THERE are certain questions that spring to my mind regarding quite a few TV advertisements of bleach creams. Do they speak the truth? Do these creams and lotions really change the complexion of dark faces as their advertisers claim? Don’t these ads create, by harping on their tag lines, social differences among girls of our society?
Here are a couple of examples of such ads. One commercial of a bleach cream portrays two sisters. One has a fair skin, while the other has a dark complexion. Their mother gives the latter the advertised bleach cream, saying that using the product will make her fair and bright like her other sister. In another advertisement, a boy shows a photograph of a girl to his mother so that he could get married to that girl. The mother rejects her because of her dark complexion. Once that girl uses the advertised bleach cream, her face begins to shine and the mother of the boy accepts her as her daughter-in-law.
Such advertisements have a psychological affect on the girls who have dark features. They begin to feel that dull complexion is a stigma that’s associated with them. And as soon as they use a certain bleach cream, they will become fair, smart and attractive, and will have no problem in getting married.
Shabana, who works at a beauty parlour, is of the view that advertisement for such products fools the masses by showing that using a bleach cream totally changes the colour and tone of the skin of a girl in 10 to 14 days. As a result, many girls apply the cream at home, while some others go to a beauty parlour in order to bleach their hair and face if they wish to attend a party, or are getting married or even looking for a job.
Asma, a college student, uses a certain bleach cream to turn her dark skin into a fair one. Ambreen is also a student and uses such creams to hide pigments and spots on her face. Salma, a housewife, thinks that a bleach cream brightens the face and gives a unique look to a person.
Using bleach creams has become more or less a necessity for many girls. Here, on might ask: is having a dark skin a sin? Aren’t those who have a dark complexion human beings? Whatever their complexion is, it is something that’s nature has given to them. If anyone makes fun of them for not being fair, it means they are being disrespectful to Almighty Allah, who is the Creator of all human beings.
Has anyone ever thought why the white skin is considered superior to a darker one, despite the fact that both have their own distinct beauties? In the 19th and 20th centuries, some so-called intellectuals worked on the theory of evolution, which has different aspects, including that of racism. This theory of racism refers to the concept of evolution according to which: “The white race is superior to other races.”
Today, even though numerous technological advancements and developments have taken place, our society still believes in the fact that ‘white is better than black’. Those who have a materialistic attitude towards life and people prefer fair girls to darker ones in every field of life. In addition to that, unethical messages are conveyed through commercials in the electronic and print media. These slogans have a negative impact on girls. They try and prove that girls with a darker skin are unfit for our society. According to them, the only solution to the problem is to use bleach creams and all such unnatural stuff.
It is not possible for any person to tamper with nature. Those who want to change their skin colour with which they were born often risk their lives. The fact of the matter is that bleach creams consist of a compound called ‘hydroquinone’, which lightens the skin. It does not literally bleach the melanin in the skin. It destroys the top layer of the skin, which then gets exposed to external environment. Subsequently, bacteria enter the person’s body who is using the cream, causing high risk of skin cancer.
Many girls in our society are not aware of the dangers of using bleach creams. It is better to avoid using such stuff and remain natural. It would do them a world of good. The rest they should leave to God Almighty.
