Skin color obsession

Kimberly - posted on 04/19/2011

I've not noticed an obsession with changing one's color. For lighter skinned people, tanning has been in fashion for quite some time, though. It's a Hollywood thing, I guess. I'm fair skinned and love the look of a tan but my health comes first. I stay pale because I don't want to die of cancer. Personally, I'm happy with all the colors the world has. I don't want to be all the colors we have, but I'm still happy to have them.

Shana - posted on 04/19/2011

I am super white! And I like it that way. Actually this topic is something I always wondered. How here in New Zealand, racism is pretty common. People just learn to suck it up and it is a part of every day life (for me anyway). I constantly hear "black people" comments etc etc, but I was always curious because it always seemed that it was people like them who had a serious tan. -Shrugs,- I have absolutely nothing wrong with different skin colours. I just don't get why some people do have an issue with it.

Laura Zoey - posted on 04/19/2011

As the OP I just have to say I personally don't mind the nestle tangent, I think it's related and important.
Hmm, maybe I'll open a new thread about boycotting companies, I never knew this about nestle, so now I'm curious what else I'm missing!

Iris - posted on 04/19/2011

Okeydokey, the topic was skin color, lets get back on track shall we.

*****Iris Moderator*****

Charlie - posted on 04/19/2011

It came up in the progression of this topic .

Skin colour .....unilever pushing skin bleaching creams on dark women while promoting "natural beauty " through dove .......turned into boycotting companies like unilever and which included Nestle ..........then asked why Nestle .....answered .

strayed from topic but so goes the progression of discussion / debate , I am more than happy to keep it on skin colour but I will answer questions when asked but like I said I have nothing against formula at all just the business ethics of the company .

Sarah - posted on 04/19/2011

ohh i read it i just don't see what any of it has to do with skin colour

Charlie - posted on 04/19/2011

Who was bashing formula ? Or did you just not even read the post ? as far as i could tell we are bashing Nestle and their unethical buisness practices .

Sarah - posted on 04/19/2011

ohh here we go with the formula bashing....im now officially out

Charlie - posted on 04/18/2011

It's far more than that and I will elaborate a little further down although the formula issue is a huge issue , perhaps not in developed countries but in third world countries the difference between breastfeeding and the aggressive nature of the advertising of formula is literally life and death ...There are four problems that can arise when poor mothers in developing countries switch to formula:

Formula must normally be mixed with water, which is often contaminated in poor countries, leading to disease in vulnerable infants.Because of the low literacy rates in developing nations, many mothers are not aware of the sanitation methods needed in the preparation of bottles. Even mothers able to read in their native tongue may be unable to read the language in which sterilization directions are written.

Even mothers who can understand the sanitation standards required often do not have the means to perform them: fuel to boil water, electric (or other reliable) light to enable sterilisation at night. UNICEF estimates that a formula-fed child living in disease-ridden and unhygienic conditions is between six and 25 times more likely to die of diarrhea and four times more likely to die of pneumonia than a breastfed child.

Many poor mothers use less formula powder than is necessary, in order to make a container of formula last longer. As a result, some infants receive inadequate nutrition from weak solutions of formula.

Breast milk has many natural benefits lacking in formula. Nutrients and antibodies are passed to the baby while hormones are released into the mother's body. Breastfed babies are protected, in varying degrees, from a number of illnesses, including diarrhea, bacterial meningitis, gastroenteritis, ear infection, and respiratory infection. Breast milk contains the right amount of the nutrients essential for neuronal (brain and nerve) development.The bond between baby and mother can be strengthened during breastfeeding. Frequent and exclusive breastfeeding can also delay the return of fertility, which can help women in developing countries to space their births. The World Health Organization recommends that, in the majority of cases, babies should be exclusively breast fed for the first six months.

and death of infants has occured , I am not against formula , I am against the unethical practices of nestle and their lack of thought towards humans , animals , the planet and their actions.


It is also a matter of human rights violations Nestlé has an appalling record when it comes to labor and human rights violations. The company purchases a portion of its cocoa from the Ivory Coast, where it has been found that children have been forced or tricked into leaving their homes to work as indentured servants on cocoa plantations. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 children work on these plantations, some as young as 11 years old. The International Labor Rights Fund has sued Nestlé, Archer Daniels Midland, and Cargill in Federal District Court in Los Angeles for involvement in the trafficking, torture, and forced labor of children who cultivate and harvest cocoa beans that the companies import from Africa. They filed suit on behalf of a class of Malian children who were trafficked from Mali into the Ivory Coast and forced to work twelve to fourteen hours a day with no pay, little food and sleep, and frequent beatings.

