As white as paper, porcelain, or pearl, fair skin is a beauty idealism especially in this part of the world. But do Asian women really want to have that pale appearance?
The pursuit has shifted from the superficially “snow white” skin to an even and luminous complexion that glows from within, void of dark spots.
Instead of white, bright is the buzz in the beauty industry with the releases of new brightening serums from Jurlique and L’Occitane, as well as a whole range of Extra Bright products from Bobbi Brown.
Nature offers a host of skin-brighteners, which can come from citrus fruits, delicate daisies and precious pearls.
Chanel sought the finest oysters from Uwajima, on Japan’s western coast, to obtain a natural skin brightener. Japanese fishermen employ traditional methods in cultivating Akoya pearls, with a two-year process giving the pearls lustre, delicate colour and smooth surface, as well as active molecules for the 2-Year Pearl Extract — one of the key ingredients in Le Blanc’s whitening concentrate and cream.
Guerlain also included a pearl extract in Blanc de Perle products, with the new whitening essence coming in a pearl-shaped bottle. The long-standing French brand introduced its first whitening lotion in 1830, and the 2014 formulas are claimed to feature Melanin Control Technology containing the Advanced Pearl Complex.
Melanin is a pigment that serves as the skin’s natural sunshield. However, UV exposure, environmental factors and ageing can contribute to the overproduction of the pigments, which cause troublesome skin discolouration and dark spots.
Cosmetic companies thus claim technologies such as Laneige’s Melacrusher and Lancome’s Melanolyser that tackle the excessive pigmentation.
Besides melanin, the colour condition of each layer of the skin affects the overall fairness and radiance. Shiseido’s approach involves retexturising the skin surface to better reflect light, moisturising the stratum corneum to enhance translucency, eliminating yellowish dullness in the dermis and increasing microcirculation in the deeper layer.
The Japanese brand also created the Bright Derm fragrance from notes of Bulgarian rose oil, for the White Lucent Total Brightening Serum.
Korean brand Sulwhasoo considered the surrounding skin condition for a holistic promotion of radiant skin. Constantly exposed to light and heat, the skin immunity becomes unbalanced leading to inflammation or an inner heat, which shows on the skin as dryness, dullness, or uneven and pigmented skin.
The herbal skincare brand believes in the power of white ginseng to promote a balanced and brighter skin, with the plant’s saponin as a signature element in the Snowise EX line.
