The "White skin" dream

Publié par Marie sur 21 Août 2012, 12:46pm

Asians are spending $18 billion a year to reach their beauty goal: a white skin. Everywhere around you in HK you will find advertising for a whitening cream, a new whitening lotion or serum, a new whitening treatment, a miracle pill… If you are not careful like I am, you will easily buy your usual face cream without too much thinking to realize once you are home that this is the new version with whitening effect!

A bit weird to realize Asians are after a pale skin while Westerners are after a tanned one… I am not judging anyone here; I do understand that personal customs and history are playing a huge role here and I am just trying to show you another cultural difference.

Asia’s obsession with whiteness is coming from their past. It was considered a reflection of wealth and economic status. Those who had a tanned skin were working in the fields and the one rich enough to stay indoor were having a paler skin. Therefore having a pale skin was equal to be beautiful for the girls.

You will find the highest SPF available I have never seen in this country (SPF 150). Some locals are carrying sun umbrellas everywhere they go and during some hiking or on the beaches I have seen people fully covered from their neck to their toes to avoid sun exposure!

While Westerner countries are worst with their obsession of tanning, I do believe sun exposure is essential for our body to produce Vitamin D so let’s not become crazy in either way and enjoy the sunlight in a reasonable way!

200th article!

Guangzhou - Qingping market and Shamian Island

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