During a visit to a local supermarket in Shanghai, I made my way down the cosmetic aisle looking for a face moisturizer. Although most of the products descriptions were written in Chinese, “whitening” was vividly marked in English across most of the products.

Not only did face creams contain these whiteners, but face cleansers, soaps, lotions, and even deodorants had whitening agents.

Most of these products are marketed towards women, but there are some whitening products for men as well. In China and East Asia, pale skin is seen as the ideal beauty standard.

Traveling down the streets of the city I have seen many women walking down the street with an umbrella to shade themselves from the sun. This made me reflect on the “colorism” that you find in the United States and other parts of the world and the response by people of color to lighten their skin in order to fit in with society’s idea of beauty. As a Black women, I understand the history in the United States and why white features are perceived as more beautiful, but I was interested in understanding the history behind this preference for pale skin and skin whitening in China.

After doing a little research I found that one’s skin tone was an indicator of one’s economic and social status. Chinese farmers who labored in the sun were easily distinguishable from the upper class by their darker skin. Nobles who were privileged enough to stay indoors and avoid the sun had fairer skin. This ancient beauty ideal and preference for fair skin is still deeply ingrained in the Chinese culture.

Although the history behind the colorism in China is different from the history in the United States, the public health impact is still a concern I had. Prolonged use of skin bleaching products can cause skin discoloration, skin cancer, and other medical problems. To see these products advertised everywhere in Shanghai and knowing they are so widely used throughout China without question is very concerning.