Well, I get that it started as a Japanese market, moving to pan-Asian, and they really dig that geisha-white look. Not Caucasian, like you said, which is a common misconception. It's funny, a friend and I both sell Shaklee supplements (me on the side, her closer to full time). It's a company that sells a variety of vitamins, beauty products, protein shakes, and all natural home cleaning products. She was telling me about the number one Shaklee product sold in Japan. SKIN WHITENER. Omg, seriously? That's a thing? People try to be more pale? I had no idea we even carried it. I laughed my butt off, cause most of the white gals I know are busy tanning themselves all summer long.
Yeah, I just mentioned the whole geisha-connection in another thread, and that's why I was ribbing at with the Caucasian thing. Most Japanese people tend to have this image (due largely to anime influence) of Americans as tanned, blonde haired, and blue eyed. Even to this day most representations of an "American" (or European for that matter) tend to be blonde haired and blue eyed. I just wish the companies would branch out a little bit, especially in the 1/6 market (yes, I'm being biased because it's what
I want
). And...the only skin bleaching products I know of are the ridiculous Hollywood-lite kind where it's popular to err...bleach your behind, and I'm not talking about the cheeks.
As someone who couldn't get any whiter without going transparent (I literally rival the white Obitsu in skintone...unfortunately that's not an exaggeration. ) I have no idea why the skin lightening thing is such a big deal. It certainly isn't making me any more glamorous. It's just a product of my heritage and nothing more. Every time I think of skin bleaching I think of it like Michael Jackson Syndrome.
