It’s 2019 And We Need to Get Over Our Obsession With Fairness

  Unfair IS lovely.

11 March, 2019
It’s 2019 And We Need to Get Over Our Obsession With Fairness

“Ma’m, buy this, you’ll look fairer!” 

How many times have you ladies heard this when out buying make-up? Too many times to count, right? We’ve all been conditioned to believe that fairer skin is more beautiful and better. Even though we’re a country of brown-skinned people, our obsession with the fair skin hasn’t gone since the British. And this holds true especially for women, who are fed a million skin-lightening and fairness products — not just by cosmetic companies but also, our families and friends. Because, if you’re fairer, you’re better. 

Even in 2019, things really haven’t changed. We’re still sold fairness as the epitome of beauty, so much so that it is ingrained into our brains that fair means good and dark means bad. We even see this prejudice in action every day, where people prefer and trust fair-skinned people over dark-skinned people irrespective of their personalities, abilities, and talents. From workplaces to films, everywhere you see there is an unconscious prejudice against anyone who’s not fair. 

However, there are some avenues of change. Thanks to social media, people are making their voices heard and holding companies and people responsible for their discriminatory thoughts. Campaigns like #MySkinMyChoice from SUGAR Cosmetics is bringing the fight for change to the forefront and making people aware of the fact that any skin tone is beautiful and not worthy of discrimination (Check out their super inspiring campaign here). SUGAR has even expanded their foundation range, called Ace of Face Foundation Stick collection, to a total of 22 shades to include one to suit every Indian skin tone, so that women don’t have to settle for foundations and concealers that are lighter than their skin.

Hopefully, this trend continues and we see a day where fairness creams and treatments don’t exist anymore. 
 

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