Natasha Fedorenko
Indian whitening cream market- one of the largest industries in the local economy. It is estimated at $400 million, and sales of such cosmetics in some years even exceeded the popularity of Coca-Cola. In addition to India, whitening products are breaking records in China, South Korea, Singapore, Pakistan and even Nigeria.
Industrialization and the caste system
The first thought that comes to mind about the Eastern obsession with white skin is that these people want to be like Europeans. In fact, the history of each culture is individual and often has virtually no connection with globalization and the idea of “white superiority” - some simply did not survive colonization. And yet, the peoples who lived through it actually reinforced pre-existing stereotypes regarding skin color. This happened, for example, in India, Pakistan and the Philippines, whose history is closely connected with the struggle against colonial empires and the defense of cultural identity. “The British are often praised for creating Pakistanis as a nation and building a complex railway system in our area, but at the same time they taught us not to be proud of our skin,” says Daily Times Pakistan columnist Maria Sartaj.
For a long time, tanning was associated with hard work in the fields, and paleness distinguished aristocrats who did not go outside unless absolutely necessary. In India, this stereotype was reinforced by rigid caste divisions, which supposedly reflected differences in skin tones, although it is clear that in most cases it was the difference between working in the fields and indoors.
This stereotype has proven even more persistent in eastern countries due to the proportion of people who work in the agricultural sector. For example, in China in 2015, 28.3% of the population was engaged in agriculture, while in the United States this figure was only 1.6%. Many countries entered the era of accelerated industrialization an order of magnitude later than the Western world, and, accordingly, are slower to get rid of the stereotypes that arose during the era of the agricultural economy. If in the USA, a tan rather indicates that an office worker has enough money to go on vacation to Miami or have a nice rest outside the city, then in China or India it can still be associated with rural origin and hard manual labor.
But the peculiarities of economic development are not the only reason for the obsession with paleness. After all, how then can we explain the fashion for white skin in South Korea, Japan or Singapore - utopian strongholds of the post-industrial era? Just remember the absurd situation when Nylon Singapore magazine printed a photograph of the singer and activist M.I.A on the cover. of Tamil origin, who often speaks out about racial inequality, having noticeably lightened her skin tone.
As for Japan, the love of white skin has flourished here for centuries. White powder was very popular and natural remedies, designed to make the skin lighter, especially for geishas. The lighter and softer the skin on the back of the neck, the more beautiful the woman was considered. There is even a saying in the country: “ White skin covers seven deficiencies.”
Some traditions have quite successfully migrated to modern culture and turned out to be part of the new standards. For example, in South Korea, white skin has become an essential characteristic of the ideal pop star. Paleness is an attribute of both actresses in popular TV series and sweet-voiced members of boy bands. Many young people are like their idols in everything and, at the same time as buying whitening creams, are signing up for blepharoplasty.
There is an opinion that the love for white skin is due to certain views on aging. According to cosmetology specialist Dr. Alan Khayat, in some Eastern cultures, the primary sign of aging is not wrinkles, but pigmentation. While Europeans often find freckles charming, Asians may perceive them as a sign of impending decline.
Marriage and discrimination
Of course, sales rankings for whitening products indicate not only fashion trends, but also the discrimination that exists in societies obsessed with white skin. Nowadays people are trying to bleach not only their faces, but even their genitals. So, in Thailand a product is sold that promises to lighten the vagina in four weeks. And men and women are looking for the most advanced means that will allow them to become closer to the ideal.
White skin remains such an important criterion for attractiveness in India that parents, when posting advertisements for a bride for their son, mention that the girl must be pale. “It's like a market where everyone wants to buy delicious red tomatoes, just as they want to get the palest daughter-in-law,” says Kavita Emmanuel, co-founder of Women of Worth and the Dark is Beautiful campaign. means beautiful"). Women tend to whiten their skin to please men and become part of new family, but this stereotype also works in reverse side. According to 2012 data, 71% of women preferred men with fair skin when they were looking for a potential husband on one of the thematic sites. In turn, 65–70% of men on the same site indicated that they have fair skin.
