Unilever has acknowledged that the Fair & Lovely name supports negative stereotypes about dark skin.
The manufacturer has officially announced that it will stop using words related to skin lightening and whitening processes, as well as those that describe the ideal of beauty that consumers should strive for, in terms of "light" or "white". In particular, the company's press release refers to the words "fair/fairness, "light/lightening", "white/whitening". From labels and product descriptions, all words that say that a lighter skin tone is preferred and more beautiful will disappear.
It has been announced that the official steps to rename the Fair & Lovely cream have already begun in various countries and a new product name will be known in the next few months. Also now the company does not position this cream as skin lightening and claims that it has not previously presented the product in this way. Today, advertising emphasizes the radiance and brilliance of the skin, without mentioning the color.
The decision was a response to public outrage. In particular, thousands of people have signed two petitions calling for the end of the Fair & Lovely product line. The company responded by acknowledging that supporting a single ideal of beauty is not the right choice and that such an approach should be left in the past.
Unilever also confirmed that some steps have already been taken in this direction, the advertising message has changed significantly in recent years. Also, product packaging showing before and after images, especially in the South Asian market, has been revised. Now, Unilever will take the next logical step - changing the name of the controversial brand and reviewing the use of certain words in other names and promotional materials.
