There’s a Lot Wrong with Skin Whitening Products

The demand for skin whitening products is growing, especially throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. However, aside from the reinforcing damaging psychological effects of whitening one’s skin, these products can also have harmful physical repercussions.

One 2017 study interviewed 1,992 adults and found that 54.4 percent had used skin whitening products at least once in their lives.  The reasons for whitening skin revolved around body image. “I try to look fair because my family members say it is attractive” and “I wish I was as fair as the people (actors) on TV and in ads” were a couple of the responses participants gave.

According to market researchers Global Industry Analysts, the market made $17.9 billion in 2017 and is expected to generate $31.2 billion by 2014. China, Japan, and Korea collectively have the highest sales for skin whitening creams and serums, representing over half the global market.  

“Asian consumers are highly concerned regarding their beauty and hence tend to spend more on such products, particularly the current generation of consumers in their teens who tend to have a significant beauty budget,” says Rachit Kumar, a senior consultant at Future Market Insights. She says customers are "ready to spend millions of dollars in order to enhance their overall appearance."

Skin whitening products are just a futile attempt to change a person’s complexion, and numerous products have been called out for their adverse side effects. According to CNN, 17 percent of whitening product users surveyed reported troubling side effects, but only 3.1 addressed those problems to a health professional. Over 18,000 women experienced blotches after using a skin whitening product containing the whitening chemical Rhododenol. The makers of the product, a Japanese company called Kanebo, was ordered to pay damages in a settlement.

The International Journal of Pharmacy & Technology tested 23 Indian “skin fairness creams” and found that nearly half contained steroids. "There is no regulation of these products, and the advertising industry was using actors and spokespersons to promote these products as a way to enhance the desire for the product," said Hemal Shroff, the study’s lead researcher.