The dark side of fairness creams

Do fairness creams work? And if they do, are these products good for your skin?

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Last month, the Advertising Standards Council of India issued fresh guidelines for cosmetics advertising, telling companies not to show dark-skinned people depressed or “unsuccessful in any aspect of life” in their advertisements. In a country where marital fortunes and job profiles are determined by how fair your skin colour is, an obsession with fairness creams is understandable. But this obsession may have gone too far. Ads for skin-lightening cosmetics have for years played on many Indians’ insecurities about their skin tone, helping create a multi-million dollar industry in the country.

The fascination with fairness creams is not new. Fair & Lovely, India’s first fairness cream, was launched by Hindustan Lever back in 1975. However, the last decade has seen an avalanche of fairness products hitting the market, with people buying such products to become fairer.

While companies manufacturing these products claim proven results, medical experts differ. According to Rohit Batra, consultant dermatologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, fairness creams can only work to a certain extent. “Nothing can change a person’s natural skin colour. The consumer must understand that these creams can only reduce tan and help in restoring your natural skin tone. They can’t make you fair,” he says.

Overuse of these creams can also lead to severe skin damage. A study carried out by New Delhi-based NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) earlier this year found large amounts of mercury, lead, nickel and chromium in these creams. “Apart from mercury, there is no prescribed limit set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the amount of heavy metals that can be used in making individual finished products. This loophole was being exploited by companies,” says Amit Khurana, programme manager for food safety and toxins at CSE. Of the 73 fairness creams tested, CSE found the presence of mercury in over 40 per cent. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act prohibits the use of mercury in cosmetics as it causes skin and kidney ailments. Chromium too may cause cancer. Since CSE’s intervention, BIS has put in place a procedure to keep tabs on the amount of heavy metals used in fairness creams.

The high levels of steroids in these products can cause redness and thinning of skin, acne and may also cause the skin to break open. In some cases, doctors have also seen a growth of facial hair in women. Also, users should keep their skin type in mind while using these creams. “Creams must be used judiciously, and only under the supervision of a certified dermatologist,” says Batra. Though he does recommend the usage of medicated creams that have less steroid content and help in improving the skin.

However, companies that make these products disagree on the findings. Emami, the manufacturer of Fair & Handsome, a popular fairness cream for men, claims that its product has no harmful effects. “Fair & Handsome has been designed with safe and tested ingredients, which comply with global standards of safety,” says Mohan Goenka, director, Emami. Since its launch in 2005, Fair & Handsome has sold over Rs 200 crore, a fair indication of its popularity. “There are no known and reported long-term side effects of using the cream on regular skin types. Therefore, its prolonged use should not have any side effect on the skin. The cream is effective. That’s why we have had such tremendous response,” adds Goenka.

However, if these products do have such serious side-effects, then can one protect one’s skin from the effect of the sun’s rays? Batra says that physical protection is always better. “These days, we see young women covering their faces with a piece of cloth when they’re out in the sun. That is the best form of protection,” he says.