Glow & Lovely

Last updated
Glow & Lovely
TypeCosmetic product
Inception1975
Manufacturer Hindustan Unilever
AvailableYes
Website https://www.hul.co.in/brands/beauty-wellbeing/glow-lovely/

Glow & Lovely (formerly Fair & Lovely) is an Indian skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975. Glow & Lovely is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Mauritius and other parts of Asia and is also exported to other parts of the world, such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets.

Contents

Tube of Glow & Lovely (with the former branding) showing the branding and face of Yami Gautam. Fair & Lovely (cosmetics).png
Tube of Glow & Lovely (with the former branding) showing the branding and face of Yami Gautam.

Unilever patented the brand Fair & Lovely in 1971, after the patenting of niacinamide, a melanin suppressor, [1] which is the cream's main active ingredient. Glow & Lovely's website states the product contains vitamins B3, C, and E, along with multivitamins and UVB/UVA sunscreens.

Glow & Lovely was controversial under its previous name “Fair & Lovely”. Its promotions focus on Bollywood stars and marketing is oriented towards those who would buy skin lightening products over the counter, through friends, or online, without consulting a specialist. [2] The president of the company responded to concerns about the product calling for diverse representation, and has announced changes in advertising, communication and packaging in South Asia. [3]

Market Share

The target consumer profile for Glow & Lovely is the 18 and above age group, and the bulk of the users are in the age 21–35 category, [4] though there is evidence that girls as young as 12–14 also use the cream. [5] As of 2012 the brand occupied 80% of the lightening cream market in India and is one of Hindustan Unilever's most successful cosmetics lines. [6]

Formula

Glow & Lovely offers a range of product formulations including lotions, gels and soaps. [3] According to Glow & Lovely's website the product uses vitamin B3, glycerine, UVA and UVB sunscreens in its formula. [3] [7] Glow & Lovely has also announced the addition of vitamins C, B6, E and allantoin to their product. [3]

Health concerns

Glow & Lovely is widely considered to be a skin lightening cream, and skin lightening which is done for cosmetic reasons is sometimes associated with negative impacts on well-being. [8]

Glow & Lovely suffered controversy under its previous name “Fair & Lovely”. Aggressive marketing campaigns in India are shown to use Bollywood celebrities to promote ‘fair’ as beautiful and ‘dark’ as ugly, leading critics to charge the firm with promoting colourism. [9] Fairness cream brand promotions in the Indian market use the same method of advertising, ridiculing a young girl for having dark skin and not doing enough to lighten it, pointing to the cream as the needed solution. [9]

Advertisements target middle to lower income groups of whom 20% to 30% buy skin lightening products over the counter, through friends, or online, without consulting a specialist. [2] Those who may not have a lot of income cannot opt to go for products that are expensive. Nor are they able to speak with specialists that may guide them in their skincare. So they opt to buy the first product they find, in this case 'Glow & Lovely.'

Marketing campaigns of the product have been criticized for promoting colorism. [10] Marketing for the product in all countries implies that whiter skin equates to beauty and self-confidence. [11] Hindustan Unilever Limited research claims that "90 per cent of Indian women want to use whiteners because it is aspirational, like losing weight. A fair skin is, like education, regarded as a social and economic step up." [12] Following this controversy, in a 2007 television advertisement for Ponds White Beauty, [13] actor Saif Ali Khan expressed preference for the fair-skinned Neha Dhupia over the darker-skinned Priyanka Chopra. [14] The company suspended television advertisements for the product. [15] [16] [17]

Company response and rebranding

In 2020, the manufacturer responded to criticism associating the product with colorism. Sunny Jain, President Beauty & Personal Care stated the company recognizes that the use of the words ‘fair’, ‘white’ and ‘light’ is not ideal. [3] Jain also announced changes in advertising, communication and packaging in South Asia. [3] Glow & Lovely also announced in 2020, they plan to feature women of different skin tones, representative of the variety of beauty across India and other countries.

In 2020, Hindustan Unilever announced the rebranding of its flagship brand Fair & Lovely, removing the word 'Fair' and using 'Glow' instead. [18] The brand was renamed to 'Glow & Lovely'. [19]

At the time of the rebranding, Unilever stated that 'Fair & Lovely has never been, and is not, a skin bleaching product', instead it was intended to be a product which would 'improve skin barrier function, improve skin firmness, and smooth out skin texture'. [20]

Critical response to rebranding

Critics responded to the rebranding by criticizing the continuing sale of the product and expressing concerns that changing the name of the product does not address how colorism is still prevalent in the community. [21] Former Procter and Gamble executive Alex Malouf stated, “None of these companies has said we’re going to discontinue these products, despite the reputational challenge.” [22] Critic and activist Mirusha Yogarajah stated in response to Unilever's announcement, “If you’re changing the advertising to where they’re not promoting light skin, that’s reasonable, but if you’re still selling the product, that doesn’t mean much”. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unilever</span> British multinational consumer goods company

Unilever PLC is a British multinational fast-moving consumer goods company founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of British soap maker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie. It is headquartered in London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindustan Unilever</span> Indian consumer goods company

