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Tue Aug 03, 2004 2:40 am  |
I've been noticing quite a few threads along the lines of people wanting to lighten their skin and it got me thinking.
First of all I would like to say what you want to do with your skin is your concern, I'm not criticising just curious as to why someone would want to lighten their whole skin tone?
I just wonder what it says about us culturally when you have black/asian people wanting paler skin, us white folk wanting to get a latino tan, and a minority happy to stay as pale as chalk. 
Is it that ideals of beauty have brainwashed us in to thinking dark skin is more attractive if lighter and pale skin is better if tanned.
In my last order I've bought something to help with the sun freckling that I've noticed, I could of course just keep applying my foundation and cover it up  
anyone else thought about this? |
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Tue Aug 03, 2004 5:23 am |
I think it says that most of us just are not satisfied with what we have been gifted with. We are always striving for something else. I guess really we are a sad bunch that are never satisfied.We know we would be a lot happier if we didn't stress over superficial things but sadly we do. It's a shame isn't it I always think I would be happier if I was taller, slimmer, browner had a different face, hair colour etc. Yet really deep down I don't suppose I would be because 90% of women are unhappy with their self image. Self indulgent definitely but I for one am still going to strive to be my image of perfection and that includes risking skin cancer because I like a bit of colour to my skin. Gosh I didn't know I could be so deep. Someone needs to slap me hard  |
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Mabsy
Moderator
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Tue Aug 03, 2004 5:28 am |
I have thought about this before, though I must admit it's too deep for me to revisist in my current state tonight
I think it is cultural to an extent. When I open Australian and US magazines I see pics of nicely tanned bodies (or at least ones that look like they have bloodflow  ). When I open Taiwanese magazines I see adds for whitening products and pictures of girls with super clear white skin. I don't really have much of an opinion on it, it just worries me when I read what some people are willing to try in order to whiten their skin. Again, some people bake in the sun for hours to go the other way, which, I guess, may be just as bad.
I am actually one of those really pale people who try to look like there is blood flow there somewhere, but do it without baking in the sun. Still, even with a fake tan I tend to get "use a fake tan you look like death!" comments from my family - lovely!
Mabsy |
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Wed Aug 04, 2004 2:11 am |
| LOL know what you mean,I've gone for photos covered in fake tan and make up and still come out looking like a goths dream girl. |
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Wed Aug 04, 2004 3:03 am |
I am a caucasion Canadian living in Japan. One time I went for a facial here (a big deal finding someplace where they spoke English). As I was sitting with a translator going over the "menu" I was contemplating which facial to get - she suggeted the "basic" one to start ( almost $200 Cad by the way - this was the discounted price!)
Afterwards, she asked me what I thought of it and then said "next time we'll do something about those freckles"!! My thought was - do what to them??
Basically, white skin is considered "beautiful" here. Every time I buy any cosmetics or skincare, they always throw in free samples of their "whitening" products -I've no idea what's in them. And to let you know, I'm a MAC NC15, which is the lightest shade they have!!! so I'm not exactly dark-skinned. I have reddish hair and some pale freckles!!!
Here they sell a lot of gloves that go all the way to your armpit that women wear either driving the car or riding bikes, along with hats and sun umbrellas. And in this opressive heat, it's quite a site to see!!!
That's all. |
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Wed Aug 04, 2004 6:04 am |
that's interesting. You can't pick me up some K-1 merchandise since you're in Japan?
Perhaps this thing with skin colour comes from the fact that in the past if you were poor you were most likely be working outside, therefore darker skinned. |
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Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:10 pm |
Yes, that's definitely where it comes from. At least in China!
What is K-1??? Maybe it's something I NEED!