Mercury and the illegal market
Fixation on skin tone not only harms self-esteem, personal life and career, but is also quite capable of crippling. Women who cannot afford creams or expensive treatments use folk remedies like lemon juice, rose water, honey, egg yolk, cream or caraway seeds. Some women in India specifically eat saffron during pregnancy - it is believed that it helps to brighten the baby's skin color.
Whitening cosmetics contain different ingredients. Some have acids that promote skin renewal, others reduce melanin production - usually those creams that contain mulberry extract, licorice extract, kojic acid, arbutin, mercury and hydroquinone. The latter is used both for exfoliation and for developing photographs and often causes redness, itching and even severe pigmentation, which subsequently may not get rid of at all. Mercury and hydroquinone are banned for use in the European Union, but remain legal ingredients in many countries, although they can increase the risk of cancer due to their toxicity.
Thailand has a list of 70 illegal whitening creams, and Indonesia has also banned 50 products that are potentially hazardous to health. However, the black market for miracle creams continues to make huge profits, especially in developing countries. For example, Nigeria, where about 77% of women use whitening creams, and the level of government control over the quality of cosmetics remains very low.
Cosmetics manufacturers and makeup artists distinguish between seven basic skin tones. Almost like the seven colors of the rainbow! This:
Very pale
- Pale (Fair)
- Medium
- Olive
- Dark (Dusky)
- Tanned (Tan)
- Dark
It is equally important to know not only your shade, but also your undertone, or subtone. Before we move directly to the tests, we should decide what skin undertone is.
What is skin undertone? No matter what color your skin is, it also has an undertone: warm or cool. There are three types of undertones:
Warm,
- cold,
- neutral (or medium).
Warm skin tone- This is skin close to a yellow tint. At the same time, it doesn’t matter whether the skin is light or dark. For example, the skin of Kim Kardashian and Ashley Olsen can be classified as warm tones.
Cold- This is bluish or pink skin. Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, singer Adele, and Liv Tyler have cool skin tones.
Neutral shade– not so common, this is skin that is difficult to classify as warm or cool undertone, that is, yellow, bluish and pink to the same extent.
Most have a warm skin tone, but Western women have skin that is close to cold. Indians have warm and neutral undertones, South Asians (Chinese, Koreans) have yellow skin with warm undertones, African skin can be either warm or cold. Americans, Germans, Russians, and Norwegians generally have a cool skin tone, but Greeks, Italians and Spaniards have warm skin tones.
The theory is over, let's move on to practice, actually, to tests.
TEST 1. Check the veins
Take a close look at your wrist veins. Determine their color:
- You have blue veins cool shade skin
- Green veins – warm skin tone
- Both blue and green veins mean you have a rare, neutral skin tone.
TEST 2. Sheet of paper
It is often difficult to determine your skin tone, because bright hair is next to your face, jewelry reflects reflections on your skin, and your skin is set off by colored clothes. Therefore, a simple method has been invented - you need to compare your skin with pure white color.
As a standard of whiteness, we take an A4 sheet of good paper, pure white in color and without texture (flat and smooth). We look at ourselves in the mirror, and hold a piece of paper next to our face. Naturally, you must be without makeup during the test. Against the background of white paper, it is quite easy to immediately understand whether the skin is warm or cold. Check it out, it really works!
TEST 3. Jewelry test
This test requires a lot jewelry– gold (or gold-like) and silver. Put on as much jewelry as possible at the same time. And see which ones look better on you. Which metal does your face best harmonize with:
If it is gold jewelry, then you have warm skin. That is why the largest consumers of gold jewelry are Indian and Chinese women, but silver jewelry and items made of white gold and platinum are more popular among European women.
If your skin looks better with white metal jewelry, then you have a cool skin tone.
If both silver looks equally good on you, you have neutral skin. You are lucky with the choice of jewelry - you can safely buy any.
TEST 4. With fabric
You need bleached fabric and old white (it is not clean white shade, slightly yellowish-grayish). Throw both fabrics over your shoulders: on each shoulder - different fabrics. Look in the mirror. What fabric makes your skin bright? Which color makes your skin stand out the most?
