Hello there Beauties.
I gotta admit, I slightly smirked whilst writing my standard greeting line to you. I tell you every single day, that you’re a true beauty and do you know why? I am a firm believer of telling people that you shall not condemn yourself as “ugly” just because you don’t look like society dictates you to look like.
My dear parents are both from Vietnam and naturally they have adopted the Vietnamese culture. When I was a little younger I never really comprehended why my mother wouldn’t allow me to go sunbathing with my friends. Everybody did it. Everybody wanted to get as tanned as possible.
I later then realized why my parents were thinking that way. You know, the porcelain skin is of impeccable importance in Asia. If you were pale, you were noble. If you were pale, you were rich. Only those who were poor and had to work were exposed to the sun. That is why there is the term „blue-blooded“, which means you could see the blue veins underneath the pale skin.
As long as mankind could think, they wanted to be different from the rest. Beauty is difficult to achieve. It stands for wealth, prestige and influence. Jealousy is the very trigger of this philosophy. We all live by this because we subconsciously strive for being someone special.
The price many are willing to pay is incredible and I am not talking about money. When I was little I thought those women in Vietnam on their mopeds in the blazing sun covered in drapes, gloves, hats and even face masks were somehow weird. But that ain’t nothing compared to what I know now.
A lot of young girls buy bleaching products that promise you to eradicate the pigmentation of your skin. Unfortunately they also can cause cancer in most cases. Scientists have found quicksilver and cortisone, both poisonous, in many of the bleaching products. They trigger irritations, permanent pigment disorders and in some cases, harmful physical damage such as kidney lesions.
The worst part is that your pigmentation comes back as soon as you stop using the products. Now you’re standing there, skin full of chemicals, organs dying and you’re not even paler than before. Oh, well.
I think it is of utter importance that people know that. So spread the word guys.
If you liked the topic of the ideal of beauty in different cultures and countries, please feel free to join me next Friday.
Yours truly,
Lana
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