Consumer products giant Unilever said Thursday it is aiming for a “more inclusive vision of beauty” in its skin care products and will remove words like “fair”, “whitening” and “lightening” from its products, a movement that occurs amid an intense global race debate sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement.
As part of the change, Unilever will change the name of its “Fair & Lovely” product that is used to lighten skin and sold in Asia in the coming months, the company said.
“We are fully committed to having a global portfolio of skin care brands that is inclusive and cares for all skin tones, celebrating a greater diversity of beauty,” said Sunny Jain, director of Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever. “We recognize that the use of the words ‘fair,’ ‘white,’ and ‘clear’ suggests a unique ideal of beauty that we don’t think is correct, and we want to address it.”
A statement from Hindustan Unilever Limited said the change would involve dropping the word “fair.” He said a new name was awaiting regulatory approval.
Unilever said its Fair & Lovely range “has never been, and is not, a skin whitening product.” The global consumer company said its advertising for Fair & Lovely products has changed since 2014.
“In 2019, we reflected this evolution in the Fair & Lovely package in India, eliminating before and after impressions and color guides that could indicate a transformation; and we have progressed in all communication of the product’s benefits toward skin brightness, even tone, clarity and radiance, ”the company said.
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