Skin lightening is one of the hottest topics of the cosmetic industry lately, and it seems like the controversy is only going to pick up and grow stronger over the next weeks/months, unless some changes are implemented and companies involved in the market start behaving more appropriately. Until then though, there’s a lot that has to be discussed, and the growing popularity of skin lightening products in some communities certainly isn’t helping the whole situation.
It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, according to reports, and public interest in skin lightening products likely isn’t going to die down anytime soon. People will always be interested in new ways to make their skin lighter and clearer, especially those from certain parts of the world where a lighter skin has specific social implications and is a sought-after attribute.
At the same time, companies manufacturing those products often disregard basic safety guidelines, making use of the loose regulation that skin lightening is subjected to in many countries. Indeed, buying a skin lightening kit is often a very risky ordeal, as it’s difficult to predict how a person’s skin would react to it, especially when it’s not being administered by a licensed medical professional.
There’s also the problem with advertising – some have been claiming that the practice of advertising skin lightening products so actively is very wrong and should be banned. On the other hand, some companies in this field certainly aren’t helping their case by getting in the negative spotlight when it was unveiled that they had been using photos in their campaigns inappropriately.
It’s a messy situation, but according to critics commenting on it, it has to be addressed on both sides if there is ever to be any resolution. People have to learn that skin lightening products can be very harmful and stop investing in them, and on the other hand, companies in this business should be subjected to stricter regulations in order to better control what they are releasing to the market.
Are we going to see any change soon? Maybe in some parts of the world, where skin lightening is already starting to get lots of attention from lawmakers and public groups. And from there, we might see others following suit and the worldwide market for skin lightening becoming more tightly regulated. According to most experts, this is the only sensible solution to the current situation, and the only move that makes sense if we want to see people protected from the huge potential harm hiding in many skin lightening products. Until a safer method exists to “bleach” one’s skin, thorough research should be performed before investing in any products of this type.