Skin whitening

Areas of increased pigmentation such as moles may be depigmented to match the surrounding skin. Effective agents for specific areas include corticosteroids, tretinoin, and hydroquinone. These agents are not allowed in cosmetics in Europe due to concerns about side effects. Attempts to whiten large areas of skin may also be carried out by certain cultures.{{cite journal |last1=Desmedt |first1=B |last2=Courselle |first2=P |last3=De Beer |first3=JO |last4=Rogiers |first4=V |last5=Grosber |first5=M |last6=Deconinck |first6=E |last7=De Paepe |first7=K |title=Overview of skin whitening agents with an insight into the illegal cosmetic market in Europe. |journal=Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology |date=June 2016 |volume=30 |issue=6 |pages=943–50 |doi=10.1111/jdv.13595 |pmid=26953335|s2cid=37289982 |doi-access=free }} This may be done for reasons of appearance, politics, or economics.

Skin whiteners can help achieve lighter skin tones, but many of them contain harmful ingredients like the steroid clobetasol propionate, inorganic mercury (mercuric chloride or amalgamated mercury), glutathione (an antioxidant traditionally used in cancer treatment), and the organic compound hydroquinone.{{cite journal |last1=Pitche |first1=P. |last2=Kombate |first2=K. |last3=Tchangai-Walla |first3=K. |title=Cosmetic use of skin bleaching products and associated complications |journal=International Journal of Dermatology |date=2005 |volume=44 |pages=39–40 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-4632.2005.02811.x |pmid=16187959 |s2cid=37839422 }} Skin lighteners' main health risks are linked to (i) The overuse of topical clobetasol, which can cause systemic steroid effects from daily usage, especially on broad skin regions; and (ii) concealed mercury content, which can lead to mercury poisoning depending on individual susceptibility. Many skin whiteners contain a toxic form of mercury as the active ingredient. Their use, therefore, may harm a person's health and is illegal in many countries.{{cite journal |last1=Mendoza |first1=Roger L. |title=The skin whitening industry in the Philippines |journal=Journal of Public Health Policy |date=May 2014 |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=219–238 |doi=10.1057/jphp.2013.50 |jstor=43288019 |pmid=24352110 |s2cid=205128211}}

• Hydroquinone is a commonly used agent in skin whiteners. The European Union banned it from cosmetics in 2000.{{cite journal|last1=Tse|first1=TW|date=September 2010|title=Hydroquinone for skin lightening: safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?|journal=The Journal of Dermatological Treatment|volume=21|issue=5|pages=272–5|doi=10.3109/09546630903341945|pmid=20095963|s2cid=35316785}} It works by decreasing melanin production.

• Tretinoin, also known as all-trans retinoic acid, may be used to whiten specific areas. It may be used in combination with steroids and hydroquinone.

• Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) is used as a skin bleacher. Its biochemical mechanism is unclear. Side effects may include sun sensitivity, skin redness, thickening, or itching. Low concentrations may be used in cosmetics.

• Kojic acid has been found to be an effective lightener in some studies and is also allowed to be used in cosmetics. Side effects include redness and eczema.

• Glutathione is the most common agent taken by mouth to whiten the skin.{{cite journal |last1=Malathi |first1=M |last2=Thappa |first2=DM |title=Systemic skin whitening/lightening agents: what is the evidence? |journal=Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology |date=2013 |volume=79 |issue=6 |pages=842–6 |doi=10.4103/0378-6323.120752 |pmid=24177629|doi-access=free }} It can be used as a cream. It is an antioxidant normally made by the body. Whether or not it actually works is unclear as of 2019.{{cite journal |last1=Dilokthornsakul |first1=W |last2=Dhippayom |first2=T |last3=Dilokthornsakul |first3=P |title=The clinical effect of glutathione on skin color and other related skin conditions: A systematic review. |journal=Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology |date=June 2019 |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=728–737 |doi=10.1111/jocd.12910 |pmid=30895708|s2cid=84842395 }} Due to side effects that may result from intravenous use, the government of the Philippines recommends against such use.{{cite journal| title=Glutathione as a skin whitening agent: Facts, myths, evidence and controversies| last1=Sonthalia| first1=Sidharth| last2=Daulatabad| first2=Deepashree| last3=Sarkar| first3=Rashmi| year=2016| journal=Indian J. Dermatol. Venereol. Leprol.| volume=82| issue=3| doi=10.4103/0378-6323.179088| pmid=27088927| pages=262–72| doi-access=free}}

• One 2017 review found tentative evidence of benefit of tranexamic acid in melasma.{{cite journal|last1=Zhou|first1=LL|last2=Baibergenova|first2=A|title=Melasma: systematic review of the systemic treatments|journal=International Journal of Dermatology|volume=56|issue=9|pages=902–908|date=27 February 2017|doi=10.1111/ijd.13578|pmid=28239840|s2cid=21683251}} Another 2017 review found that evidence to support its use was insufficient.{{cite journal|last1=Taraz|first1=M|last2=Niknam|first2=S|last3=Ehsani|first3=AH|title=Tranexamic acid in treatment of melasma: A comprehensive review of clinical studies|journal=Dermatologic Therapy|volume=30|issue=3|pages=e12465|date=30 January 2017|doi=10.1111/dth.12465|pmid=28133910|s2cid=3910189|doi-access=free}}

• Azelaic acid may be a second-line option for melasma.{{cite journal|last=Rendon|first=Marta|author2=Berneburg, Mark |author3=Arellano, Ivonne |author4= Picardo, Mauro |title=Treatment of melasma|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology|date=May 2006|series=Supplement 2|volume=54|issue=5|pages=S272–S281|doi=10.1016/j.jaad.2005.12.039|pmid=16631968|s2cid=25222978 }} A number of types of laser treatments have been used in melasma with some evidence of benefit.{{cite journal |last1=Trivedi |first1=MK |last2=Yang |first2=FC |last3=Cho |first3=BK |title=A review of laser and light therapy in melasma. |journal=International Journal of Women's Dermatology |date=March 2017 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=11–20 |doi=10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.01.004 |pmid=28492049|pmc=5418955 }} Reoccurrence is common, and certain types of lasers can result in more pigmentation.

