Hindustan Unilever to drop 'Fair' from 'Fair & Lovely': Report
Bangalore/IBNS: Hindustan Unilever will drop "Fair" from its "Fair & Lovely" range of products which has been criticised over the years for attributing success and confidence to fair complexion.
The move has come after "black lives matter" campaign stormed the social media across the world following the killing of George Floyd by a white policeman in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25 last.
Fair & Lovely has been criticised for promoting negative stereotype against people with dark complexion and after the increasing backlash seen by the cosmetic companies in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, Hindustan Unilever decided to dissociate the product from the word that promoted fair skin, a Reuters report said.
"We are making our skincare portfolio more inclusive ... a more diverse portrayal of beauty," Hindustan Unilever Chairman Sanjiv Mehta was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The company told Reuters "Fair & Lovely" brand name change is subject to regulatory approvals, however, the new name of the product range is yet to be decided.
Similar skin lightening products are sold by L'Oreal and Procter and Gamble.
L'Oreal in India is also having discussions in view of the backlash, the report said.
"Words such as skin brightening, whitening, lightening could soon become a thing of the past on all labels and product sales pitches," Reuters reported a source as saying.
Johnson & Johnson said this month it would stop selling skin-whitening creams, the report added.
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