Japanese cosmetic brands give up the word ‘whitening’ on products

The elimination of the ‘white new beauty’ stereotype in the skin care industry in Japan is being responded to.
According to the Sora News 24 Before worrying about inequality and racism, Kao – a 134-year-old cosmetic brand in Japan – is at the forefront of ending the concept of “white new beauty”.

In Japan, one of the most popular beauty trends is skin lightening, popular with cleansers, moisturizers and makeup. The above standard is supported and promoted when the word “whitening” is widely used by brands to advertise their products. In the Japanese beauty industry, the most commonly used word for whitening is “bihaku” – containing the kanji for “beauty” and “white”. The popularity of this word made the obsession of a bright white skin more widespread in the community. “Beautiful new white” is a popular beauty standard in Japan. Photo: Erika Ikuta. While bihaku is still being used by beauty brands, Kao has been a leader in eliminating the stereotype about the appearance by announcing that it will no longer use the word in products since March. Eliminate this entire word on its product for several years. The Kao representative said that the company does not want to promote the message that one skin color outperforms other skin tones, eliminating bihaku is part of the brand’s efforts to promote diversity. The language change follows similar moves by foreign companies like L’Oreal and Unilever. Kao was the first Japanese cosmetic company to stop using bihaku. Despite the elimination of prejudiced words, whitening products are believed to be the preferred choice in Japan. Kao said it will still meet this demand from customers, but will replace “whitening” with the word “brighten” for products that limit the appearance of freckles and dark spots. Kao’s commitment to diversity goes beyond the language used in product marketing, the company also strives to address gender issues. The company also said it plans to launch a new series of foundation creams this fall in 23 colors, almost double the number of colors normally offered, while taking steps to curb various stereotypes, like using words like “standard” or “normal” for common shades of foundation.