Skin lightening creams have commonly contained mercury, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids.{{Cite journal|last1=Giudice|first1=Pascal Del|last2=Yves|first2=Pinier|date=2002|title=The widespread use of skin lightening creams in Senegal: a persistent public health problem in West Africa|journal=International Journal of Dermatology|language=en|volume=41|issue=2|pages=69–72|doi=10.1046/j.1365-4362.2002.01335.x|pmid=11982639|s2cid=37891827|issn=1365-4632}} Because these compounds can induce both superficial and internal side effects, they are illegal to use and market in multiple nations.{{Cite journal|last1=Shroff|first1=Hemal|last2=Diedrichs|first2=Phillippa C.|last3=Craddock|first3=Nadia|date=2018-01-23|title=Skin Color, Cultural Capital, and Beauty Products: An Investigation of the Use of Skin Fairness Products in Mumbai, India|journal=Frontiers in Public Health|volume=5|pages=365|doi=10.3389/fpubh.2017.00365|issn=2296-2565|pmc=5787082|pmid=29410952|doi-access=free}} However, various chemical studies indicate that these compounds continue to be used in sold cosmetic products, though they are not explicitly declared as ingredients.{{Cite journal|last1=Desmedt|first1=B.|last2=Courselle|first2=P.|last3=Beer|first3=J. O. De|last4=Rogiers|first4=V.|last5=Grosber|first5=M.|last6=Deconinck|first6=E.|last7=Paepe|first7=K. De|date=2016|title=Overview of skin whitening agents with an insight into the illegal cosmetic market in Europe|journal=Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology|language=en|volume=30|issue=6|pages=943–950|doi=10.1111/jdv.13595|pmid=26953335|s2cid=37289982|issn=1468-3083|doi-access=free}}

Prolonged usage of mercury-based products can ultimately discolor the skin, as mercury will accumulate within the dermis.{{Cite journal|last1=Olumide|first1=Yetunde M.|last2=Akinkugbe|first2=Ayesha O.|last3=Altraide|first3=Dan|last4=Mohammed|first4=Tahir|last5=Ahamefule|first5=Ngozi|last6=Ayanlowo|first6=Shola|last7=Onyekonwu|first7=Chinwe|last8=Essen|first8=Nyomudim|date=April 2008|title=Complications of chronic use of skin lightening cosmetics|journal=International Journal of Dermatology|language=en|volume=47|issue=4|pages=344–353|doi=10.1111/j.1365-4632.2008.02719.x|pmid=18377596|s2cid=8159382|issn=0011-9059}} Mercury toxicity can cause acute symptoms such as pneumonitis and gastric irritation. However, according to a study by Antoine Mahé and his colleagues, mercurial compounds can also contribute to long-term renal and neurological complications, the latter of which includes insomnia, memory loss, and irritability.

Other studies have explored the impact of hydroquinone exposure on health. Hydroquinone rapidly absorbs into the body via dermal contact; long-term usage has been found to cause nephrotoxicity and benzene-induced leukemia in the bone marrow.{{Cite journal|last1=Westerhof|first1=W.|last2=Kooyers|first2=T. J.|date=2005|title=Hydroquinone and its analogs in dermatology – a potential health risk|journal=Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology|language=en|volume=4|issue=2|pages=55–59|doi=10.1111/j.1473-2165.2005.40202.x|pmid=17166200|s2cid=12971253|issn=1473-2165}} A study by Pascal del Giudice and Pinier Yves indicated that hydroquinone usage is strongly correlated with the development of ochronosis, cataracts, patchy depigmentation, and contact dermatitis. Ochronosis can lead to lesions and squamous cell carcinomas. While hydroquinone has not been officially classified as a carcinogen, it can metabolize into carcinogenic derivatives and induce genetic changes in the form of DNA damages.

Corticosteroids have become some of the most commonly incorporated lightening agents. Long-term usage over large areas of skin may promote percutaneous absorption, which can produce complications such as skin atrophy and fragility, glaucoma, cataracts, edemas, osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities, and growth suppression. A 2000 study performed in Dakar, Senegal, indicated that chronic usage of skin lighteners was a risk factor for hypertension and diabetes.

Chemically lightened skin is more highly susceptible to sun damage and dermal infection. Long-term users of skin bleachers can easily develop fungal infections and viral warts. Pregnant users may also experience health complications for both them and their children.

In 2013, 77% of Nigerian women, 52% of Senegalese women, and 25% of Malian women were using lightening products.{{Cite journal |last1=Jacobs |first1=Meagan |last2=Levine |first2=Susan |last3=Abney |first3=Kate |last4=Davids |first4=Lester |year=2016 |title=Fifty shades of African lightness: A bio-psychosocial review of the global phenomenon of skin lightening practices |journal=Journal of Public Health in Africa |volume=7 |issue=2 |page=552 |doi=10.4081/jphia.2016.552 |pmc=5345401 |pmid=28299156}} In 2020, Der Spiegel reported that in Ghana, "When You Are Light-Skinned, You Earn More", and that "[s]ome pregnant women take tablets in the hopes that it will lead their child to be born with fair skin. Some apply bleaching lotion [...] to their babies, in the hopes that it will improve their child's chances."{{cite web |surname=Backhaus |given=Anne |date=2020-06-16 |title=Skin Bleaching in Ghana: "When You Are Light-Skinned, You Earn More" |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/skin-bleaching-in-ghana-when-you-are-light-skinned-you-earn-more-a-3a46c628-23b2-4d05-9d32-6cb6deeb4a5a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001234949/https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/skin-bleaching-in-ghana-when-you-are-light-skinned-you-earn-more-a-3a46c628-23b2-4d05-9d32-6cb6deeb4a5a-amp |archive-date=2020-10-01 |website=Spiegel International |publisher=Der Spiegel |surname2=Okunmwendia |given2=Ella |department=Global Societies}}

Skin whiteners typically range widely in pricing. Olumide attributes this to the desire to portray whitening as financially accessible to all. These products are marketed to both men and women, though studies indicate that, in Africa, women use skin bleachers more than men do.{{Cite journal|last1=Dlova|first1=N. C.|last2=Hamed|first2=S. H.|last3=Tsoka-Gwegweni|first3=J.|last4=Grobler|first4=A.|date=2015|title=Skin lightening practices: an epidemiological study of South African women of African and Indian ancestries|journal=British Journal of Dermatology|language=en|volume=173|issue=S2|pages=2–9|doi=10.1111/bjd.13556|issn=1365-2133|pmid=26207658|s2cid=39294986}} A study by Lester Davids and his colleagues indicated that nations in Africa present high rates of usage for skin bleachers.{{Cite journal|last1=Davids|first1=Lester M.|last2=Wyk|first2=Jennifer van|last3=Khumalo|first3=Nonhlanhla P.|last4=Jablonski|first4=Nina G.|date=2016-11-24|title=The phenomenon of skin lightening: Is it right to be light?|url=https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/3679|journal=South African Journal of Science|language=en|volume=112|issue=11/12|pages=5|doi=10.17159/sajs.2016/20160056|issn=1996-7489|doi-access=free|hdl=11427/34798|hdl-access=free}} Though many products have been banned due to toxic chemical compositions, Davids found that regulating policies are often not strictly enforced.