In the town of São Lourenço, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, Nestlé's over-pumping in an historic mineral water park is blamed for ruining the healing springs on which tourism in the small town is based. In addition, contrary to federal law, Nestlé de-mineralized the water to process its Pure Life brand of bottled water. Nestlé built its Pure Life bottling plant and its surrounding wall in an area of high risk to the aquifer, also contrary to federal law.

Nestlé’s Ice Mountain bottling facility in Michigan had plans to extract 400 gallons of water per minute from Sanctuary Spring in the headwaters of the Little Muskegon River in Mecosta County. In a suit filed by Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, Michigan Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Root concluded Nestlé’s water operation would unlawfully diminish the lakes, streams, and wetlands at issue and ordered Nestlé to stop pumping. Nestlé, with the help of Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality, arrogantly circumvented the Judge’s order and continued its pumping , thats righ they are shitting in developed countries TOO !

Amber - posted on 04/18/2011

http://www.internationalvisioncollective...



Promotion of formula (with incorrect information), child labor, forced labor, anti-unionization (with implications of threats and murder), deforestation, water rights abuses, and more.



They actually promote their formula as a better way to feed children than breast milk.

Sherri - posted on 04/18/2011

Nestle is that because they promote formula in 3rd world countries?

Charlie - posted on 04/18/2011

Oh thanks Laura ! I only use two or three brands on there which are easily swapped .

As for boycotting , I absolutely do not give money to companies I know are unethical , I will not condone their abuse as for Nestle ...they have blood on their hands I wont be part of the profit for that comapny .

Sherry - posted on 04/18/2011

This is what happened in my daughter's preschool: My daughter came home from preschool and said she did not like another girl. When I asked her why, she said that she had brown skin. I was very surprised because my daughter has brown skin. When I pointed this out to my daughter, she said that her own skin is only "a little brown". This other girl's skin is darker brown.

Anyway, did not think that I would have to deal with this in preschool. It is odd, because in my daughter's preschool most of the kids are some shade of brown, as are the teachers.

I have no idea where this came from???

I originally posted it in this community: http://www.circleofmoms.com/multicultura...

Cathy - posted on 04/18/2011

Sorry, I'm not boycotting Unilever UK. Life without Ben & Jerry's Phish Food is not worth living!

I don't wear sunscreen unless I'm going to the beach or somewhere that I'll be deliberately sitting around in the sun. I don't purposely go out of the way to tan.

I happen to think that small amounts of sunshine are good for you. I don't think that plastering yourself in cancer causing chemicals on a daily basis to protect yourself from potential cancer is the best option either.

JuLeah - posted on 04/17/2011

Women with no bounce to their hair, get perms. Women with natural perms, get their hair done too. Blonds dye their hair red, and folks with brown hair go blond .... cause the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I think darker skin is nice and wish I were darker, but won't go to a booth - I am not fond of cancer.

Sherri - posted on 04/17/2011

Yup me too Amber I am leaving on vacation in a week and I don't want to spend my time in full sun all day long burnt to a crisp. So I started tanning a month ago a few times a week to get a good base tan so I won't fry and can just concentrate on the kids.

I also have to admit sorry but I boycott zero items or companies. I buy what is on sale and healthy and try to buy US products it just isn't worth my time and energy to boycott so and so company for so and so reason.

Amber - posted on 04/17/2011

I'm fairly white (Irish, German, and Polish genes), and by fairly I mean that you can find me in the dark because I glow :)
In the summer I wear sunscreen regularly but still manage to get a little color.

For the past 2 weeks I've been going to the tanning bed though. Chad and I are going on vacation in a couple weeks and I refuse to spend my vacation as a burned, uncomfortable, lobster looking monster or to hide in the hotel room. Even 100 spf sunscreen can't protect me from burning when I go on vacation to places with harsh sun exposure.

On a side note, I am now depressed at the number of products that I feel I should find alternatives to....could be worse, time to shop around.

Sarah - posted on 04/17/2011

emma - it's hard to have a gay time on your own :D

Stifler's - posted on 04/17/2011

Oh dear God not Streets!!! I love my Golden Gaytime. I use Rexona and Bertolli too but none of the others.

Isobel - posted on 04/17/2011

Bertolli
Bushells
Choysa
Continental
Flora pro-activ
Flora
Lanchoo
Lipton
Raguletto
Streets
care brands

Dove
Impulse
Lifebuoy
Lux
Lynx
Pears
Rexona
SunSilk
Vaseline

Domestos
Drive
Jif
OMO
Persil
Surf


There you go Aussies.

