DARK OR LIGHT - WHICH IS BEST?
Dark or light? When I say this, I am referring of course to skin colour. This subject is something that has come very much to my attention since being in the Philippines. I am writing this in a light hearted way, but I have noticed that in the Philippines skin whitening is a serious business. Advertisements on the television, in magazines, on billboards, in shops - in fact EVERYWHERE display the beauty of light skin. You can lighten your skin by using soap, by scrubbing, by having peels, by applying lotions, mixtures and potions that contain goodness knows what, there are so many ways short of casting a spell or performing voodoo to obtain that lovely white glow. As an individual I do understand this in a way, because I am in the same situation but opposite. I am a white English man and in our country we desire and yearn for what 
we haven’t got too and that is a nice dark golden skin. We have exactly the same advertising ploys as the Philippines but showing brown skin is sexy, seductive, healthy and beautiful. We whitey’s lay on beaches or under sun lamps, frying ourselves and sizzling our skin to achieve that lovely cooked look. Who is right and who is wrong? In England we truly believe tanned brown skin is associated with good health and it makes us feel happier and more confident and more sexy. The Filipinos hide from the sun and don’t want to go dark, believing light and white is beautiful. Obviously it is a case of “the grass is always greener on the other side” meaning we always want what we don’t have. We spend our lives, our money, our time on desiring what we don’t have, and trying to achieve it. The big money making companies are really to blame, because they encourage us to feel this way, they stimulate our insecurities, they coax and push us to spend our money on these stupid methods and ideas of changing our 
skin colours. From dark to light, from white to brown, does it really matter? “We are beautiful, no matter what they say Words can’t bring me down” to quote from a famous pop song, for it is true.We are all beautiful in our own way and if only we all stopped obsessing about these ridiculous things we would be able to spend much more time on the important things in life. So to answer the question - Dark or Light? Which is best? The answer is - neither - they are just different but just as good.
Hi John,
Glad you brought this up. I’ve always been bothered and insulted by the skin-whitening ads. As a Filipino, I am always embarrassed to see these billboards and hear some low-brow comments from my friends and relatives. I find it extremely shallow of my culture and creates racial and cultural repercussions. Brown is beautiful too.
Hi Macky - Since you live in the USA, I am sure that you are also well aware how Americans (and from what John says, British too) go to the tanning parlors and go to beaches to lay out and get a tan. I remember when Feyma first came to the States. My brother’s wife (who is white) was always going to a tanning parlor to darken her skin. She said she wanted her skin to be the same color as Feyma’s. Feyma has never believed in whitening, but she told my sister-in-law how many Filipinos use creams and soaps to whiten their skin. It was a shocking revelation, because we all naturally felt that anybody would prefer to have brown skin! Ha ha… as John said - The grass is always greener on the other side!
My wife believes in skin whitening. She has all kinds of soaps and lotions. Although she drives a convertible. She hides from the sun by keeping the top up. Overseas, in other asian countries you could distinguish a filipina as the one with the umbrella. It is part of the class status in the Philippines. The farmer, fishermen, and laborer are always under sun and thus have darker skin. While the rich are “fair skinned”.
Hi John:
It’s a personal thing, but I have always thought that darker skinned women are more attractive. {That is probably one of the reasons why I think my darling wife is drop dead gorgeous.} It shows features and muscle tone much better than light skin. My wife does not use any whitening agents, but does exhibit a distaste for the sun.
My fiancee thinks I am so strange because I like her tan. As her cousin says “Black is beautiful, but too black is charcoal”
Hi Louis:
On this subject we agree, IMHO you have good taste.
Hi guys!
Here are my 2 cents worth:
1. Working and walking under the heat of the sun is exhausting. Staying away from the sun at least saves one from sweating and draining the energy. Note: AC’s are luxury in the Phils!
2. Class distinction: If one is fair-skinned the person is perceived to be rich,e.g. having helpers at home to do outdoor jobs or amenities like washing machine, gas/electric stove(don’t go to rivers to do the laundry or gather firewood ).