In India, the sales of skin lightening creams in 2012 totaled around 258 tons, and in 2013 sales were about US$300 million.Narayan, A. Bloomberg Business Week, A Lucrative Promise for India's men: Whiter skin, Dec 5, 2013{{cite news|last1=Narayan|first1=Adi|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-12-05/makers-of-skin-lightening-creams-target-indias-men|title=A Lucrative Promise for India's Men: Whiter Skin|date=5 December 2013|work=Bloomberg News}} By 2018, the industry for lightening cosmetics in India had achieved a net worth of nearly $180 million and an annual growth rate of 15%.{{Cite journal|last=Nagar|first=Itisha|date=April 2018|title=The Unfair Selection: A Study on Skin-Color Bias in Arranged Indian Marriages|journal=SAGE Open|language=en|volume=8|issue=2|pages=215824401877314|doi=10.1177/2158244018773149|issn=2158-2440|doi-access=free}} As of 2013, the global market for skin lighteners was projected to reach $19.8 billion by 2018, based on sales growth primarily in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.{{cite web|url=http://www.cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/Market-Trends/Skin-lightening-trend-in-Asia-boosts-global-market|title=Skin lightening trend in Asia boosts global market|last1=McDougall|first1=Andrew|date=June 4, 2013|publisher=Cosmetics Design Asia}}

In the United Kingdom, many skin whiteners are illegal due to possible adverse effects. Such products are frequently still sold even after shops have been prosecuted. Trading standards departments lack the resources to deal with the problem effectively.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45085674|title=Skin-whitening creams: The battle against illegal products|date=6 August 2018|publisher=BBC|access-date=15 September 2018}}

According to Yetunde Mercy Olumide, advertisements for skin lighteners often present their products as stepping stones to attain greater social capital.{{Cite book|last=Olumide, Yetunde Mercy|title=The vanishing black African woman: a compendium of the global skin-lightening practice|isbn=978-9956-763-56-6|location=Mankon, Bamenda, Cameroon|oclc=961248923|date=2016-10-06}} For example, representatives of India's Glow & Lovely cosmetics asserted that their products allowed for socioeconomic mobility, akin to education.

In some parts of Africa, people with lighter skin are thought to be more attractive and likely to find more financial success than those with darker skin tones.{{Cite news |last1=Fihlani |first1=Pumza |date=January 2013 |title=Africa: Where black is not really beautiful |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-20444798}}

In 2009, historian Evelyn Nakano Glenn attributed sensitivities to skin tone among African Americans to the history of slavery.{{Cite book|title=Shades of difference: why skin color matters|date=2009|publisher=Stanford University Press|editor=Glenn, Evelyn Nakano |isbn=978-0-8047-7099-6|location=Stanford, Calif.|oclc=646829010}} Lighter-skinned African Americans were perceived to be more intelligent and skilled than dark-skinned African Americans, who were relegated to more physically taxing, manual labor.

Studies have linked paler skin to achieving increased social standing and social mobility.{{Cite journal|last=Hunter|first=Margaret|date=2011|title=Buying Racial Capital: Skin-Bleaching and Cosmetic Surgery in a Globalized World|url=http://jpanafrican.org/docs/vol4no4/HUNTER%20Final.pdf|journal=Journal of Pan African Studies|volume=4}}{{Cite journal|last1=Lewis|first1=Kelly M.|last2=Robkin|first2=Navit|last3=Gaska|first3=Karie|last4=Njoki|first4=Lillian Carol|date=March 2011|title=Investigating Motivations for Women's Skin Bleaching in Tanzania|journal=Psychology of Women Quarterly|language=en-US|volume=35|issue=1|pages=29–37|doi=10.1177/0361684310392356|s2cid=71613149|issn=0361-6843}} A 2011 study found that in Tanzania, residents choose to bleach their skin to appear more European and impress peers and potential partners. Both advertisements and consumers have suggested that whiter skin can enhance individual sexual attractiveness.{{Cite journal|last=Charles|first=Christopher A. D.|date=2011-12-01|title=Skin Bleaching and the Prestige Complexion of Sexual Attraction|journal=Sexuality & Culture|language=en|volume=15|issue=4|pages=375–390|doi=10.1007/s12119-011-9107-0|s2cid=146278461|issn=1936-4822}} In 2011, sociologist Margaret Hunter noted the influence of mass-marketing and celebrity culture emphasizing whiteness as an ideal of beauty. A 2018 study found that lighter skin tones in both men and women in India improved their prospects for marriage.

Skin whitening is practiced by some people in several parts of Asia. In South Korea, light skin is generally considered to be an ideal of beauty.{{cite news |title=The dark side of skin lightening: An international collaboration and review of a public health issue affecting dermatology |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352647520301416 |work=thesciencedirect.com}} The K-pop and K-drama industries are generally saturated with fair-skinned celebrities, some of whom serve as brand ambassadors and beauty ideals.{{cite news |title=Performing whiteness: skin beauty as somatechnics in South Korean stardom and celebrity |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19392397.2021.1912258 |work=tandfonline.com}}

The increasing popularity of South Korean culture and K-beauty has

been a factor in popularizing the skin whitening trend elsewhere in Asia, especially in poorer countries like Thailand, where many have begun to use unsafe skin-whitening products.{{cite news |title=Where Does the Asian Obsession With White Skin Come From? |url=https://thediplomat.com/2019/12/where-does-the-asian-obsession-with-white-skin-come-from/ |work=thediplomat.com}} In Nepal, cultural influence from Bollywood, which prominently features lighter skinned lead actors, has been linked to the use of skin whitening creams among some darker-skinned men.{{Cite journal|last=Maycock|first=Matthew William|date=2017-04-03|title=Looking tājā 'fresh'; skin whitening, and emergent masculinities in far-west Nepal|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09584935.2017.1321619|journal=Contemporary South Asia|language=en|volume=25|issue=2|pages=153–166|doi=10.1080/09584935.2017.1321619|s2cid=151955288|issn=0958-4935|url-access=subscription}}

Other motivations for skin whitening include desiring softer skin and wanting to conceal discolorations arising from pimples, rashes, or chronic skin conditions. Individuals with depigmenting conditions such as vitiligo have also been known to lighten their skin to achieve an even skin tone.{{Cite journal |last=Julien |first=Seneschal |date= 2014|title=Accelerating bleaching in vitiligo: balancing benefits versus risks |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/exd.12508 |access-date= |journal=Experimental Dermatology|volume=23 |issue=12 |pages=879–880 |doi=10.1111/exd.12508 |pmid=25039467 |url-access=subscription }}

File:Skin Bleaching is everywhere.jpg

Skin whitening agents work by reducing the presence of melanin pigment in the skin. To accomplish this, there are several possible mechanisms of action:{{r|Ebanks2009}}

• Inhibition of the activity of tyrosinase: The catalytic action of tyrosinase is inhibited by the skin whitening agent.
• Inhibition of the expression or activation of tyrosinase: The anti melanogenic agent causes less tyrosinase to be generated or prevents tyrosinase from being activated to its functional form.
• Scavenging of the intermediate products of melanin synthesis.
• Preventing the transfer of melanosomes to keratinocytes.
• Directly destroying existing melanin.
• Destroying melanocytes.

