Skin lightening, a popular trend among Americans seeking to alter their skin tone, is under scrutiny due to potential health risks and its reinforcement of harmful beauty standards. Recently, researchers from Northwestern University conducted a study revealing a lack of awareness regarding the dangers of over-the-counter skin-lightening products, primarily marketed toward women. The study, published in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology and reported by NBC, surveyed a majority of Black women among hundreds of participants.
A significant number of respondents admitted to using skin-lightening products without knowledge of their harmful ingredients, such as hydroquinone, which can cause adverse effects like skin rashes, swelling, and discoloration. Although skin lightening is occasionally used to address medical conditions or hyperpigmentation, it is often driven by societal beauty standards and the belief that lighter skin is more desirable.
Dr. Roopal Kundu, the lead author of the study and founder/director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Ethnic Skin and Hair, explains that the preference for lighter skin has deep historical roots and has been perpetuated across generations. Those who used skin lighteners reported experiencing colorism, a type of discrimination based on skin color, in various aspects of their lives. Colorism, favoring lighter skin among nonwhite individuals, influences beauty standards, social acceptance, and access to opportunities.
Northwestern University’s study highlights the health disparities faced by nonwhite individuals with darker skin and emphasizes that colorism is a global issue beyond geographical boundaries and ethnic groups. Its persistence can be attributed to historical factors like casteism, colonialism, and Eurocentric power structures.
fA 2021 poll by the Pew Research Center revealed that even within the Latino community, individuals with dark skin face discrimination and barriers to upward mobility. The skin lightening industry has long been criticized for the presence of toxic ingredients in its products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers about the dangers of illegally marketed over-the-counter lightening products as recently as last year. However, these products remain widely available in physical stores, online marketplaces, and social media platforms. Experts like Ronald Hall, a professor at Michigan State University, stress the importance of directly addressing colorism and its consequences.
Hall, who extensively researched colorism and its historical and global dimensions, believes that acknowledging the problem is the first step in combating it. He highlights the idealization of whiteness within Eurocentric power structures, which leads people of color to internalize and perpetuate these ideals.
Open discussions and proactive measures are crucial to addressing colorism and its societal impact. By raising awareness about the health risks associated with skin lightening and challenging prevailing beauty standards, individuals and communities can work towards dismantling the deeply ingrained biases that perpetuate these practices. a
