color are encouraged to do “whiteface” through the use of whitening creams?

Here’s a visual library:

I understand there are legitimate reasons people have posited for using whitening creams; melasma, age spots, hyperpigmentation, unsightly acne scars, and removal of skin discolorations. My question is what connection do those needs have to cream names like “White Perfect,” “Fair & White Purity Cream,” “White Beauty,” and Blanc (white) Expert?”   This is about looking white.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, check out this video that shows the ad for selling Pond’s White Beauty to help a darker skinned woman woo her boyfriend back from his new white girlfriend.

Pond’s Ad for White Beauty

And my prior post about the increased use of whitening creams and the health risks involved:

Previous post with article about whitening cream health hazards

We need an about face on this institutionalized racism.