{{further|Enzyme inhibitor}}

Upregulation of tyrosinase caused by tyrosinase inhibitors. Several skin whitening agents, including tyrosinase inhibitors, have been found to cause an increase in the expression of tyrosinase, which by itself would increase melanin synthesis.{{cite journal| title=Examining the Impact of Skin Lighteners In Vitro| last1=Gruber| first1=James V.| last2=Holtz| first2=Robert| year=2013| journal=Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity| doi=10.1155/2013/702120| pmc=3655678| pmid=23738040| volume=2013| pages=1–7| doi-access=free}}

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is the master transcription factor that controls the expression of TYR, TRP1, and TRP2, MART1, PMEL17, and many other important proteins involved in the function of melanocytes.{{refn|group=notes|name=MITF|"The transcriptional level is the first stage by which the expression of tyrosinase and related melanogenic enzymes may be modulated. Influential in this process, the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factor that regulates melanocyte cellular differentiation as well as the transcription of melanogenic enzymes (tyrosinase, TYRP1, and TYRP2) and melanosome structural proteins (MART-1 and PMEL17) [references omitted]."{{r|Ebanks2009}}}} Downregulation of MITF decreases melanogenesis{{r|group=notes|MITF}} and is a mechanism of action of some skin whitening agents.{{r|Smit2009}} Various signaling pathways and genetic mutations influence the expression of MITF.{{refn|group=notes|name=Signaling pathways|Many papers have described the signaling pathways affecting melanogenesis and other functions of melanocytes. The following reviews are suggested reading (all of which are available online at no cost):
Smit, Vicanova, Pavel (2009).{{r|Smit2009}} For a description with emphasis on physiology, see Yamaguchi, Hearing (2009){{r|Yamaguchi2009}} or Kondo (2011).{{r|Kondo2011}} An extensive and detailed review was written by Slominski et al. (2004).{{r|Slominski2004}}}}

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is a transmembrane and G-protein coupled receptor expressed in melanocytes. MC1R is an important target for the regulation of melanogenesis.{{r|Chen2014}}{{r|Rodríguez2014}}{{r|Yamaguchi2009}} Agonism of MC1R increases the ratio of eumelanin to pheomelanin and increases the generation of melanin overall.

The MC1R and cAMP signaling pathway{{r|Chen2014}}{{r|Rodríguez2014}}{{r|Lee2013}} starts with the activation of MC1R, which causes activation of adenylyl cyclase (AC), which produces cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which activates protein kinase A (PKA), which activates by protein phosphorylation cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), which upregulates MITF, of which CREB is a transcription factor.

Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), beta-melanocyte stimulating hormone (β-MSH), and adrenocorticotropic hormone are endogenous agonists of MC1R.{{r|Slominski2004|p=1175}} Agouti signaling protein (ASIP) appears to be the only endogenous antagonist of MC1R. Synthetic MC1R agonists have been designed, such as the peptides afamelanotide and melanotan II.{{r|Chen2014}}

Mutations of the MC1R gene correlate are at least partially responsible for red hair, white skin, and an increased risk for skin cancer in some individuals.{{r|Chen2014}}{{cite book| last1=Marzuka-Alcalá| first1=Alexander| last2=Gabree| first2=Michele Jacobs| last3=Tsao| first3=Hensin| title=Molecular Diagnostics for Melanoma| chapter=Melanoma Susceptibility Genes and Risk Assessment| year=2014| doi=10.1007/978-1-62703-727-3_20| pmid=24258989| volume=1102| pages=381–93| series=Methods in Molecular Biology| isbn=978-1-62703-726-6}}{{r|Rodríguez2014}}{{cite journal| title=Melanoma Genetics: Recent Findings Take Us Beyond Well-Traveled Pathways| last1=Law| first1=Matthew H.| last2=MacGregor| first2=Stuart| last3=Hayward| first3=Nicholas K.| year=2012| journal=J. Invest. Dermatol.| volume=132| issue=7| doi=10.1038/jid.2012.75| pmid=22475760| pages=1763–74| doi-access=free}}{{r|Nelson2009}}{{cite journal| title=Molecular genetics of human pigmentation diversity| last=Sturm| first=Richard A.| year=2009| journal=Hum. Mol. Genet.| volume=18| issue=R1| doi=10.1093/hmg/ddp003| pmid=19297406| pages=R9–17| doi-access=free}}{{r|Slominski2004|p=1175}}

{{see also|human skin#Structure|epidermis}}

Within the skin, melanocytes are present in the basal layer of the epidermis; from these, melanocytes originate dendrites that reach keratinocytes.{{refn|group=notes|name=Keratinocytes|"In the skin, melanocytes are situated on the basal layer, which separates the dermis and epidermis. Approximately 36 keratinocytes surround one melanocyte. Together, they form the so-called epidermal melanin unit. The melanin produced and stored inside the melanocyte in the melanosomal compartment is transported via dendrites to the overlaying keratinocytes."{{r|Smit2009}}

"Each melanocyte resides in the basal epithelial layer and, by virtue of its dendrites, interacts with approximately 36 keratinocytes to transfer melanosomes and protect the skin from photo-induced carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the amount and type of melanin produced and transferred to the keratinocytes with subsequent incorporation, aggregation, and degradation influences skin complexion coloration [reference omitted]."{{r|Ebanks2009}}

Wu, Hammer (2014) describe the number of keratinocytes per melanocyte as above 40.{{r|Wu2014}}}}

Melanosomes, along with the melanin they contain, are transferred from melanocytes to keratinocytes when keratinocytes are low in the epidermis.{{refn|group=notes|Research about the mechanism of melanosome transfer has been reviewed by Wu, and Hammer (2014).{{r|Wu2014}}}} Keratinocytes carry the melanosomes with them as they move toward the surface. Keratinocytes contribute to skin pigmentation by holding the melanin originating in melanocytes and inducing melanogenesis through chemical signals directed at melanocytes.{{r|group=notes|Signaling pathways}} The transfer of melanosomes to keratinocytes is a necessary condition for the visible pigmentation of the skin.{{r|Wu2014}} Blocking this transfer is a mechanism of action of some skin whitening agents.{{r|Smit2009}}{{r|Ebanks2009}}

The protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is a transmembrane and G-protein coupled receptor expressed in keratinocytes and involved in melanocyte transfer.{{refn|group=notes|name=PAR2|References about PAR2 and its role in skin pigmentation: Kim et al. (2016),{{cite journal| title=PAR-2 is involved in melanogenesis by mediating stem cell factor production in keratinocytes| last1=Kim| first1=Ji Young| last2=Kim| first2=Dae Suk| last3=Sohn| first3=Hyojung| last4=Lee| first4=Eun Jung| last5=Oh| first5=Sang Ho| year=2016| journal=Exp. Dermatol.| volume=25| issue=6| doi=10.1111/exd.12982| pmid=26909822| pages=487–9| doi-access=free}} Choi et al. (2014),{{cite journal| title=Melanosome uptake is associated with the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes| url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258203476| author=Choi, Hye-In| display-authors=etal| year=2014| journal=Arch. Dermatol. Res.| volume=306| issue=1| doi=10.1007/s00403-013-1422-x| pmid=24173125| pages=59–66| s2cid=24074153}} Wu, Hammer (2014),{{r|Wu2014}} Ando et al. (2012),{{cite journal| title=Melanosomes are transferred from melanocytes to keratinocytes through the processes of packaging, release, uptake, and dispersion| url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51906561| author=Ando, Hideya| display-authors=etal| year=2012| journal=J. Invest. Dermatol.| volume=132| issue=4| doi=10.1038/jid.2011.413| pmid=22189785| pages=1222–9| doi-access=free}} Ando et al. (2010).{{cite journal| title=Keratinocytes in culture accumulate phagocytosed melanosomes in the perinuclear area| url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26819132| author=Ando, Hideya| display-authors=etal| year=2010| journal=Pigment Cell Melanoma Res.| volume=23| issue=1| doi=10.1111/j.1755-148X.2009.00640.x| pmid=19761520| pages=129–33| s2cid=29066374| doi-access=free}}}} Antagonists of PAR2 inhibit the transfer of melanosomes and have skin whitening effects, while agonists of PAR2 have the opposite effect.{{r|group=notes|PAR2}}

Some compounds are known to destroy melanocytes; this mechanism of action is often used to remove the remaining pigmentation in cases of vitiligo.{{cite journal| title=The Monobenzone-induced depigmentation: from enzymatic blockade to autoimmunity| url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51234742| last1=van den Boorn| first1=Jasper G.| last2=Melief| first2=Cornelis J.| last3=Luiten| first3=Rosalie M.| year=2011| journal=Pigment Cell Melanoma Res.| volume=24| issue=4| doi=10.1111/j.1755-148X.2011.00878.x| pmid=21689385| pages=673–9| s2cid=44353799}}

File:Sweet Georgia Brown skin bleaching cream advertisement 1930s.jpg

Early skin whitening practices were not well-documented.{{Cite book|last=Jablonski, Nina G.|title=Living Color: the Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color|date=2012|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-95377-2|location=Berkeley|oclc=808348571}} Skin whitening is a practice that has made its way across the entire globe with a multitude of cultures adopting the practice under various ideologies. Commonly, the practice has been marketed towards women under the pretense that porcelain skin was the ideal representation of beauty and status.{{Cite journal |last=Anekwe |first=Obiora |date=2015 |title=The Global Phenomenon of Skin Bleaching: A Crisis in Public Health (Part 1) |url=https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/bioethics/article/view/6599 |journal=Voices in Bioethics |language=en |doi=10.7916/vib.v1i.6599 |issn=2691-4875}} The first recorded practices of skin whitening can be traced back to over 200 B.C. across a multitude of civilizations that utilized natural sources of ingredients to facilitate the production of skin whitening substances.{{Cite journal |last1=Iftekhar |first1=Noama |last2=Zhitny |first2=Vladislav Pavlovich |date=2021 |title=Overview of Skin Bleaching History and Origins |url=https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/509727 |journal=Dermatology |language=english |volume=237 |issue=2 |pages=306–308 |doi=10.1159/000509727 |issn=1018-8665 |pmid=32814332|s2cid=221200520 |url-access=subscription }}

One of these methods include the use of honey and olive oil as a method of whitening the skin in different civilizations such as in Egypt as well as in Greek culture. According to anthropologist Nina Jablonski, these practices did not become publicized until famous figures, such as Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth, began to use them regularly. Cosmetic formulas initially spread from continental Europe and China to Britain and Japan, respectively.

Various historians argue that, across cultures, skin lightening became a desirable norm due to implications of wealth.{{Cite journal|last=Blay|first=Yaba|date=2011|title=Skin Bleaching and White Supremacy|url=http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3170/eb1e0d5d9e917d8a99c2f722e81a495b616f.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222034448/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3170/eb1e0d5d9e917d8a99c2f722e81a495b616f.pdf|archive-date=2019-02-22|journal=Journal of Pan African Studies|volume=4|s2cid=39231719}} Although the majority methods of which the skin whitening process is undertaken have been deemed unsafe due to various side effects, they are still used for a range of purposes, including the desire for improvement of one's socioeconomic status as well as the socialization in some cultures of one's perceived inferiority based on having darker or lighter skin than others.{{Cite SSRN |last=Charles |first=Christopher |date=2014-01-12 |title=Racial Socialization, Black Identity Transactions, Beauty and Skin Bleaching |language=en|ssrn=2378112 }}

This process through which perceived inferiority can be exercised physically can be looked back on through a foundational perspective of the "Nigrescence Theory". This theory explains the distinction of one's own socialized identity through various stages, and the pigmentation of the skin that someone is born with that is associated with the socialization process within a culture.{{cite book |last=Bragge |first=Laurie |chapter=Issues of Stability in the Southern Highlands Province |date=2007 |editor=Nicole Haley |editor2=Ronald J. May |title=Conflict and Resource Development: In The Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea |volume=3 |pages=89–100 |publisher=ANU Press |doi=10.22459/crd.11.2007.07 |doi-access=free |jstor=j.ctt24h8k4.13 |jstor-access=free |isbn=9781921313455}} More specifically, out of the four stages associated with this theory, the first one, named the "pre-encounter" stage, highlights the underlying concept one not associating themselves with their own culture or values due partly to the misinformation one has been taught to believe and therefore seeks validation and worthiness from those who have misinformed that person.

{{See also|Light skin in Japanese culture}}

File:Shiseido whitening products.jpg skin lightening products, 2019]]

The history of skin whitening in East Asia dates to ancient times. To be light in an environment in which the sun was harsh implied wealth and nobility because those individuals were able to remain indoors while servants had to labor outside.{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/05/13/asia.whitening/|title=Skin Deep: Dying to be White|date=2002-05-15|publisher=CNN|access-date=2010-09-08}}

Ancient Asian cultures also associated light skin with feminine beauty. "Jade" white skin in Korea is known to have been the ideal as far back as the Gojoseon era. Japan's Edo period saw the start of a trend of women whitening their faces with rice powder as a "moral duty". Chinese women valued a "milk white" complexion and swallowed powdered pearls towards that end.{{cite journal|last1=P.H.|first1=Li, Eric|last2=Jeong|first2=Min, Hyun|last3=W.|first3=Belk, Russell|date=2008-01-01|title=Skin Lightening and Beauty in Four Asian Cultures|url=http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/13415/volumes/v35/NA-35|journal=NA – Advances in Consumer Research|volume=35|access-date=2016-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618001443/http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/13415/volumes/v35/NA-35|archive-date=2019-06-18}}

