Because we're worth it: L'Oreal drops 'whitening' words from skincare range

International cosmetics giant L’Oreal on Friday (June 26) said that it will remove words such as “white”, “fair” and “light” from its skincare products.

A spokeswoman from the firm made the announcement in the backdrop of growing criticism on social media platforms regarding its skin-evening products, including Garnier Skin Naturals White Complete Multi Action Fairness Cream.

On Thursday (June 25), FMCG major Hindustan Unilever revealed that it will drop the word “fair” from its widely sold product “Fair and Lovely”, after the company faced heavy backlash from netizens due to the growing focus on racial injustice following weeks of worldwide protests over the death of African-American George Floyd in the police custody.

Related news: Celebrate all skin tones: ‘Fair and Lovely’ to lose ‘fair’ from name: HUL

While the move has come at a time when there are growing voices against racial stereotyping, the company insisted that its step has got nothing to do with the current anti-racism movements in the West, saying it has been working on the evolution of the ₹2,000-crore brand for many years.

The company said its other skincare portfolio will also adopt a new holistic vision towards the beauty that cares for everyone and celebrates all skin colours.

Recently, the US healthcare and FMCG giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has stopped the sale of its skin-whitening creams globally, including India.

Skin-whitening cream is considered to be a big market in India in the personal care segment and several FMCG players, including Procter & Gamble, Garnier (LOréal), Emami and Himalaya operate in the segment with their respective products.