Whether people want to accept it or not, some of your most trusted companies producing skin-care products in the U.S. take on different motives in other countries. Take, for example, the company behind Dove, the people who told us to โlove the skin youโre in.โ Unilever apparently doesnโt want people in Asian and African countries to do that, because they market skin-lightening products like Fair & Lovely.
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And now another company is under fire for doing the same thing.
Apparently, someone on social media caught wind of a recent Nivea ad thatโs making its way onto Nigerian television:
Nivea Nigeriaโs Natural Fairness promises you โfairโ skin and โeven skin tone,โ according to the productโs website. Sure, even skin tone is a thing. But as with most products marketed in other countries, โevenโ and โfairโ typically mean โlighter.โ Although the product doesnโt seem to have hydroquinone, a lightening agent, it lists natural ingredients like licorice to achieve a lighter look.
Sure, some will say that these products are sold in the U.S. as well, like Ambi, for example, but it seems as though the marketing in other countries is a little more dubious.
Social media had its thoughts about the products, of course:
But something tells me Nivea is banking on peopleโs hatred of their dark skin, which keeps their bottom line intact.
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