Colleen |
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Thu Aug 05, 2004 2:39 am |
LOL maybe you need it
I thought K-1 was really big in Japan but I guess that's like everyone thinking people in Britain have a butler and know the queen
http://www.so-net.ne.jp/feg/k-1gp/
It's big martial arts thing. |
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Thu Aug 05, 2004 3:21 am |
| Oh, I'm not Japanese and don't speak the language so I've no idea what's big here and what isn't. Just temporarily calling it home. |
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Thu Aug 05, 2004 4:08 am |
well if you choose to watch, it'll give you a new experience when the finals come round later this year  |
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Mabsy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Thu Aug 05, 2004 4:33 am |
| Eve wrote: |
LOL maybe you need it
I thought K-1 was really big in Japan but I guess that's like everyone thinking people in Britain have a butler and know the queen
http://www.so-net.ne.jp/feg/k-1gp/
It's big martial arts thing. |
 You had me all curious! I read this post earlier today and was trying to figure out what brand of skincare K-1 is! I thought it might be something along the lines of SK-II  |
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Thu Aug 05, 2004 5:51 am |
Well, I am very very pale white (blonde hair/blue eyes) and have always envied the people with darker skins and tans (such as my husband who is Italian). During my teenage years, I would sit myself in the sun for hours with just baby oil on trying to get a tan, but I just ended up Red and burned, which then peeled and no tan to be seen. Then, I tried the tanning beds, which dried out my skin badly. To me, tan skin makes the body look nicer, it hides flaws like cellulite and veins, gives you that nice healthy glow. It seems to me people like myself with pale (Irish) skin, have problems with pimples, large pores, and you can see every vein and blood vessel on my body. I have even had some people say I look so pale to the point that I don't look very healthy or I look like the "walking dead", as if there is something I can to about it. Plus, having very blonde hair, it just totally washes me out.
Just a point of view from the side that wants Darker Skin. |
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56, Very Fair Skin, Oily with Mild Breakouts, Blonde, Blue Eyes, Irish/German Descent |
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Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:40 am |
Mabsy.
I guess it's something I've thought about as I've gotten older because I've noticed the sun freckling I've developed, when I was younger I was like you, always in the sun, sunbeds, now I fake it if I'm going out, I know it's not the same but I don't want any more sun damage. |
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Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:30 am |
Hi Eve! I guess the reason why Asian is always striving for lighter skin is because historically only the "elite" asians would have light skin whereas farmers (masses) would have darker skin because they would be working outdoor all the time. So, ever since then light skin is considered as something "beautiful" and "high class" and therefore this "obsession" just naturally became a part of our culture.  |
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Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:00 pm |
Ok, I'll put my 2 cents in. I'm one of those ppl that wants to lighten my skin(even an admin on a forum devoted to only skin lightening). It's very cultural with us. A dark person with striking features is not considered as beautiful as a light skinned person with ordinary features. It's ridiculous, but that's the way it is....opposite of what we have. Ppl with light eyes, lighter hair, etc are always noticed. In India, everyone has dark eyes, dark hair, and basically brown skin. Any variation from this is noticed and admired, simply because it's something different. At least in caucasians you have a variety of hair colors, eye colors, etc. Most definitely it's cultural also associated with class and more $$$ not to have to be outside working. My problem is my ancestry is Persian, so most of my people including my husband are very light skinned. When we got married, there were a lot of rude innuendo's from other indians/persians about why he married me(being darker skinned). It's been something I've been self conscious of since.
I did not even know an ordinary person could lighten their skin until I saw(pls don't laugh) that Beshear interview with Michael Jackson. One doctor stated he was lighter because of depigmenting agents such as creams and pills. I thought wow - u mean I can be lighter? I researched it, found forums, and bought every product I could get my hands on and have been spending a lot of time and money into reasonable methods to do it. I've still got a long way to go, but somehow that darn SUN keeps impeding my progress....sigh....I hope one day I can get over it, and just accept the skin color I have(which by the way, caucasians are baking for since it's a golden brown color). One good thing out of all this is I've learned so much about skincare, that my skin is really glowing and healthier than ever. Makeup is very minimal! |
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Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:05 pm |
FairlyFair,
I agree it is cultural. I hope one people can just accept themselves for who they are. We do a lot of strange things to ourselves when it comes to trying to be what society considers beautiful. Caucasions are the same - cosmetic surgury, for example. Personally I look way better with a tan! In fact I look a little ill without one. But these days I realize that although I may look healthier with a tan, it is in fact harming my skin, so I'm learning to live with what I've got!
