Pond’s Advertisement, Phnom Penh Cambodia
The Dangers of Skin Lightening Cream
When perusing the health and self-care aisle of your local supermarket or beauty supply store, it’s common to see row upon row of skin lightening and whitening creams, lotions, and foams. These are particularly prominent in Cambodia and other parts of Asia like India, Korea, and Thailand. These popular products aren’t a new addition to the beauty ritual and celebrities, models, and peers alike share their success stories of whiter skin and show off their artificially lightened, or “brightened” skin.
The harmful idea that lighter is better has caught across the globe, with an estimated $18 billion spent per year on whitening products in Asia alone. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to skin lightening that many have yet to learn of – and where manufacturers turn a blind eye. The phrase “pain is beauty” seems to be the ideal tagline for these lightening products; it’s not so pretty when things go awry, causing pain, disfigurement, and even death.
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