By Jaeyeon Kim |Staff Writer|

“Beauty, the saying goes, is only skin-deep. But the importance of skin goes a lot deeper. Most of us think of skin as just our body’s visible outer layer,” according to rd.com.

Over time, cultural beauty standards dictate that paler skin is more beautiful, leading more people to want to lighten their skin.

Paler skin is also related with colourism.

“Colourism refers to discrimination within communities of colour towards those with darker skin. The preference for white skin is so firmly entrenched, two-thirds of Nigerian men saying they would prefer a lighter-skinned wife,” stated by afritorial.com.

Due to colourism, many cultures prefer paler skin.

“Colourism is oppression within oppression within oppression,” stated by afritorial.com.

Colourism is harmful because it can lead communities to discriminate against people based on their skin color.

Consumers may go to great lengths in order to obtain paler skin. They may be influenced by colourism, but this form of beauty can come with a heavy cost.

“With the recent increase in knowledge about sun damage and the risks therein, it’s becoming more and more fashionable to embrace your natural skin tone,” according to Refinery29.

“Skin lightening potions are remarkably popular in India, where nearly 61 percent of all skin-care products contain lightening agents, the Caribbean, China, Latin America, and among African-Americans,” stated by afritorial.com.

Similar to India, China, Latin America, and other countries, in South Korea female and male celebrities alike seem to have very bright skin.

If one of the more famous celebrities uses a skin cream for brightening, the brightening cream becomes very popular.

Due to lots of people who want to get more bright and white skin, there are many products for obtaining bright and white skin.

BB cream and CC cream originated in South Korea.

“The sensation of this cream in Korea began in the early 2000’s as having a whiter, hydrated and radiant skin…  is considered the true sign of beauty,” according to FG Magazine.

BB and CC cream is one of the most popular products for getting brighter, whiter, and more radiant skin.

Etude House, Shiseido, Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Dr.Jart, Kiehl’s, and many other popular cosmetic companies make a range of skin bleaching products, such as masks and peels, but are misleadingly referred to as ‘brightening products.’

Brightening products are marketed worldwide, reaching a broad group of consumers.

The harmful effects of colourism can lead to underrepresentation of darker skin colors in media and biased beauty standards.

Even though the preference for paler skin evolved from colourism, people should embrace diversity and all skin colors.