Unilever renames 'Fair & Lovely' skin-lightening cream after backlash
26 June 2020, 12:54
The billion dollar brand have rebranded their 'Fair & Lovely' skin-lightening cream after being called out for sending a negative message on beauty standards.
Unilever have rebranded their 'Fair & Lovely' skin-lightening cream amid backlash surrounding the negative connotations of the name.
The colossal consumer brand has been accused of pushing a "singular form of beauty" and promoting a negative stereotype around darker skin tones through the cream, which is sold in countries including India, Pakistan, Thailand and Indonesia.
Petitions circulating online urging Unilever to stop producing its 'Fair & Lovely' range have gained thousands of signatures in recent weeks. Yesterday, the company announced its rebranding of the popular line.
"We are fully committed to having a global portfolio of skin care brands that is inclusive and cares for all skin tones, celebrating greater diversity of beauty," said Sunny Jain, President of Beauty & Personal Care at Unilever.
"We recognise that the use of the words 'fair', 'white' and 'light' suggest a singular ideal of beauty that we don't think is right, and we want to address this."
"The brand has never been and is not a bleaching product," Unilever added. The company has also claimed to have removed before-and-after impressions and "shade guides" on 'Fair & Lovely' packaging.
We’re committed to a skin care portfolio that's inclusive of all skin tones, celebrating the diversity of beauty. That’s why we’re removing the words ‘fairness’, ‘whitening’ & ‘lightening’ from products, and changing the Fair & Lovely brand name.https://t.co/W3tHn6dHqE
— Unilever #StaySafe (@Unilever) June 25, 2020
People took to social media in response to the rebranding, with many demanding an apology for the psychological effects that skin-lightening treatments have had on women.
"This tube has ruined self esteem of girls for decades. It gave grooms and their parents a right to advertise want very fair, very very fair and beautiful, only very fair girls! Decades of damage and all you can think of is a name change. How about an apology to go with this," wrote one user.
"The problem isn’t the name of the product. It’s the fact that skin whitening products exist. The idea that having “white” skin is the highest of beauty standards is saying that all other skin tones are lesser," wrote another.
This tube has ruined self esteem of girls for decades. It gave grooms and their parents a right to advertise want very fair, very very fair and beautiful, only very fair girls! Decades of damage and all you can think of is a name change. How about an apology to go with this
— Susmita Vavilala (@susmitavavilala) June 25, 2020
The problem isn’t the name of the product. It’s the fact that skin whitening products exist. The idea that having “white” skin is the highest of beauty standards is saying that all other skin tones are lesser.
— Tina Tao Maynes (@tinamaynes) June 25, 2020
You’re not getting rid of the bleaching products, you’re just changing their names, because you’d still like to capitalize on the underlying colorism, but you don’t want to look so vile. You don’t get a cookie for that.
— The Doubtful Guest (@InsideATureen) June 25, 2020
