It’s An Unfair World: Be Comfortable In Your Own Skin

Skin lightening creams won’t go out of business any time soon. What is important is to start being comfortable in your own skin, says this thoughtful piece.

I had been to a store recently, as I urgently needed to pick up a skin cream. To my surprise, I came across rows and rows of  skin lightening creams. I was dumbfounded. With much difficulty, I finally found a skin cream of my choice. Does this prove that we still aren’t comfortable with our skin colour? Are we still living with the false notion that only being fair is beautiful? I hope not.

Besides my personal experience, I’m sure we all have come across matrimonial sites that pay emphasis to the bride or groom’s skin colour, haven’t we ? Since times immemorial, external beauty of a woman has been given a lot of emphasis. Women adorned themselves with loads of jewellery, and fair complexion was associated with true beauty. But not anymore. Beauty is way beyond that. I think our generation has come a long way in understanding what true beauty is.

That is superficial, and it reflects their  unfamiliarity with the subject. Skin colour bias has been a hot topic of debate since aeons. It’s been a major cause of concern not only in India but  foreign countries too. It makes me wonder – why is it so difficult to accept people the way they are ? These are shackles created by human beings and we need to break them for the sake of unity and brotherhood.

New guidelines need to be introduced in advertisements, because advertising should be responsible. It should not demean or hurt the sentiments of people in any way while promoting products like skin lightening creams. It should not be a source of discrimination and pressure. In no way should ads degrade someone’s physical appearance, as discussing skin colour can be a delicate matter. While promoting facial creams, the emphasis should be given to a healthier skin.

India is home to several famous personalities who are dusky and beautiful.  Let’s begin with Nandita Das.  She’s dusky, and she is an epitome of Indian beauty. Her face, opinions, and personality has played an immense role in the ‘ Dark is beautiful’ campaign. She’s proved that she’s a woman of substance by the way she has chosen her films and the campaigns she’s been a part of.

Next on my list is Deepika Padukone, the reigning queen of bollywood. She looks stunning with her dusky skin colour. She’s proved her talent in acting and her dusky complexion has in no way been a hindrance to her growth in her career.  She exudes confidence and she has no qualms about her dusky appearance. This clearly proves that our skin colour should not be a barrier to our growth and development. We need to rise above these misconceptions.

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There is more to a human being than their skin colour. It’s unfair to judge anyone based on their colour. Being comfortable with our skin colour exudes our self confidence, irrespective of whether we are fair or dark.  We must learn to love ourselves and accept our bodies the way they are.  Every person should be comfortable in their own skin. It’s time we throw away age-old biases and move towards fulfilling our dreams.

Pic credit: alc_chris (Used under a CC license)

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