Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

L'Oréal is the latest beauty company to remove words like 'fair,' 'light,' and 'whitening' from marketing skin-tone products

L'Oréal is the latest beauty company to remove words like 'fair,' 'light,' and 'whitening' from marketing skin-tone products

L'Oréal is the latest beauty company to remove words like 'fair,' 'light,' and 'whitening' from marketing skin-tone products

* L'Oréal said Saturday that it "has decided to remove the words white/whitening, fair/fairness, light/lightening from all its skin evening products," according to the Associated Press.

* L'Oréal Group owns beauty brands including Garnier, Maybelline New York, La Roche Posay, SkinCeuticals, and L'Oréal Paris, among others.

* The company's announcement to stop labeling products with "whitening," "fair," and "lightening" follows similar moves from other large cosmetics companies.

* For example, Johnson & Johnson recently stopped selling skin-lightening products that were available in Asia and the Middle East; and Nivea said it would change the name of its "Fair & Lovely" line to be more inclusive.

L'Oréal is the latest major beauty and personal care company to reconsider wording for products used or marketed as skin-lighteners.

In a statement released on Saturday, the company said that it "has decided to remove the words white/whitening, fair/fairness, light/lightening from all its skin evening products," according to the Associated Press.

France-based L'Oréal Group owns beauty brands sold worldwide, including Garnier, Maybelline New York, La Roche Posay, SkinCeuticals, and L'Oréal Paris, among other lines of products sold to everyday consumers and beauty professionals alike.

L'Oréal's statement did not immediately specify products in particular that it plans to rename.

Other global companies have made similar changes to their products and messaging in recent weeks


Brand and creative leaders of all industries, from skincare to food to entertainment, are facing a modern reckoning that has sparked reconsiderations of deeply rooted racist origins of logos and messaging.

The announcement from L'Oréal follows moves made by other personal care corporations to give thought as to how products with skin-evening or lightening abilities are marketed, and whether or not they should be sold at all.

For example, Johnson & Johnson announced earlier in June that it discontinued two lines products that could be used for skin-lightening purposes: Neutrogena Fine Fairness, sold in Asia and the Middle East; and Clean & Clear's Clear Fairness, sold in India.

"Conversations over the past few weeks highlighted that some product names or claims on our dark spot reducer products represent fairness or white as better than your own unique skin tone," Johnson & Johnson said in a statement. "This was never our intention – healthy skin is beautiful skin."

A Johnson & Johnson spokesperson previously told AdAge that the name of the Neutrogena Fine Fairness products "may be perceived in an unintended way."

Additionally, Unilever — which owns Dove, Suave, St. Ives, and Vaseline, among hundreds of other household-name brands — said in a statement on Thursday that it will remove words that denote skin-lightening from its products.

"The evolution to a more inclusive vision of beauty that celebrates and cares for all skin tones, and no longer uses the words 'white/whitening', 'light/lightening or 'fair/fairness', will be a policy for all Unilever's Beauty & Personal Care brands," Unilever's announcement read.

"We're committed to a skincare portfolio that's inclusive of all skin tones, celebrating the diversity of beauty," Unilever said in a tweet.

Unilever also said it would rename its Fair & Lovely skin cream, which is sold across Asia.

Sunny Jain, Unilever's President Beauty & Personal Care, said in the statement that the company plans to make changes to how the Fair & Lovely product is advertised.

"We will also continue to evolve our advertising, to feature women of different skin tones, representative of the variety of beauty across India and other countries," Jain said. "We want Fair & Lovely to become a brand that celebrates glowing and radiant skin, regardless of skin tone."

The statement added that Fair & Lovely "has never been, and is not, a skin bleaching product."

The Fair & Lovely product has garnered criticism for being depicted in TV advertisements as giving people a lighter complexion, and as of June 28, more than 13,000 people signed a petition calling for the company to ban the product altogether.

ABC Journalist Siobhan Heanue wrote on Twitter that despite the name change of Fair & Lovely, as long as the cream continues to be sold, its purpose will stay the same.


Representatives for L'Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, and Unilever did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
United Nations Calls for Global Action Against Disinformation and Hate Speech Online
Tucker Carlson warns of an inevitable clash in Western societies over mass migration
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki ENDS support for Ukrainian citizens:
Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni highlights record employment and economic growth
Chancellor Friedrich Merz Re-elected as CDU Leader, Opposes AfD Influence
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
UK Government Considers Law to Remove Prince Andrew from Royal Line of Succession
Two teens arrested in France for alleged terror plot.
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis advocates for a ban on minors using social media.
Meanwhile in Time Square, NYC One of the most famous landmarks
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to Life in Prison for Abuse of Authority
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for real name use on social media.
Italian Police Arrest Man After Alleged Attempt to Abduct Toddler at Bergamo Supermarket, Child Hospitalised With Fractured Femur
British Tourist Arrested at Hong Kong Airport After Meltdown and Vandalism
European Commission Plans Purchase Incentives Limited to Vehicles Manufactured Largely in the EU
French District of Pas-de-Calais Introduces Immediate License Suspension for Drivers Using Mobile Phones
Volkswagen Targets €60 Billion in Cost Reductions as Sales Decline and Global Pressures Intensify
Eighty-Year-Old Lottery Winner Sentenced to 16.5 Years for Drug Trafficking
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Poland's President Advocates for Evaluating Independent Nuclear Weapons Development
Mayor of Serdobsk in Russia’s Penza Region Resigns After Housing Certificates Granted to Migrant Family Trigger Public Outcry
China’s EV Makers Face Mandatory Return to Physical Buttons and Door Handles in Driver-Distraction Safety Overhaul
UK Green Party Considering Proposal to Legalize Heroin for an Inclusive Society
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
We will protect them from the digital Wild West.’ Another country will ban social media for under-16s
Heineken announces cut of 6,000 jobs due to declining beer demand
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Belgium: Man Charged with Rape After Faking Payment to Sex Worker
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
Canada Opens First Consulate in Greenland Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
Political Censorship: French Prosecutors Raid Musk’s X Offices in Paris
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Global Shifts in War, Trade, Energy and Security Mark Major International Developments
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
×