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is an Indian fast-moving consumer goods company, headquartered in Mumbai. It is a subsidiary of the British company Unilever. Its products include foods, beverages, cleaning agents, personal care products and other consumer staples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pond's</span> Beauty product brand

Pond's is an American brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by Unilever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornetto (frozen dessert)</span> Italian brand of ice cream

Cornetto is an Italian brand of ice cream cone dessert, which is manufactured and owned by parent company Unilever. Cornetto are sold as part of the Heartbrand product line, known internationally by different names, including Algida in Italy, Wall's in the UK and Pakistan, HB in the Republic of Ireland, Frigo in Spain, and Kwality Wall's in India. Many variations of the product exist, ranging from milk-based ice cream to vegetable fat-based dessert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperpigmentation</span> Darkening of an area of skin or nails due to increased melanin

Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of an area of skin or nails caused by increased melanin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalda</span> Vegetable ghee popular in South Asia

Dalda is a vegetable oil brand popular in South Asia.

All India Democratic Women's Association(AIDWA) is a women's organisation committed to achieving democracy, equality and women's emancipation. It has an organizational presence in 23 states in India, with a current membership of more than 11 million. About two-thirds of the organisation's strength is derived from poor rural and urban women. It was founded in 1981 as a national level mass organisation of women. It is also the women's wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a worldwide marketing campaign launched by Unilever in 2004 aiming to build self confidence in women and young children. Dove's partners in the campaign included Ogilvy, Edelman Public Relations, and Harbinger Communications along with other consultants. Part of the overall project was the Evolution campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olay</span> American skin care brand owned by Procter & Gamble

Olay or Olaz, previously Oil of Olay, Oil of Olaz, Oil of Ulan, or Oil of Ulay, is an American skin care brand owned by Procter & Gamble. For the 2009 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of P&G's revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skin whitening</span> Practice of using chemical substances to lighten the skin

Skin whitening, also known as skin lightening and skin bleaching, is the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten the skin or provide an even skin color by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin. Several chemicals have been shown to be effective in skin whitening, while some have proven to be toxic or have questionable safety profiles. This includes mercury compounds which may cause neurological problems and kidney problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noxzema</span> Brand of skin cleanser marketed by Unilever

Noxzema is an American brand of skin cleanser marketed by Elida Beauty. Since 1914, it was sold in a small cobalt blue jar; but is now sold in a blue plastic jar. Noxzema contains camphor, menthol, phenol and eucalyptus, among other ingredients. Originally developed as a sunburn remedy, it is a type of cold cream or vanishing cream which is used as a facial cleanser and make-up remover.

Unilever Pakistan Limited, formerly Lever Brothers Pakistan Limited, is a Pakistani fast-moving consumer goods company based in Karachi. It is a subsidiary of the British multinational company Unilever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pears (soap)</span> Brand of soap

Pears Glycerin soap is a British brand of soap first produced and sold in 1807 by Andrew Pears, at a factory just off Oxford Street in London. It was the world's first mass-market translucent soap. Under the stewardship of advertising pioneer Thomas J. Barratt, A. & F. Pears initiated a number of innovations in sales and marketing. English actress and socialite Lillie Langtry was recruited to become the poster-girl for Pears in 1882, and in doing so she became the first celebrity to endorse a commercial product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light skin in Japanese culture</span> Overview article

Bihaku is a Japanese term coined in the 1990s with the emergence of skin whitening products and cosmetics.

Fair & Lovely or Fair and Lovely may refer to:

Whitewashing in beauty is a phenomenon in the intersection of the fashion industry, digital photography, mass media, marketing and advertising. It describes a situation in which the skin tone of non-white people – when depicted in magazine covers, advertisements, commercials, music videos, etc. – is digitally retouched or physically modified to appear whiter. Whitewashing can also present itself in the alteration of hair texture to resemble Eurocentric beauty ideals of straight hair. Whitewashing can be seen in the form of skin whitening, either digitally or with harmful skin bleaching products, or by chemically relaxing textured hair to make it conform to Eurocentric beauty standards. Additionally, plastic surgery can be used to alter features to make them appear more European, such as double eyelid surgery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmetic industry</span> Industry that manufactures and distributes cosmetic products

The cosmetic industry describes the industry that manufactures and distributes cosmetic products. These include colour cosmetics, like foundation and mascara, skincare such as moisturisers and cleansers, haircare such as shampoos, conditioners and hair colours, and toiletries such as bubble bath and soap. The manufacturing industry is dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century, but the distribution and sale of cosmetics is spread among a wide range of different businesses. Cosmetics must be safe when customers use them in accordance with the label's instructions or in the conventional or expected manner. One measure a producer may take to guarantee the safety of a cosmetic product is product testing. FDA occasionally does testing as part of its research program or when looking into potential safety issues with a product. Both the cosmetics business and consumers can benefit from the FDA's resources on product testing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmetics in Korea</span>

Cosmetics have been used in Korea since antiquity. Today, cosmetics are an important industry in South Korea.

