Skin whitening products: Is it worth the while?

Women are at odds on the usage of whitening products

KUALA LUMPUR: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for what one person finds beautiful may not appeal to another. However, this saying seems to be no longer relevant as many find being white as the ultimate beauty.

One can find countless number of beauty products all over the country today that will turn a dark or brown skin to a fairer skin tone.

Not just that, the products are also widely commercialised on a daily basis, found on our daily newspapers and television channels.

Berita Daily spoke to several members of the public on the dilemma of many women in Malaysia: Do they prefer to be white?

“This is the white privilege mentality. This happens not just in Malaysia but many other countries. Take South Korea for an example.

“Big companies want their female employees to be not just white (fair skinned) but with sexy body figures, big breast and long legs,” said Lau Shu Shi, a feminist who works for Penang Women’s Development Corporation.

“So many females in South Korea undergo plastic surgery just to get a job. It is sickening. Although it is not really visible here, many of women have this idea that ‘only white is beautiful’. Look at the products selling everywhere. It is all about being white. For many, if you are not white you are not pretty.

“I do wear make up but I will tell myself, why do I need to look like them. What is the reason you want to turn white? This whitening concept is damaging and are we sure that the product is safe?,” she said.

Meanwhile, a marketing agent who deals with cosmetic product companies said that Malaysian women are obsessed with being white.

Umirra Sahad told Berita Daily that whitening products are the most ‘looked for’ items in local market therefore many local companies are willing to sell the products at affordable price ranges.

“I am not using any whitening products because I am already fair but as a person who deals with cosmetic companies, I can say that the demand for whitening products is very high.

“Asians are obsessed with being white, especially Malaysians,” she said.

Asked if it was okay with women turning their skin tone to a whiter one, the mother of two said that if it helped the women to lift their self-esteem, then there was no problem.

“I think, if being white helps them to lift their self-esteem and confidence, then why not,” she added.

A scam

An avid user of such products, Nurshahirah Rosli when met said that she has been using a whitening product for the past two years and many have said that she had turned fair.

Asked if the product had caused skin irritation, the 26-year-old said that the product she had been using had approval from the Health Ministry.

“So far I have no problem using it. Maybe it suits my skin. Many of my friends have told me that I look different. They say I look fairer than before,” she said.

Asked on why she chose to use whitening products, Nurshahirah explained that she was just trying out the product and had no intention to be white.

“I used it because I wanted my skin to be soft and clean. I didn’t have any intention to be white. After using it for a while, my skin was getting cleaner.

“I only realised about the white effect after being told by close friends. Since then I never stopped using it. For me there is nothing wrong if a person wants to have a fairer skin. They want to look pretty,” she disclosed.

For 34-year-old Yasmin Malik, whitening products are nothing more than a scam to trick brown skinned women who were obsessed with Korean drama to be fair.

She disclosed that she was not using any whitening products, but only facial wash to keep her face clean.

“I don’t understand why many women in Malaysia are obsessed with being white and wanting to be white like the Korean female actresses. I do watch the dramas but not to the extend of wanting to be like them.

“Many local companies are selling whitening collegen, white skin facial wash and many more. These are all scams. The individuals selling it became millionaires while the buyers are tricked into buying their stuff.

“Now you see in the news that the products contain mercury which is harmful to your skin in the long run. They don’t care about that, all they want is to be white,” she said.