L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics corporation, will remove phrases like ‘white’, ‘fair’, and ‘light’ from its skincare products, a spokeswoman said on Friday, a day after Unilever made a similar announcement in the face of growing social media criticism.
Unilever and L’Oréal are two major players on the global skin whitening cream industry apply in many countries in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean where light skin is usually finding more attractive.
In particular, Unilever came under criticism for their ‘Fair & Lovely’ slogan at a time of nationwide focus on racial discrimination following weeks of riots triggered by the May death of George Floyd, a Black man, in the United States under police custody.
L’Oréal ‘s products include Garnier Skin Naturals White Complete Multi Action Fairness Cream. Johnson & Johnson went a step further, stating it would quit producing skin whitening creams selling under the Neutrogena and Clean & Clear brands in Asia and the Middle East.