References

  1. Miranda A. Farage, Kenneth W. Miller, Howard I. Maibach. Textbook of Aging Skin 540896554 (2009), p.498: "In a recent work, niacinamide and glucosamine (in particular, its derivative N-acetyl glucosamine [NAG]) have been determined to be effective in reducing melanin production in culture. In vitro, glucosamine reduces production of melanin."
  2. 1 2 Rusmadi, Siti Zulaikha; Syed Ismail, Sharifah Norkhadijah; Praveena, Sarva Mangala (2015). "Preliminary Study on the Skin Lightening Practice and Health Symptoms among Female Students in Malaysia". Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2015: 591790. doi: 10.1155/2015/591790 . ISSN   1687-9805. PMC   4674599 . PMID   26693230.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Unilever evolves skin care portfolio to embrace a more inclusive vision of beauty". Unilever. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  4. Jham, Vimi. Cases on Consumer-Centric Marketing Management (2013) 1466643587, p. 102: "The target consumer profile for Fair & Lovely is in the age group of 18 and above. The bulk of the users are in the age group of 21-35 and brand communication has always been targeted at this age group."
  5. Mike Peng. Global Strategy 0324590997 (2008), p. 414: "The target market for Fair & Lovely is predominantly young women aged 18–35 (Srisha, 2001). Disturbingly, “there is repeated evidence that schoolgirls in the 12–14 years category widely use fairness creams" (Ninan, 2003)."
  6. Alma M. Garcia. Contested Images: Women of Color in Popular Culture (2012) 0759119635, p. 182: "Through its Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Lever Limited, Unilever patented Fair & Lovely in 1971 following the patenting of niacinamide, a melanin suppressor, which is its main active ingredient. Test market David "Unilever to Rename Fair & Lovely Skin-Lightening Cream in India," Bloomberg (June 25, 2020).
  7. "Glow & Lovely Careers". Glow & Lovely Careers. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  8. Pollock, Samara; Taylor, Susan; Oyerinde, Oyetewa; Nurmohamed, Sabrina; Dlova, Ncoza; Sarkar, Rashmi; Galadari, Hassan; Manela-Azulay, Mônica; Chung, Hae Shin; Handog, Evangeline; Kourosh, A. Shadi (2020-09-17). "The dark side of skin lightening: An international collaboration and review of a public health issue affecting dermatology". International Journal of Women's Dermatology. 7 (2): 158–164. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.09.006. ISSN   2352-6475. PMC   8072511 . PMID   33937483.
  9. 1 2 Anand, Amit (2021-06-30), Bhushan, Tripti (ed.), Skin Colour Bias:Understanding the Intersection of Media Representation and Advertising Ethics in India, India: Research Culture Society, pp. 23–29, ISBN   978-81-951481-3-4 , retrieved 2023-01-19
  10. Mariam, Simra (2017-03-27). "Daring To Be Dark: Fighting Against Colorism In South Asian Cultures". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  11. Lynne Eagle, Stephan Dahl. Marketing Ethics & Society (2015) 1473934028: "Advertisements in all the countries in which Fair & Lovely is sold show product users getting better jobs, getting married or having a brighter future (and being noticeably happier) as a result of their lighter skin."
  12. Aneel Karnani. Fighting Poverty Together: Rethinking Strategies 0230120237 (2011), p. 101: "Hindustan Unilever Limited, Unilever's Indian subsidiary, claims Fair & Lovely is doing good by fulfilling a social need. HUL research says that '90 per cent of Indian women want to use whiteners because it is aspirational, like losing weight. A fair skin is like education, regarded as a social and economic step up.'"
  13. "Kabhi Kabhi Pyar Mein - Pond's White Beauty". Vimeo. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  14. Sidharth Balakrishna Case Studies in Marketing Pearson 2011, 8131757978 Case Study 1: Fair & Lovely p.5 "... responding to an advertisement in which the actor Saif Ali Khan prefers the fair-skinned starlet Neha Dhupia over Priyanka Chopra, known for her dusky, wheatish complexion."
  15. "Kabhi Kabhi Pyar Mein - Pond's White Beauty". Vimeo. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  16. Bagchi, Shrabonti. "The dark politics of fairness products in India," Archived 2020-06-26 at the Wayback Machine LiveMint (25 Jun 2020).
  17. Jain, Rupam, Charlotte Greenfield, and Siddharth Cavale. "Unilever's 'Fair & Lovely' to get makeover after backlash," Archived 2020-06-25 at the Wayback Machine Reuters (JUNE 25, 2020).
  18. "'Fair' To Be Axed From Hindustan Unilever Limited's Fair and Lovely". odisha TV. Retrieved Jun 25, 2020.
  19. "HUL Replaces Fair With Glow. People React With 'Glow & Lovely' Memes". aTrendHub. 26 June 2020. Retrieved Jun 26, 2020.
  20. "Unilever evolves skin care portfolio to embrace a more inclusive vision of beauty". unilever.com. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  21. 1 2 "Unilever Will Drop the Word 'Fair' From its Skin-Lightening Creams. Experts Say It Does Not Combat Colorism". Time. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  22. McEvoy, Jemima. "Critics Slam Unilever Rebrand Of 'Fair & Lovely' Skin Lightener As 'Glow & Lovely'". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-02-04.