Sarah - posted on 04/17/2011

Jane my most wicked sunburn was on a cloudy day...the light reflects off the water particals in the clouds....snow can also give you a wicked sunburn...just cos the sun's not out doesn't mean you can't get burnt

Tara - posted on 04/17/2011

I personally like my natural tan. I have never burned in my life and I can become very dark naturally. But it's more of a golden caramel than a dark brown colour.
I don't use sunscreen either Jenny, and it's not cause I too am from Canada. We do get lots of sun up here! We're not on another planet.
But I limit my exposure to certain times of the day and I also spend more time in the shade than not.
I don't like the number of chemicals that are in sunscreen, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide when nanosized that can cross into the body on a cellular level. As well there are many cancer causing chemicals within sunscreens, even those deemed to be natural.
I don't put sunscreen on the kids, except their cheeks and ears, nose etc. and then it's a think smear of good old fashioned zinc oxide the non-nano variety. And again we limit exposure to the least harmful times of day, we spend a lot of time in the shade and we wear wide brim hats.
None of them have ever burned.

Charlie - posted on 04/17/2011

I only use Vaseline on that list so goodbye vaseline :D I havent heard half of the other son there ...Im going to look it up unilever will join nestle on my black list .

Stifler's - posted on 04/17/2011

LOL Laura we have hardly any of those brands in Aus. Except Dove and Vaseline. I wonder which companies they own under different names here that make the same things.

Laura Zoey - posted on 04/17/2011

Might be a different angle of the sun, but the presence of a burn isn't the first damage, if you burn you have already done about 30 minutes of damage before the burn began to appear, so technically you could do damage to your skin without even showig a burn, if you limit exposure to just right before you would burn.....

Jane - posted on 04/17/2011

@Krista and @Laura - I know Canadians wear sunscreen. I was joking.



I live in southern Texas and except when I was in Drumheller one summer have found the sun in Canada MUCH more gentle than the sun down here. I get about 15 minutes max before I burn horribly down here but can walk all over Toronto, Victoria and Montreal for hours without a problem.

Jenny - posted on 04/17/2011

My skin doesn't burn easily. I've only had one bad sunburn in my life and that was when I was about 14 and was on a lake on a floatie for the whole afternoon. It takes me a good few months just to get a tan.

I don't lay out in the sun all day either anymore though. Either I'll be under a tree or have a hat on.

Jay - posted on 04/17/2011

I like my skin tone, Im white but my skin is darker than any white person I know.
But my husband is black and uses a bleaching cream every day when he gets out of the shower, his skin is lighter than all of his friends and he loves being lighter and would love to be even lighter, he says he was before and has darkened up (?) but i think it might just be that he moved to a white country (LOL) ;D xx

Rosie - posted on 04/17/2011

hellmanns??? my precious hellmans?? sigh.

Isobel - posted on 04/17/2011

yes...us Canadians in this house wear spf 50 from May till September...AND when skiing. The sun is still there in the winter even it's cold.

Krista - posted on 04/17/2011

@Jane: you'd be surprised. I've managed to get some pretty wicked sunburns living up here in Canada.

Besides, the sun may not be as STRONG in winter, but make no mistake -- it's still there, and it's still causing damage.

I'm pretty vigilant about sunblock for myself and my family. These people who tan...well, if they want to look like Keith Richards' scrotum when they're 55, then yay for them. My nanny always guarded herself from the sun, and even at age 80, she only had a few fine lines around her eyes.

Isobel - posted on 04/17/2011

Good Luck boycotting Unilever...these are the brands they own...and then each brand makes things that don't necessarily have the name on it either...honestly they make EVERYTHING.
Becel
Ben & Jerry's
Blue Bonnet
Breyers
Ethnic brands
Hellmann's
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Imperial
Klondike
Knorr
Lipton Tea
Popsicle
Ragú
Red Rose
Salada
Skippy
Slim·Fast

Axe
Degree
Dove Men+Care
Dove
Lever 2000
Pond's
Q-Tips
Suave
Sunsilk
Vaseline
Vim

Isobel - posted on 04/17/2011

My skin type (fair, blondish with green eyes) makes me 6 times more likely to get skin cancer so no, I'm not a huge fan.

Janessa, I think you'll find that they've actually done studies on beauty and found that the perfect woman looks like she's South American...which totally explains why white women AND black women are never fully satisfied with the way they look.

I understand that you think only black women suffer from being told that they are not attractive but white women are exactly the same.

I also went to a school that was predominantly black and was tortured for not looking like everybody else. I assure you that it goes both ways.

Jane - posted on 04/17/2011

But Sarah, if she lives in Canada how tan can she get?

Sarah - posted on 04/17/2011

Jenny you're mad if you don't use sunscreen you're literally leaving yourself wide open for skin cancer

Jenny - posted on 04/17/2011

My colour depends on the sun. I don't fake tan and I don't use sunscreen.

