Fairness Creams: Side Effects and Risks You Need to Know

Fairness cream is perhaps the biggest hoax of this century.

A billion-dollar industry is thriving on the sensitive insecurities of humans.

Fairness creams are not just a pocket-drilling fib, but it is outright colorist, sexist and degrading.

Wait! That’s not all. In recent news, doctors asserted that fairness creams damage the skin. They may even cause dreadful diseases.

Our irrational intolerance towards dark skin has spawned an industry worth Rs 3000 crore that promises all things fair and lovely.

And that’s not it. The worst part is when they promote a wrong mentality.

The ads sell the concept that fair skin opens the door to success and marital bliss. They directly show that these things are in no way achievable for a girl with dark skin.

This hammers the self-esteem and confidence of the girl who has perhaps just stepped into her teens.

But this does not mean that the elderly lady in her fifties or sixties cares any less!!!

Also Read: Day Cream vs Night Cream

Fairness cream unfair means

The problem is the deep impact that these scams of fairness creams have on human life. Check out the disturbing facts about fairness creams:

• There is sufficient scientific evidence that suggests that no cream can change one’s skin color.
• It can just lighten the tan one acquires over time.
• They contain significant amounts of mercury, lead, nickel, and chromium.
• Mercury in cosmetics causes skin, liver, and kidney ailments.
• Chromium may cause cancer
• Some fairness creams contain hydroquinone, tretinoin, or steroids.
• They cause redness, irritation, inflammation, skin thinning, and virulent acne.
• Such hazardous contents may cause abnormalities among newborn babies. They should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Fairness creams can make the skin vulnerable to bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
• The main ingredient in many fairness creams is bleach which is undoubtedly harmful and not for daily use.
• Daily use of these creams leads to the skin losing its tightness and becoming thinner.
• Melanin protects the DNA of our skin from sun damage.
• Excessively reducing this concentration of melanin or thinning the skin may increase the risk of skin cancers

The psychological impact of fairness creams 

Toxic stereotypes about skin color make life difficult for those who stand on the other side.  

Young girls and boys struggle for their identity. They face low self-esteem. Inferiority complex bugs them. Hopelessness hovers over their head.

It is a common sight to see teenagers retreat into a shell unable to bear the unfair pressure.  

The shade of one’s color is given so much importance that a part of the brain is constantly consumed by these thoughts.

A study revealed the darker side of this ‘fair’ world.

The dark shade of fairness cream

In 2014, a woman in Delhi hanged herself to death. Because of the constant humiliation from her husband her being dark-skinned.

In the same year, a schoolteacher named Brototi Das set herself on fire. As she was unable to bear the heart-piercing taunts for her dark complexion.

Another woman poisoned the food during a family function to avenge her pain for being called dark-skinned. 

Not just fairness creams, human greed is at fault too

Another problem with fairness creams is the insatiability of human greed.  

Some fairness creams might whiten or lighten the skin shade to a certain extent. But it’s the unrealistic expectations that people set which lead them to their doom.

They overuse the products and fail to see the expected results, they turn bitter, heartbroken, and unhappy.

There is an insane craze over fair skin. It has pegged the growth of the skin whitening industry at $720 million by 2023.

An estimated 60% of women and 10% of men accepted that they use fairness cream to beautify their bodies.

Shocking facts surfaced during such surveys. Even the downtrodden people in rural areas won’t mind buying a tube at the cost of their meals!

A gleam of hope amidst the dooms!

Martin Luther King, Jr. once quotes, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin. But by the content of their character”, this seems the day has come that it becomes a reality.

Recently a lot of campaigns supporting dark skin have stormed the internet.

The thoughts like ‘Dark is beautiful and ‘beauty beyond color’ have uplifted the community and mentality of the society.

Slowly, people are coming to terms with the acceptance of color. 

However, the seeds of differentiation are deeply ingrained in their paradigm. It would take time for them to change completely.

These campaigns have opened many doors for dark-colored talents. They are taking the centre stage, especially in jobs like acting, modeling, or anchoring.

Ayur Thoughts

Ayurveda does not consider beauty in terms of size or color.

It is a contagious positive attitude. Pious heart. Caring nature. Knowledge of self-worth. These things make a person beautiful inside and out.

Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of healthy radiant skin achieved through the right diet, exercise, sleep, and herbal packs.

Ditch the tube and check out this amazing DIY Rice Scrub for skincare

In fact, the A – list stars might urge to use fairness cream in the ads, but in reality, the secret of their flawless skin lies in the folds of nature.