Pinoys and Skin Whitening (Rewritten for PinoyChronicle)

While Hollywood celebrities Charlize Theron and Paris Hilton bask in the sun in a secluded Acapulco beach or pay big bucks in a posh Beverly Hills tanning salon just to get that “gorgeous tanned look,” we Filipinos shun the sun every way we can. And if we really have to go out during the day, we wear long-sleeved shirts, use an umbrella and slather layers of sunblock cream onto our skin to keep the darkening effects of sunlight at bay.

The sheer number of whitening products displayed on supermarket shelves is a clear indication of our obsession for whiter skin. Facial cleansers, soaps, face creams, lotions, astringents, even deodorants with skin lightening properties sell more than the ordinary variants. Manufacturers capitalize on the bleaching effects of papaya, kalamansi and guava extracts and produced organic bath products that promise healthy and lighter complexion sans harmful chemicals. And who wouldn’t notice the barrage of billboards, print ads and TV commercials promoting these products, endorsed of course by fair skinned models and celebrities.

We are known to be the race with beautiful brown skin. So why the penchant for lighter complexion? Some say it’s just another case of colonial mentality. The traditional concept of beauty during the Spanish regime was exemplified by fair-skinned mestiza, and this notion continues up to this day. However, Thailand also subscribes to the “skin whitening practice” but it was never colonized by any European country. Others argue that this craze is just a massive marketing ploy by the media and multinational manufacturing companies to drive people to think that the color of their skin will somehow make their life better, and at the same time give these companies huge profits.

Maybe, colonial history and marketing strategies have nothing to do with it. Maybe it’s just simply wanting what we don't have: fair skin. Just like the obsession of Japanese for big round eyes (look at mangas and anime). Or Charlize and Paris’ desire to be tanned, no matter how expensive. Skin color, after all, is just superficial. What’s more important is that we’re proud to be Filipinos!