The company’s decision comes after considerable backlash for perpetuating negative stereotypes related to darker skin tones
A Reuters report stated that around 6,277 tonnes of skin lightening products were sold across the world in 2019
This preference for fair skin was perpetuated and strongly reinforced by colonialism in India and some other countries
It’s the idea that the ruler is fair-skinned, says Kavitha Emmanuel, founder of Women of Worth, an Indian NGO
But now, people have started to push back!
It starts with 'HUL' announcing that it will stop using the word 'Fair' in the brand name 'Fair & Lovely'
The company’s decision comes as over the past few weeks, social media has spoken out against Indian celebrities...
...who have previously endorsed fairness creams and treatments
The actors were also slammed when they posted against racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death since they themselves endorsed skin lightening creams
Following criticism from an online petition, Indian matrimony website, Shaadi.com too have decided to remove a search filter labelled 'fairness'
The search filter allowed people to demand for specific skin tones, which has faced backlash in the past too
Actor-Producer Nandita Das also talks about these issues and is a part of 'India’s Got Colour' last year, a campaign to end skin colour bias in India through educational workshops, counselling and media
“No one thing ever changes a mindset. It changes so gradually, it’s when a number of things happen simultaneously over a period of time , you might be able to see an attitude change,” she says