The globally widespread promotion and use of skinbleaching cosmetics should be understood within its specific cultural, social and economic context. Illustrative is the advertisement of the bleaching cosmetic Fair and Ageless in a newspaper (De Ware Tijd (04.12.10) in Suriname, a small multi-colored society of half a million people in the north east of South America. In addition to a shining, renovated and spotless skin the advertisement recommends the bleaching cosmetic for its supposed whitening effect. While the whitening of the skin is increasingly promoted throughout the world, users and promoters of skin bleaching cosmetics are often not aware of the sometimes devastating dermatological and psychological side effects.
Suriname, a Caribbean society with a great cultural diversity, is often praised for its ethnic harmony as an ‘ideal world in miniature’. Part of this diversity is the rainbow of skin colors: a spectrum that begins with dark-skinned creoles and Maroons, then different color shades of mixed people, indigenous (American Indian), Indian, Javanese, Chinese and light skin Libanese, Syrians, and Whites at the end.
A cultural walk in January 2011 through Paramaribo, Suriname’s multi-colored capital city, revealed the ‘who’ and ‘why’ of the widespread use of skin bleaching cosmetics. A female owner of a famous beauty saloon commented that most of the users get the bleaching creams from the medical doctor or the supermarket. It is a problem that some get it from the pharmacy with a high percentage of 4% or 6% hydroquinone, which can be devastating for their skin including the possibility of a higher risk for skin cancer. Although the use of bleaching creams may be effective, this is of a short duration, because walking in the sun results in a dark skin color again. ‘That’s why some customers walk with long sleeves and an umbrella from my beauty saloon to their car, because their skin color bothers them. They consider their skin color too dark and have a white color wish. This is due to the influence of media and movie stars.The Indians in particular are focused on Bollywood and the superstars are their role models. Sha Rukh Khan, is an example of a superstar who promotes one of the widely used bleaching cosmetics’.
The observations of the beautician confirm earlier findings of a survey held more than ten years ago in Suriname: overall one out of every 6 women aged 18 or more, used chemical skin bleaching cosmetics. Surprisingly 1 of every 3 Indian women was using these cosmetics, which is a much higher proportion than the other ethnic groups. Most consumers purchased the cosmetics in a supermarket or drugstore, without medical prescription, indicating that Fair and Lovely was the most used brand.
The cultural walk through Paramaribo also shed more light on the historical context and how the skin whitening syndrome evolved among Indians in particular. An Indian beautician observed a steady growth of consumers of bleaching cosmetics in the past ten years, particularly among Indians. The Indians in Suriname use to say “what a beautiful women, what a fair and white skin.” In Surinamese Hindi they say ‘Ketná safá’. Many Indian males admire white women and prefer a light skinned Indian wife. The beautician is convinced that this is part of the cultural heritage that Indian indentured workers took with them when arriving in Suriname since 1873. In the Indian caste system there is a strong positive relationship between caste and skin color: the higher the caste the lighter the skin. The Indians in Suriname still identify with Brahmans while some even declare themselves Brahman. The beautician ironically comments: Do you see many Brahman immigrants in India coming to Suriname by boat in the 19th and 20th Century? So, there are hardly real Brahmans in Suriname. However, many Indians in Suriname declare themselves to be Brahmans, and want their children to marry other Brahmans. I know a young girl of whom the parents refused to attend her wedding, because she married a dark skinned Indian boy , who was not a brahman and in addition had Guyanese blood.
The growing ethnic diversity in Suriname, with new immigrants such as Brazilians, appears to contribute also to the whitening syndrome among Surinamese women. The Indian beautician knows various wealthy Indian business men who are married to a dark skinned Indian wife, and who after a rapid upward mobility, want their children to marry a partner with a light skin. In many families girls start to use whitening creams from the age of 14. Older indian women in the 40s also use creams when they observe that their husband have affairs with Brazilian women who often have a lighter skin color. They want to compete with the beautiful Brazilian women in nightclubs, and want to look attractive and clean like them. The beautician comments: Brazilian women prefer to eat bread with cheese to be able to pay a pedicure, and care for their skin and make-up.
People of all walks of life spend a lot of money on skin bleaching products that range from very expensive to cheap creams. A beautician points to the devastating side effects of various skin bleaching products. Some women bleach their hair three times in a short period of time which may damage the melanine. She comments further that the supposed effects are not achieved:
Illustrative is the Bollywood film “slumdog millionaire’ with a poor street boy who saves his money to buy the bleaching cream Fair and lovely. When he observes a large billboard with an advertisement of Fair and Lovely he excessively lubricates the crème on his skin. The film shows that it does not work at all. However, many Indians in Suriname ‘swear’ that it works well. But it is taboo to talk about using it. Experiences about skin whitening creams are exchanged freely with sisters, but not with outsiders.
Recently new skin bleaching products have been introduced in Suriname, which are increasingly used by Brazilians in Suriname, and these products are gradually becoming popular among Surinamese people. In the Brazilian saloons after having scrubbed the whole the skin, the hair on the skin is bleached: the so-called body bleach composed of different substances, with peroxide as the main ingredient . This treatment is called ‘Baño de Lua’ (‘Bath of the Moon’) and is promoted with a variety of body and whitening packages that are produced in Brazil.
According to Ronald Hall bleaching practices are not only a symptom of “the bleaching or whitening syndrome”, but are manifestations of a complex process that is driven by an attempt to assimilate. In the context of huge global and national inequalities a less powerful group is ‘forced’ to assimilate in a more powerful one. In the 19th Century – in the context of scientific racism and colonialism – skin color has been the most persistent indicator of ‘race’, and still has a profound impact on human relations. Global industries have become part of this complex process driven by an attempt to assimilate and homogenise people of different colors towards the dominant whitening that is not limited to a lighter skin color, but that is also related to other (esthetic) values, culture and the way of living.
Most scientific and popular reports regarding skin bleaching originate from Africa and Asia. This weblog article is meant to draw the attention of policymakers, scientists and others responsible for improving the health and life of the human race, including societies with a rainbow of dark skin colors like Suriname. The government of Suriname in particular should be aware of the identified problem of an increasing use of whitening cosmetics. Its implications need to be assessed carefully in order to take the necessary measures and policies.
Jack Menke & Rachida Norden
Colorfoundation's Weblog 
