| The paler the skin, the higher the classPale skin | | | | skin redness.3. Asian skin has a better behavior |
| has had an exciting evolution. Greek and Roman | | | | during cooler months; because of reduced sun |
| women used to do anything possible to whiten | | | | exposure, Asian women's skin has better |
| their face skin; the whiter their face skin was, the | | | | biomechanical properties such as elasticity and |
| more beautiful they were considered. Sun tanning | | | | structures (collagen).4. Skin becomes yellowish |
| was out of the question. By using lead paints and | | | | with age and this is more visible in Chinese and |
| chalks women put themselves in great danger | | | | Korean skin than other racial groups.5. Japanese |
| because that ancient beauty treatment could | | | | skin has the best condition (least deterioration |
| cause death by slow poisoning. It was only too | | | | with age), while Indian skin has the worst.In fact, |
| late when this was discovered.The obsesssion | | | | there are more differences across populations |
| with white, "porcelain"- like skin evolved beyond | | | | depending on regions, age, geographical location, |
| cosmetic reasons, becoming more related to | | | | climate, skincare habits.White, whiter, the whitest - |
| social classes. Skin color became that visible | | | | this may be lethal.In Asian countries, pale skin has |
| definer separating working classes from the ruling | | | | had the same significance for centuries: |
| classes. A tanned skin disclosed a life of outdoor | | | | sophistication, innocence, feminity and high social |
| labor; those wishing to be accepted in high-life had | | | | standard. That is why Asian women have always |
| to conform to this requirement: white, not tanned | | | | been looking for skin care products to whiten |
| skin. The paler one's skin, the higher the class. To | | | | their skin. They used to prepare "skin whiteners", |
| achieve this, men and women had no limits; any | | | | by grinding pearl from seashells into powder and |
| method, safe or not, was used, as being pale was | | | | swallowing it. Today's cosmetics are safer and |
| extremely important.Asia: white skin is considered | | | | more reasonable. New skin whitening products |
| a symbol of femininityThe tanning obsession and | | | | appear every year, posing less dangers to |
| later, the sunless tanning craze took over the | | | | women's health or life.Still, these whitening lotions, |
| world. Still, there are white "spots" on the | | | | serums, correctors and essences may involve |
| worldwide tanning roadmap. Asian people are not | | | | risks worth taking into account. According to |
| so excited with golden skin. And this has a lot to | | | | Asian dermatologists, the danger comes from |
| do with their millenary culture, somehow reluctant | | | | mercury. If safety allowance limits are exceeded, |
| to these trends.What do Asian females have and | | | | mercury (the best known whitening agent) may |
| others don't? There are few differences to take | | | | cause death. Unfortunately, some products include |
| into account. Teams of scientists and | | | | high doses of mercury, which are damaging to |
| dermatologists who have studied eight Asian cities | | | | the central nervous system and the kidneys, and |
| (Sendai, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Guangzhou, | | | | especially to the development of the brain in a |
| Shanghai and Harbin, China; Calicut and New Delhi, | | | | foetus or a child.So, pale skin is not the happiest |
| India; and Manila, Philippines (representative of | | | | choice for an Asian woman, after all. Neither is |
| Malay skin) have some interesting findings to | | | | dark skin. So, what should they do? Using proper |
| reveal:1. Hyperpigmentation (dark spots) has an | | | | skincare products and sunscreeen (if exposed to |
| earlier onset than wrinkles and laxity (loss of | | | | real sun or indoor session) is the best choice for |
| firmness) on Asian skin (compared to | | | | life, not only for Asian women but also for |
| Caucasians).2. The Japanese have the lightest skin | | | | anybody who cares about skin and health.Dana |
| tone; thus, Japanese women have low melanin | | | | Scripca is a web editor and writes for - The |
| and skin redness. The Indians have the darkest | | | | Sunless Tanning Tips. |
| skin tone, and therefore high melanin content and | | | | |