Skin-lightening practices had achieved great importance in East Asia as early as the 16th century. Similar to early European cosmetics, white makeup was reported to cause severe health problems and physical malformations. In Japan, samurai mothers who used lead-based white paint on their faces often had children who exhibited symptoms of lead toxicity and stunted bone growth. Japanese nobility, including both men and women, often applied white lead powder to their faces prior to the Meiji restoration.{{Cite book|title=Race in the marketplace: crossing critical boundaries|editor=Johnson, Guillaume D. |display-editors=etal |isbn=978-3-030-11711-5|location=Cham, Switzerland|oclc=1090865917|date = 2019-05-26}}

Following the Meiji restoration, men and women reserved white lead makeup and traditional attire for special occasions. In China, Korea, and Japan, washing one's face with rice water was also practiced, as it was believed to naturally whiten skin.{{Cite book|last=Olumide, Yetunde Mercy|title=The vanishing black African woman: a compendium of the global skin-lightening practice|date=6 October 2016|isbn=978-9956-763-56-6|location=Mankon, Bamenda, Cameroon|oclc=961248923}} Historians also noted that as East Asian women immigrated to the United States, immigrant women engaged in skin lightening more frequently than women who did not immigrate.

Advertisements were a large influence in the marketable appeal of skin whitening in China and Taiwan.{{Cite thesis |type=Honors thesis |last=Pan |first=Elysia |date=April 2013 |title=Beautiful White: An Illumination of Asian Skin-Whitening Culture |url=https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/7559 |publisher=Trinity College of Arts and Sciences |language=en-US |pages=6}} Skincare products that are recognized to protect the skin included chemicals that assist in skin whitening. These products were marketed and promoted as the solution to appearing young forever. Skincare products have been predominantly created to serve as anti-aging to women in China and Taiwan of all ages.

Nina Jablonski and Evelyn Nakano Glenn both assert that skin whitening in many South and Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines grew in popularity through these nations' histories of European colonization.{{Cite journal|last=Glenn|first=Evelyn Nakano|date=2008-02-11|title=Yearning for Lightness: Transnational Circuits in the Marketing and Consumption of Skin Lighteners|journal=Gender & Society|language=en|doi=10.1177/0891243208316089|s2cid=145262932}} Multiple studies find that preferences for lighter skin in India were historically linked to both the Indian caste system and centuries of outside rule by light-skinned nations.{{Cite journal|last=Shankar|first=Ravi|date=2007|title=Fair Skin in South Asia: an obsession?|url=http://jpad.com.pk/index.php/jpad/article/viewFile/695/668|journal=Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists|volume=17|pages=100–104}}{{Cite journal|last=Mishra|first=Neha|title=India and Colorism: The Finer Nuances|url=https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1553&context=law_globalstudies|journal=Washington University Global Studies Law Review|volume=14}} In the Philippines and many Southeast Asian countries, lighter skin was associated with higher social status. Historians indicate that the social hierarchies in the Philippines encompasses a spectrum of skin tones due to intermarriages between indigenous populations, East Asian settlers from Japan and China, and European and American colonists.

In South Asia, the colour of one's skin determined social status as it implied the circumstances of one's positionality.{{Cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Eric |last2=Min |first2=Hyun Jeong |last3=Belk |first3=R.W. |last4=Kimura |first4=J. |last5=Bahl |first5=Shalini |date=2008-01-01 |title=Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283857701 |journal=Advances in Consumer Research |volume=35 |pages=444–445}} While pale skin suggested being away from the sun, darker skin signified the result of working in external conditions.{{Cite journal |last1=Shankar |first1=P Ravi |last2=Palaian |first2=Subish |date=2007-06-01 |title=Fair skin in South Asia: An obsession? |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267980534 |journal=Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists |volume=17 |pages=101}} With colonial influence from Britain's occupation, there was a distinction in superiority and inferiority. With those in power attributing pale complexions, there was an association tied among class and position. The South Asian film industry was a contributing factor from colonialism in the reinforcement of these narratives. Turmeric was a used ingredient in lightening skin tone complexion to be seen as desirable.

{{Main|Skin lightening in the Middle East}}

Skin lightening is a common practice among women in several Middle Eastern countries, most notably Jordan{{Cite journal |last1=Hamed |first1=Saja H. |last2=Tayyem |first2=Reema |last3=Nimer |first3=Nisreen |last4=AlKhatib |first4=Hatim S. |date=2010 |title=Skin-lightening practice among women living in Jordan: prevalence, determinants, and user's awareness |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2010.04463.x |journal=International Journal of Dermatology |language=en |volume=49 |issue=4 |pages=414–420 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-4632.2010.04463.x |pmid=20465697 |issn=0011-9059 |via=PubMed|url-access=subscription }} and Saudi Arabia.{{Cite journal |last1=Alrayyes |first1=Sarah Fahad |last2=Alrayyes |first2=Saad Fahad |last3=Farooq Dar |first3=Umar |date=2020 |title=Skin-lightening practices behind the veil: An epidemiological study among Saudi women |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31058398/ |journal=Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=147–153 |doi=10.1111/jocd.12972 |issn=1473-2165 |pmid=31058398 |via=PubMed}} This practice has been attributed to a perceived association between light skin and beauty, as well as marriage and employment opportunities.

Skin whitening practices have been documented in ancient Greece and Rome.{{Cite journal|last=Oumeish|first=Oumeish Youssef|date=2001-07-01|title=The cultural and philosophical concepts of cosmetics in beauty and art through the medical history of mankind|journal=Clinics in Dermatology|language=en|volume=19|issue=4|pages=375–386|doi=10.1016/S0738-081X(01)00194-8|pmid=11535377|issn=0738-081X}} Bleaching cosmetics often incorporated white lead carbonate and mercury as lightening agents. These products were ultimately known to cause skin erosion.

Skin whitening was frequently documented during the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth's own usage of skin lighteners became a prominent standard of beauty.{{Cite book|last=Tate, Shirley Anne|title=Skin bleaching in Black Atlantic zones: shade shifters|isbn=978-1-137-49846-5|location=[Basingstoke]|oclc=922007360|date=2015-11-12}} According to medieval historians, light skin was an indicator of aristocracy and higher socioeconomic class, as laborers were more frequently exposed to outdoor sunlight.{{Cite journal|last1=Jain|first1=Nk|last2=Chaudhri|first2=Sk|date=2009|title=History of cosmetics|journal=Asian Journal of Pharmaceutics|language=en|volume=3|issue=3|pages=164|doi=10.4103/0973-8398.56292|doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |issn=0973-8398 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite book|title=Some like it hot: the beach as a cultural dimension|date=2003|publisher=Meyer & Meyer Sport |editor=Skinner, James |editor2=Gilbert, Keith |editor3=Edwards, Allan |isbn=1-84126-098-3|location=Oxford|oclc=51622925}} Men and women lightened their skin superficially and chemically, using white powder and Venetian ceruse, respectively.{{Cite book|last=Stewart|first=Susan|title=Painted Faces: A Colourful History of Cosmetics|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|year=2017}} Venetian ceruse consisted of a lead and vinegar mixture, known to cause hair loss, skin corrosion, muscle paralysis, tooth deterioration, blindness, and premature aging.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/09/ingredients-lipstick-makeup-cosmetics-science-history/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229001745/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/09/ingredients-lipstick-makeup-cosmetics-science-history/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 29, 2020|title=Arsenic Pills and Lead Foundation: The History of Toxic Makeup|date=2016-09-22|website=National Geographic News|language=en|access-date=2020-02-28}} Venetian ceruse was also reported as a source of lead poisoning. Lye and ammonia, found in other skin whiteners, compounded the toxic effects of lead. Other practices done in the name of skin whitening included washing one's face in urine and ingesting wafers of arsenic.

