Fair & Lovely is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever that is widely considered a skin lightening cream. It is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Mauritius, and other parts of Asia, and is also exported to other parts of the world, such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets. The product was controversial under its previous name "Fair & Lovely" because its promotions focused on Bollywood stars and marketing was oriented towards those who would buy skin lightening products over the counter, through friends, or online, without consulting a specialist. The president of the company responded to concerns about the product calling for diverse representation, and has announced changes in advertising, communication, and packaging in South Asia.
Here are some details about Fair & Lovely soap and other products:
Fair & Lovely Soap
- Ingredients: Sodium Soap, Aqua, Glycerin, telc
- Positive: Claims to provide soft, radiant, and glowing skin
- Negative: None found
Fair & Lovely Body Fairness Milk
- Ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate,
- Positive: Claims to provide fairness and moisturization to the skin
- Negative: None found
Fair & Lovely Multivitamin Glowing Skin Soap
- Ingredients: Not specified, but the product contains vitamins B3, C, and E, along with multivitamins and UVB/UVA sunscreens
- Positive: Claims to provide glowing skin
- Negative: None found
Fair & Lovely Moisture Plus
- Ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Mineral Oil,
- Positive: Claims to provide moisturization to the skin
- Negative: None found
Fair and White Exclusive Exfoliating Soap
- Ingredients: Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua, Parfum (Fragrance), Glycerin, Palm Acid, Sodium Chloride, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Seed Powder,
- Positive: Claims to brighten the skin and fade dark spots and hyperpigmentation
- Negative: None found
Note that the use of skin-lightening products for cosmetic reasons is associated with negative impacts on well-being.
