Asians In Media magazine | Forum

Lightenex

by PradaKid
05:24pm - 29th May, 2007

Now, forgive me if this is old news but I haven't seen anyone discuss this on here lately so I wondered if you can share your views on this topic of skin lightening cream.

Now I was heading towards my aunts house when on the back of a bus, there was an advert for this cream - Lightenex and its tag line was something like the ideal skin lightening cream for Asian skin.

After googling it just now, I found there were similar products to lighten your brown skin but this particular one was being sold on Asiana's website for a bargain price of Ł39.99.

Is the Asian community going mad? Why would you want to lighten your brown skin so you could be lighter then necessary? I find it absurd people, especially women as its the market their aiming at, would actually buy products like this. Do they not feel that with each use, they're fading away a part of their identity. Do we all want white skin just so we could fit in.

I've always known products like this exists but I felt it was really a small minority of insecure women wanting to lighten their skin. Clearly the market has grown to an extent where its being advertised on a bus.

Isn't this going

05:31pm - 29th May, 2007PradaKid

... to affect how the current and future generations see themselves as Asians in the future. Do we want to push ourselves away from being classed as brown skin just so we're accepted by society and kneel to the pressure of those who say lighter is better.

I personally found the advert rather offensive; that some pharmaceutical company is offering an option to people to wash away something that partially makes Asians who they are.

I can't believe it has come to this.

Offensive? Report it. back to top

09:24pm - 29th May, 2007numb_lock

ummm....

There is a socio-historical basis for Asians preferring lighter skin.

or maybe it's just a case of the kettle calling the pot black (umm...well brown).

Perhaps more worrying is why people think that 'Googling' constitutes serious research?

Offensive? Report it. back to top

11:28pm - 29th May, 2007PradaKid

I’m not sure how you concluded my points were based on my google search.

In general, I was emphasising on the ethical reasons for lightening your skin. My search briefly detailed that there were similar products available, one of which costs Ł39.99. I’m not sure if my ‘research’ would allow me to ask a number of questions such as ‘Do we all want white skin just so we could fit in?’

And what are these ‘socio-historical basis for Asians preferring lighter skin’? I’m fairly light skinned myself however would I be any different as a person had I been darker skinned.

Offensive? Report it. back to top

12:11am - 30th May, 2007Piyu

People who try to be lighter are silly. I spend all winter looking forward to the summer just so that i can tan and people try to lighten their skin.

Offensive? Report it. back to top

04:37pm - 30th May, 2007Raja

Dude, I once discussed this issue amongst friends a while back too.

Numb's sorta got a point, it's a socio logical reason.

For example, if we look fair, get called ''gori gori see heh'' it's a compliment.

Now when was the last time you heard, ''meri beti kitni khubsoorat heh, bilqool kalee shah heh''. See?!

It's not just Asians mind, a lot of black people do have a preoccupation with it too. My jamaican friends always laugh about the way they hate looking ''wesley snipes'' black, or ''African'' black.

For what it's worth, I agree with ya PK, it's just a colour, but I disagree it's one of the things that makes us Asian. There's loads of things that easily make us just that, lol.

Offensive? Report it. back to top

05:19pm - 30th May, 2007scroll_lock

It's funny how people think all desies are brown-skinned.

We've probably got more variety in pigmentation than people from any other land mass in the entire world.

Offensive? Report it. back to top

05:31pm - 30th May, 2007rani241

I used to be fair-ish, and lately people have been saying oh you're not as pretty anymore you've gone dark!!! Which i should add is hurtful VERY hurtful!!!

Offensive? Report it. back to top

05:39pm - 30th May, 2007guapaculoproductions

I think you're pretty !!!! You just don't see me as being pretty back Rani!

Offensive? Report it. back to top

08:17pm - 30th May, 2007PradaKid

I don't think you're pretty Rani even if you have gone dark.

I hope my above comment has helped.

*chuckles*

And Raja - I'm failing to see how observing someone's light skin tone can be regarding as a compliment. That's not complimenting, that's being dim witted in my opinion. Personally, I'd slap someone if they said I wasn't worthy becaused I was dark skinned. Would Martin Luther King Jr or Malcolm X be any less of a men they were had they been really light toned???

Offensive? Report it. back to top

06:32pm - 31st May, 2007raja

Thats a good example, Malcolm was actually kinda lighter tones for a Black man....

Like I said, I agree in essence with what your saying, but it's a social stigma to be dark as evidenced in some experience we have all seen or endured.

What we need is a darker toned gorgeous bollywood actress revolution lol!!!

Offensive? Report it. back to top

08:47pm - 31st May, 2007PradaKid

well actresses like kajol, rani m and my dearest bipasha are all bengali and they're all dark brown - not heavy brown but much darker then say aish, pryanka and kareena.

Offensive? Report it. back to top

07:41pm - 27th August, 2008ash123

actually Priyanka chopra is dark, and so are other actresses such as deepika padukone, sushmita sen etc- in fact most of them are dark! Another point is that lightenex cream is not just to be fairer, its good to even out skin tone (for example I have a dark patch of skin around my mouth)- so whats wrong in using it then??????????

Offensive? Report it. back to top

06:45pm - 3rd September, 2008kismet hardy

What a lot of patronising clap trap
(rich, seeing as it comes from men -
who incidentally, are also the ones
telling women abortion is bad).

Who the fuck are you to say women
can't wear a cream? They wear
make-up, don't they? What do you
think concealer, compaq powder and
foundation is for? To lighten the skin.

Question Is: is lightenex dangerous?
You're not going to do your research
so let me do it for you.

Yes lightenex contains kojic
dipalmitate but it is NOT a bleaching
agent. It contains ome great natural
skin lightening ingredients such as
licorice and vitamin C as well as
bearberry, a botanical that contains
the active component arbutin, which
releases a natural form of
hydroquinone. Clinical studies have
shown NO side affects.

Now that you at least have some info
to know what you're talking about it,
consider the more important point.

Women like make-up. So as a man,
shut the hell up.

:-)

Offensive? Report it. back to top

« back to the topics


	AIM Web