File:18891109 Arsenic complexion wafers - Helena Independent.png

According to scholar Shirley Anne Tate, skin whiteners in the United States were initially predominantly used by white women. European immigrants introduced recipes for cosmetic skin lighteners into the American colonies, where they eventually evolved to incorporate indigenous and West African herbal traditions. Skin whitening grew in popularity in the 1800s, as white women in the United States began to emulate the skin-whitening practices performed by those in Europe. As such, American women similarly used ceruse, arsenic wafers, and products that contained toxic dosages of lead and mercury. Mormon denominations like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) taught into the 1970s that God would whiten the skin color of Native American adherents, and that skin color was correlated with premortal obedience to God.{{cite book|last1=Mueller|first1=Max Perry|title=Race and the Making of the Mormon People|date=11 September 2017|publisher=University of North Carolina Press |isbn=978-1-4696-3375-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hB8wDwAAQBAJ|via=Google Books|pages=29,49,51,108}}{{Cite news|publisher=NPR|date=19 November 2012|title='Color Of Christ': A Story Of Race And Religion In America|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/11/19/165473220/color-of-christ-a-story-of-race-and-religion-in-america}}{{cite news |last1=Dart |first1=John |title=Indians Hope to Shift Mormon View of Their Skin Color |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/03/02/indians-hope-to-shift-mormon-view-of-their-skin-color/8d099524-23ae-484f-879a-c9ab5aad7eb5/ |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington D.C.|agency=Los Angeles Times |date=2 Mar 1979|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925222348/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/03/02/indians-hope-to-shift-mormon-view-of-their-skin-color/8d099524-23ae-484f-879a-c9ab5aad7eb5/|url-access=subscription|archive-date=25 Sep 2022|via=Internet Archive}}

In the 2015 book, Skin bleaching in Black Atlantic zones: shade shifters, author Shirley Anne Tate writes that skin lightening was often not well-received in Black culture. Women in Black cultures who used skin whiteners were described as artificial, while Black men who used skin whiteners were described as overly effeminate. Despite this reception, skin whitening remained a popular practice. Historians note that advertisements for skin whiteners in the 20th century often associated pale skin with gentility.

According to historian Kathy Peiss, skin whitening among black American women had been documented starting in the mid-nineteenth century.{{Cite book|last=Peiss, Kathy Lee.|title=Hope in a jar: the making of America's beauty culture|date=1998|publisher=Metropolitan Books|isbn=0-8050-5550-9|edition=1st|location=New York|oclc=37783053}} Historians credited the increased marketing of skin whiteners to the culture of the Jim Crow era, as black Americans faced continued social and legal restrictions. Cosmetic advertisements directed at black consumers often framed resulting lighter complexions as cleaner and better. Simultaneously, cosmetic and beauty magazines often published criticisms of black women who used skin bleachers, arguing that they appeared unnatural and fraudulent.

In the 1930s, tanned skin became popular among white women as a new symbol of wealth. Some historians assert that industrialization had created indoor settings for labor, causing tanned skin to be associated more with sunbathing, travel, and leisure. The growth of the Black is Beautiful movement in the 1960s, combined with greater awareness of potential health hazards, also temporarily slowed the sale and popularity of skin bleachers. However, by the 1980s, paler skin once again became more desirable, as tanning became linked to premature aging and sun damage.

Skin whitening practices have also been well documented in South America and the Caribbean. Sociologists such as Jack Menke noted that early skin-lightening practices among indigenous women were motivated by the attentions of conquistadores.{{Cite journal|last=Robinson|first=Petra|date=2011-06-10|title=Perceptions of Beauty and Identity: The Skin Bleaching Phenomenon in Jamaica|url=https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2011/papers/85|journal=Adult Education Research Conference}}{{Cite book|title=The melanin millennium: skin color as 21st-century international discourse|date=2013|publisher=Springer|editor=Hall, Ronald E.|isbn=978-94-007-4608-4|location=Dordrecht|oclc=810444219}} Recovered journals from women in Suriname indicated that they used vegetable mixtures to lighten their skin, which produced painful side effects.

Various studies have linked the prevalence of skin whitening in Latin American nations to their histories and legacies of colonization and slavery.{{Cite book|last=Tate, Shirley Anne|title=Skin bleaching in Black Atlantic zones: shade shifters|date=12 November 2015|isbn=978-1-137-49846-5|location=[Basingstoke]|oclc=922007360}} Witness accounts in colonial Jamaica reported that women practiced "flaying" and "skinning" on themselves, using astringent lotions to appear lighter. Caribbean creole women were also observed to treat their skin with cashew nut oil, which burned the external layers of skin.

Skin whitening practices grew in popularity, partly as a consequence of blanqueamiento in Latin America.{{Cite journal|last=Hernandez|first=Tanya|date=2015|title=Colorism and the Law in Latin America – Global Perspectives on Colorism Conference Remarks|url=https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1551&context=law_globalstudies|journal=Washington University Global Studies Law Review|volume=14}} The ideologies behind blanqueamiento promoted the idea of social hierarchy, based on Eurocentric features and skin tone.{{Cite web|url=https://hiplatina.com/latin-americas-obsession-with-whiteness/|title=How Latin America's Obsession With Whiteness Is Hurting Us|author=Johanna Ferreira |date=2018-11-02|website=HipLatina|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-20}}

Records indicate prominent usage of skin lighteners in South Africa beginning in the 20th century. Historians suggest that this may be associated with the passage of the Colored Labor Preference Act, in 1955.{{Cite journal|last1=Jacobs|first1=Meagan|last2=Levine|first2=Susan|last3=Abney|first3=Kate|last4=Davids|first4=Lester|date=2016-12-31|title=Fifty shades of African lightness: a bio-psychosocial review of the global phenomenon of skin lightening practices|journal=Journal of Public Health in Africa|volume=7|issue=2|pages=552|doi=10.4081/jphia.2016.552|issn=2038-9930|pmc=5345401|pmid=28299156}} Skin lighteners in South Africa were first marketed to white consumers, then eventually to consumers of color.{{Cite journal|last=Thomas|first=L. M.|date=2012-04-01|title=Skin Lighteners, Black Consumers and Jewish Entrepreneurs in South Africa|journal=History Workshop Journal|language=en|volume=73|issue=1|pages=259–283|doi=10.1093/hwj/dbr017|pmid=22830098|s2cid=11676982|issn=1363-3554}} Initially, skin whitening was typically practiced by rural and poor South African women; however, studies indicate that the practice has become increasingly prevalent among black women with higher incomes and levels of education.