- If this snow-white fabric– then you have a cool skin tone
- If you are better shaded not very much white fabric– then you have a warm skin tone. Although white color looks good on any skin, it makes warm skin look somewhat faded and colorless.
TEST 5. Ears
This test is difficult to do on your own; you need either a good mirror or an attentive assistant. Because you need to check the color of the skin behind the ears. If the skin behind the ears is warm, close to a yellow tint, then the whole face can be classified as a warm type. If the skin behind the ears is light and pink or bluish, then your type is cold.
Now it will be easier for you to determine your color type, which means choosing lipstick, eye shadow, and hair color.
Has anyone ever wondered what color a polar bear's skin is? Many will say that she is also white. But they will be wrong. This polar animal has black skin. It seems incredible. But it is precisely this coloring that allows the bear to survive in the conditions of the Far North.
A little physics
Everyone knows from school days that White color reflects maximum sunlight, and black absorbs them. Therefore, the ground warms up faster than the snow cover. For the same reason, dark clothes make it much hotter in summer.
And one more point regarding polar bears. In a transparent medium, light rays can travel a fairly long distance. This principle is used in modern world by creating optical fiber that transmits information much faster than metal conductors. How does this relate to the coat and skin color of a polar bear?
Why are polar bears black?
Where ice and snow prevail, it is very important to always remain invisible. Of course, polar bears have no natural enemies. They do not need protective camouflage from predators.
At the same time, bears are fierce hunters. They hunt seals and seals to maintain their existence. It is extremely important for bears to get as close as possible to their prey without being noticed. For this reason, during the process of evolution, they developed white wool, which blends well with ice and snow. But her hairs themselves are hollow. They perfectly transmit sunlight to the body of the animal.
And here a logical question arises: what color is the skin of a polar bear? It is black because it can absorb maximum heat emitted by the sun. This allows the animal to warm up and quickly dry the water-soaked fur. Evidence that these predators actually have black pigment in their skin coloration is provided by the nose, eyelids, lips and paws. They just demonstrate the color of a polar bear’s skin. These are the most visible parts of his body that can give away his disguise.
How it works
When the animal is under the sun's rays, they penetrate the skin without obstacles, warming it. Scientists have proven that bears receive approximately 25% of all thermal energy from the sun. And this is not so little in the conditions severe frosts. Now it’s clear what color the polar bear’s skin is and why. And so that he does not freeze in cold water and in frosts down to -80 ° C, nature gave him very thick and dense wool that does not get wet. In addition, the animal has small ears and tail, and a minimum of heat escapes through them. This gives the bear the opportunity not only to sleep in the snow, but also to swim in cold water.
About coat color
We are used to thinking that the fur of this polar predator is pure white. In fact, it is transparent. And a large amount of it creates the effect white color. Long-term exposure to the sun causes the fur to turn yellow. But even during the summer season in the North, the snow is not the whitest either. That is why yellowness does not affect the natural camouflage of the predator and allows it to still effectively obtain food for itself.
There are cases when in some southern zoos the wool sometimes acquired and green color. This is due to algae that settled in the hollow hairs and began to actively reproduce. Zookeepers then cleaned her using different means. In their natural habitat, bears do not have such problems, since in Antarctica there are no favorable conditions for the active life of green algae.
Now you know exactly what color a polar bear’s skin is, and you can surprise your friends with this information. Not everyone will immediately believe this fact, but the article contains irrefutable evidence of this. For a bear to survive, it is extremely important to remain white on the outside and black under a layer of thick fur.
Galina Lunyakova
It has long been believed that representatives of the fair sex with white skin belong to the aristocracy. However fashion trends tend to change rapidly, and in modern society handsome is considered the standard of beauty even tan. Despite this, many girls are interested in how to make their skin white. After all, a healthy and even complexion is a sign of not only beauty, but also health.