Sneaky - posted on 04/16/2011

I always think that white girls with a tan look creepy - like they have coated themselves with a dye in an effort to disguise themselves or something. It also freaks me out to see young, gorgeous women (in their teens early twenties) - with WRINKLES!!! If they have done that much damage in the first fifth of their lives, how much worse is it going to get? It's insanity.

Jane - posted on 04/16/2011

It seems to go in cycles. When I was a teen, everyone with light skin wanted to be tan (and some unwisely used the early tanning lotions that turn you orange) and those with dark skin wanted to be lighter. Then we went through a phase in the 60's and 70's when dark-skinned folks were proud of their color, and light-skinned folks became aware of skin cancer. Sounds as if the pendulum has swung back.

As to whether I like my skin tone: I have very white skin, so white I sometimes look blue. As a result every single scratch, pimple and freckle shows up in high contrast. I have often wanted to be my son's caramel color if only to disguise all my many blemishes. OTOH, my daughter is very light but not as light as I am. She can hang out at the beach for hours before she starts to burn. I get a whole 15 minutes before I turn red as a lobster.

Would we be happy if we were all the same color? No, of course not. We would find something else to dislike about our looks.

Sarah - posted on 04/16/2011

can't say i like the orange snooki oompa-loompa look...im white...very white and i like it like that

Stifler's - posted on 04/15/2011

You also are supposed to wait 15 minutes before going in the sun after you put it on for it to work. I always put sunscreen on Logan, I live in Queensland!! Sunscreen is essential.

Laura Zoey - posted on 04/15/2011

Ashley, I too get teased for my sunscreen obsession with Eric! Everyone is like, oh you already put some on him! Or you don't need that much! Friends just wipe a tiny bit Ono their hands and rub it on their kids face, you can't even see it at all! For it to work it should take a minute to rub it all in so I am very thorough. Erics never been burnt except he got a bit red on his cheeks one day last summer so I slathered my milk on it all evening and it was gone by morning. Phew!
Sunscreen is my friend!

Toni - posted on 04/15/2011

I live in skin-cancer city so I like being untanned.

I have noticed, especially with my older nieces, the obsession with tanning. Its so much more healthier to leave your skin as you were born with it.

Cathy - posted on 04/15/2011

I like my natural summer tan. I don't sunbathe but I like being outside so it builds up quite easy in sunny weather.
In winter I return to pale. I just change my make up and hair colour!
I won't do sunbeds or spray tans. I sometimes add a little bronzing shimmer to my leg in the in between spring phase.

Ashley=) - posted on 04/15/2011

If you really want a tan though, go fake.

Then your not exposed to harmful sunbeds or the suns harmful rays.



Bleaching does not sound to good either for your skins health

I had 4 moles removed in the past few years.I was very lucky.All from no one putting sunscreen on me as a child up to the age of 13.



Be safe and have your children safe in the sun.Its so very important.I have a child with red hair and pale skin and another with dark hair and tan skin.I always put sunscreen on them.I get slagged by others for the amount i use on them lol.Beats them getting burnt.I can't bear see children burn't to a crisp.Not very responsible of there parents



People SUNSCREEN IS YOUR FRIEND.

Okay rant over.Have a great day ladies.:-)

Sherri - posted on 04/14/2011

Yup totally a tanner here. I am far to pale.

April - posted on 04/14/2011

I always find it amusing that when i'm in Australia people want to be tan and when i go to Asia people want to be white. It's in all the commercials. I don't get it but i guess that's just how it is.

ME - posted on 04/14/2011

I am of English, Irish, and German decent, not sure how you'd get ANY more pale than me...I wear sunscreen every day and I have since 1999 (when I moved to Colorado)...I don't understand the whole tanning obsession thing, not even a little bit. I've never been in a tanning bed, and I've NEVER used tanning oil type products...I am not particularly bothered by my skin tone...tho I often wish that I didn't burn so easily, which I do even through all that sun screen.

Charlie - posted on 04/14/2011

Hey you know I was jsut at the supermarket buying some more moisteriser and Dove was on sale and I almost reached for it and then remembered LOL.

Johnny - posted on 04/14/2011

It's funny. Despite living in a place that is so into embracing multiculturalism, there are sure a lot of people who live here who try to change their appearance to look like something else. There are loads of tanning salons, and every white chick at a night club seems to be darkly bronzed. The Indian girls are really into the skin bleaching and hair waxing. One of my co-workers waxes her face every weekend. The Asian girls are getting eye surgeries to get almond shaped eyes instead of thinner slits. If it keeps going this way, we are all going to look the same. Sort of like black, Asian, Indian, and white Barbies. Ugh.

Rosie - posted on 04/14/2011

yeah loureen it's pretty enlightening, their bleach product is called "white beauty". here's a little article about them. http://enlighteneducation.edublogs.org/2...