Historian Lynn Thomas attributes the initial popularity of these skin whiteners to the socially desired implications of limited outdoor labor, sexual relationships with lighter-skinned partners, and lighter-skinned heritage. Starting in the 1970s, the South African government established regulations for skin whitening products, banning products that contained mercury or high levels of hydroquinone.{{Cite journal|last1=Dlova|first1=N. C.|last2=Hamed|first2=S. H.|last3=Tsoka-Gwegweni|first3=J.|last4=Grobler|first4=A.|date=2015|title=Skin lightening practices: an epidemiological study of South African women of African and Indian ancestries|journal=British Journal of Dermatology|language=en|volume=173|issue=S2|pages=2–9|doi=10.1111/bjd.13556|pmid=26207658|s2cid=39294986|issn=1365-2133}} By the 1980s, critiques of skin whitening had become incorporated into the anti-apartheid movement, given skin whitening's adverse consequences on health and its social implications of colorism.

In Ghana, preferences for lighter skin had been documented beginning in the 16th century. Shirley Anne Tate attributes this to the aesthetics and statuses promoted during the period of colonial rule, citing the social influence and wealth of notable Euro-Ghanaian families. Other studies found that, in Tanzania, skin bleaching has been regularly practiced by middle and working classes, as light skin was perceived to facilitate social mobility.{{Cite journal|last=Fritsch|first=Katharina|date=2014-12-22|title='Trans-skin': Analyzing the practice of skin bleaching among middle-class women in Dar es Salaam|journal=Ethnicities|language=en-US|volume=17|issue=6|pages=749–770|doi=10.1177/1468796814565216|s2cid=147424581|issn=1468-7968}}

Skin whitening practices in several other African countries increased following the onset of independence movements against European colonial rule.{{Cite web|url=https://www.byrdie.com/skin-bleaching|title=The Reality of Skin Bleaching and the History Behind It |author=Maya Allen |website=Byrdie |language=en|access-date=2020-03-04}} Maya Allen attributed this to the increased flow of European products and commercial influence into colonized regions. Several historians have suggested that the increased prevalence of skin whitening in "the Global South" is potentially tied to both precolonial notions of beauty and post-colonial hierarchies of race.

Several chemical substances have been found to be effective in skin whitening, but some have been proven or suspected to be toxic. This includes compounds containing mercury, which can cause neurological and kidney problems.{{cite web |title=Health Effects of Exposures to Mercury |url=https://www.epa.gov/mercury/health-effects-exposures-mercury |website=www.epa.gov |date=3 September 2015 |access-date=3 July 2023}} These products also contain collagen, which can be harmful to the skin. It is present in day creams and beauty masks. Collagen is an insoluble fibrous protein that is too large to penetrate the skin, thus it can clog pores.{{cite web |title=Liste des composants nocifs des cosmétiques industriels : A à C|url=http://www.cosmetiques-bio.net/articles/produits_nocifs___liste_a_c.html|website=cosmetiques-bio.net}}

The use of these products can be hazardous to health, potentially causing acne, stretch marks, skin cancer,{{cite web |title=A Abidjan, les "go" veulent toutes devenir blanches |date=6 September 2012 |url=https://www.slateafrique.com/93979/abidjan-les-ravages-du-blanchiment |access-date=3 July 2023}} hypertension, or diabetes, especially when the product contains hydroquinone,{{cite web |title=Produits éclaircissants pour la peau |url=https://www.60millions-mag.com/2011/02/04/produits-eclaircissants-pour-la-peau-8530 |access-date=3 July 2023}} mercury, cortisone, or vitamin A.{{cite news |title=Ivory Coast bans potentially deadly skin-whitening creams |website=TheGuardian.com |date=7 May 2015 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/07/ivory-coast-bans-potentially-deadly-skin-whitening-creams |access-date=3 July 2023 |agency=Agence France-Presse }} Allergic reactions or undesirable effects such as uneven hyperpigmentation or patchy depigmentation can also occur.{{cite web |title=Peau noire, masque éclaircissant |date=31 May 2011 |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/191595/societe/peau-noire-masque-claircissant/ |access-date=3 July 2023}}

Among the ingredients, hydroquinone is also commonly found and is responsible for multiple side effects. It can interfere with the reagents used in capillary blood glucose meters, artificially raising blood glucose levels.Bouché CH, Garnier JP, Choukem SP, Gautier JF, [http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h3879 Falsely elevated capillary glucose and ketone levels and use of skin lightening creams], BMJ, 2015;351:h3879

In 1997, in Paris, the French police dismantled a network involved in the illegal trafficking of skin lightening products, primarily targeting Congolese migrants. Such products represent a significant market despite their health risks. Users resort to preparations containing mercury or bleach, or products containing corticosteroids or quinine. The Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris had to establish a specialized department to deal with the skin disorders caused by skin bleaching.{{cite web |title=Geneva highlights dark side of skin whitening |date=8 June 2010 |url=https://swissinfo.ch/eng/geneva-highlights-dark-side-of-skin-whitening/9038506 |access-date=3 July 2023}}

The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted the significant presence of inorganic mercury added to skin lightening products, which is known to be associated with skin cancer.{{cite medRxiv |title=Mercury exposure and health risks associated with use of skin |year=2022 |medrxiv=10.1101/2022.08.02.22277906v1}}

• Colorism
• Light skin
• Ethnic plastic surgery
• Anal bleaching
• Hypopigmentation
• Depigmentation
• Xeesal, skin bleaching technique in Senegal
• Racial whitening
• Colonial mentality

Italics have been preserved whenever they appear in quotations. Text between square brackets are additional notes not present in the source.

{{reflist|group=notes}}

{{reflist|refs=

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https://www.caringoflife.com/

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{{cite journal| title=Melanosome transfer: It is best to give and receive| last1=Wu| first1=Wufeng| last2=Hammer| first2=John A.| year=2014| journal=Curr. Opin. Cell Biol.| volume=29| doi=10.1016/j.ceb.2014.02.003| pmc=4130791| pmid=24662021| pages=1–7}}

{{cite journal| title=Physiological factors that regulate skin pigmentation| last1=Yamaguchi| first1=Yuji| last2=Hearing| first2=Vincent J.| year=2009| journal=BioFactors| volume=35| issue=2| doi=10.1002/biof.29| pmc=2793097| pmid=19449448| pages=193–199}}

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{{Cosmetics}}

{{Japanese beauty}}

Category:Discrimination based on skin tone

Category:Light skin

Category:Skin whitening