White skin is a sign of aristocracy - a brief excursion into history
How to give skin a porcelain white color first interested the ancient Greeks. Despite the fact that they naturally had dark skin, it was believed that pale color The face has an undeniable attractiveness. It was they who first invented lead-based white powder. Despite its destructive properties, this recipe was used until the end of the 19th century.
Geishas also used this powder for their makeup, for whom the combination of white skin and black hair was the standard of beauty.
But white facial skin gained its greatest popularity in the 16th-18th centuries in Europe, where it became a sign of the aristocracy. Now this trend is gaining popularity again, and many girls who do not have porcelain skin strive to give it a mysterious pallor.
How to make your skin white
Now available for ladies wide choose facial skin whitening products. You can use folk remedies that involve compresses and washing with special decoctions, or bleaching agents. cosmetics. In special cases, when radical changes are required that are impossible at home, you can use ultrasound or the services of a plastic surgeon.
Regardless of what type of funds you choose, you should start with proper nutrition and giving up cigarettes and alcohol. This will be the first step towards healthy white skin without a hint of yellowness and age spots.
If you decide to resort to folk remedies, you have big choice. You can use essential oils based on lemon or orange, which have a pronounced smoothing effect.
It is important to exclude the possibility of allergic reaction on citrus fruits before use.
If you decide to use special masks, the basis for them will be ordinary homemade products stored in the refrigerator. For example, you can make a mask based on:
- cabbage and kefir: mix in a 2:1 ratio and keep on your face for 15 minutes;
- cucumber: grate half fresh vegetable and mix with rich nourishing cream;
- cottage cheese: 50 g dairy product mix with one tablespoon of sour cream, honey and a few drops of lemon juice;
- lemon: squeeze the juice from the citrus, add a tablespoon of honey, moisten a napkin in the resulting porridge and apply it to your face.
You can try any of the recipes listed, they all have the same effectiveness.
Makeup for white skin - important subtleties
Not all girls with a porcelain complexion can properly apply makeup that shows off their aristocratic pallor in a favorable light.
To do everything right, you must follow a number of rules:
- The right tone. Trying to disguise your pallor with dark foundation- the biggest mistake. This way you will not only give your skin an unhealthy tint, but also add a few more extra years. White skin on a girl requires the use of a primer to mask all defects and the lightest shade foundation with a light texture.
- The powder should be used as carefully as possible, in the most necessary cases. It will contribute to the effect of dryness and highlight your paleness, so try to avoid it.
- A little blush is a must-have element of makeup. After all, it is he who will give your skin the necessary brightness. It is important to choose the right shade, because too much emphasis on the cheekbones will not look harmonious. Give preference to light pink, peach or coral shade. The absence of mother-of-pearl and sparkles is the right choice for the aristocracy.
- Choose eyeshadows in cool and light shades, because too bright colors will look provocative.
- Mascara, on the contrary, should be black and maximally lengthening. Properly painted long dark eyelashes will perfectly set off your noble pallor.
- Lipstick depends on the time of day. If it's a working day, give preference to soft neutral lip shades: peach, beige, soft pink tones are exactly what you need. And to create a bright evening makeup You can use burgundy, scarlet or brown lipstick.
If you follow all the rules, your image will look irresistible: white glowing skin, gentle blush, a modest look from under long black eyelashes, soft pink lips and well-groomed hair.
How to tan if your skin is white
Pale skin causes certain problems for its owners. One of them is the inability to get a fashionable tan. Achievement desired result requires patience because porcelain skin prone to burns.
Must be applied sunbathing in small doses, gradually increasing the time spent in the sun. You can start with 15 minutes so that your skin gets used to the effects of ultraviolet radiation. Gradually the time can be increased, bringing it up to 2 hours. In this case, it is imperative to use sunscreen before, after and for tanning.
If you are out in the sun without wanting to tan, wear a wide-brimmed hat and make sure all areas of your body are covered. This way you can be sure that your skin will remain even, without individual intensely tanned areas.
If you are not careful, the risk of sunburn is quite high. And after a burn, white skin takes a long time to recover, which can become a serious problem. Therefore, to avoid unpleasant consequences, pale people need to treat exposure to the sun with the utmost caution.