My husband is Chinese and the first thing he said when our son was born what "look how white he is". And although my husband looks way better with a tan and prefers it that way, he goes through great pains to insist I don't allow our son to get tanned! And he agrees that I look better tanned as well. We always want the opposite of what we have. |
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Sun May 13, 2007 9:31 pm |
| I went to Thailand on honeymoon a few years ago and was amazed at the number of whitening products! I needed a moisturiser and had trouble finding one without whitener!! |
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Mon May 14, 2007 4:46 am |
i actually did a bit of research on the beauty industry for one of my assignments, and if i can remember rightly: dark skin is seen as ur from a lower class in asia cos its usually those who work that has dark skin ocs theyr in the sun, whereas the women who dont have to work dont have to bake in the sun! but this is from a sociology/historical view tho.
i do find that the majority of chinese likes to have a fairer complexion...im chinese but in the UK, and i want darker, tanned skin cos it kinda makes my scars less noticeable and i look healthier! so its definately a cultural thing.
its true that nearly every single product in the asia market has whitening elements in them cos if u look at any international websites, the products aimed for asia has a whitening range. |
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Premenstrual acne, combination, dehydrated skin. Using- Retin-a, bb cream, Asian sheet masks, Avene mist, Dr Jart |
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Mon May 14, 2007 5:37 am |
This "pale" idea isn't really new to North America either ... although it's a phase that we went through more than a century ago.
Just prior to the Civil War in the U.S., the paler your skin ... the less work you actually did. That was the thinking ... and the "ladies of means" did all kinds of things to ensure that they looked "lily white". They wore large brimmed hats and carried parasols and wore gloves when outside during the day. [Anyone remember Gone with the Wind?]
In Britain too, pale skin was considered a sign of being "upper class". During the 19th century, many ladies kept their skin unnaturally pale by using arsenic in their face washing water.
Of course, the downside of this technique was that over time, minute amounts of the arsenic got into the bloodstream ... and eventually many women died from arsenic poisoning as a result ... but presumably they all died with the desired pale skin. 
When I hear of skin lightening now I think of trying to reduce age spots or overly ambitious freckles ... both of which tend to make us look older.
So while it may be a cultural thing in Asia now, it has a "global" history as well.
Now, I'm one who is naturally pale ... and looked completely out of place when, in my youth, the goal was to get tanned. Even when I would try to tan, it never really happened for me. I should be grateful for that I suppose ... but I recall feeling totally short-changed when all my friends managed to achieve and maintain a beautiful nut brown colour. 
Just my two cents!
Mary |
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Over 50, combo, OCM. Originator of Pearl Paste ... www.silkenpearl.com |
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Mon May 14, 2007 7:08 am |
| Seems to be kind of "normal" to be different from what you are. |
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Mon May 14, 2007 7:31 am |
Wasn't it Coco Chanel who started the whole craze for tanned skin among Europeans? I could be wrong on that, but if so she has a lot of sun damaged skin to answer for!
Although pale skin may be the mainstream "ideal" for most Asian countries, the past few years there's been quite a fad for suntans (and bleached hair) in Japan and Hong Kong, mostly among teenagers, and the older women are horrified. Oh, those rebellious youth... I guess it's like being a goth in western countries |
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Mon May 14, 2007 8:45 am |
| Yes, it was Coco. |
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Mon May 14, 2007 10:26 am |
| So all the darker people trying to go paler and the paler people trying to go darker? Do you think we'll all end up meeting in the middle? |
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Light, yellow undertones, dark hair & eyes, extremely combo., resistant skin prone to congestion, dryness AND breakouts! |
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Mon May 14, 2007 12:10 pm |
mper1327
it is an helpful link! |
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