Perceived to be mestizas/os–of spanish descent (of course with long nose and last names in the likes of Ayala, Borromeo, etc).
Best weapon? Umbrella-rain or shine! It can also be used as a cover when a lady wants to “go” in places where’s no CR (joke only!)
Hello All,
What I see here is a successful marketing strategy and an aggressive marketing campaign for skin whiteners, not just in the Philippines but in Asia. Growing up, I don’t remember seeing these skin whiteners. Now, there is a slew of different products of different strengths claiming to be the best out there. On top of that, we have all these dermatologists who perform procedures to get rid of blemishes, aka sun spots.
Here in the US, aside from the tanning salons, there are also “sunless tanning lotions” that supposedly gives you a natural looking tan sans sun exposure.
Personally, I feel lucky that I get a beautiful tan from a minimum of sun exposure. I feel sorry for those who struggle to get a tan and burn themselves in the process. I notice the looks of envy I get when I flaunt my tan, especially in the winter when everyone’s so pale.
Is one better than the other? I guess it depends on which part of the world you’re in.
Jul, that last bit was no joke! I did that once, though I was on a farm and far from onlookers anyhow.
Hi Elisa!
I did it several times, too, out there in the seaside where only low-lying bushes were found. When we’re in HS and we walked few kms everyday, umbrellas and skirts of classmates used to cover if one needed to “go”. Isn’t it creative in some ways ? Oh my, those were the days ! I might not like that “pink” CR mentioned in other blogs. Wait, I’m off topic here, Elisa—from Dark or Light, now it’s Pink!
Hi Ladies:
Has anyone of you caught that Lyna whitening cream time? Eveyone in my boarding house had it and so I also tried to use it as night cream. O my, I can bear the thickening sensation on my face, what I can’t bear is the smell. It really suffocated me. I threw it away. My auntie used those thick powder cake that’s like a chalk. I forgot the name but I can still picture the square box with a Japanese (or was it chinese) girl on it. Once it’s applied, my auntie looked like a white faced-clown or is it the one used by clowns ? I don’t use any body/face cream at all. I just tried to eat nutritious food. Thankfully, my husband said I am radiant. Maybe the cosmetics industry is making a fool of the majority of the women, using their high-sounding words in advertising!
Hello to All,
We Filipinos still could not deny the fact that colonial mentality is pre-dominantly alive in our minds and our hearts. A lot of us believe that the standard of beauty is having a white skin. On the other hand, the makers of these whitening products are taking the opportunity because they know they have a huge market for those who desire to become white. It is sad to say but I still believe that there is no cure to this. The only cure I know is to set our minds into the right gear and believe that beauty is not defined by the color of your skin but through your deeds. This is very interesting post and hope that we Filipinos learn from it and start appreciating our natural color and accept that white is not our color. The best thing is to keep your skin healthy whatever color you possess.
I like foreigners with tanned skin. I like that they have this reddish-golden-brown look that Filipinos can’t seem to achieve. I’m not physically attracted to foreigners with light skin. It leads me to the conclusion that he is not trying to make himself more attractive. For some reason (marketing ploy perhaps), foreigners with sun-kissed look are hot. Most guys with this looks also have toned body so their superior physique becomes more evident.
When I look around, I don’t feel really attracted to Filipino guys with really dark skin. It’s not the skin color per se, it’s the features I believe that doesn’t appeal to me. It must be the colonial mentality striking in, because I am definitely more fascinated with mestizos.
This is really just a personal inclination, being a mestiza myself. If it’s any consolation, I think my skin is too white already. I did use some whitening products before, and believe it or not, there is such a thing as having a skin that is just too white. I might get a tan soon.
Hi Anne - Some Caucasians who have fair skin (like me) cannot really tan. I just burn if I go in the sun too much. I have gotten sunburns in the past to the point where my skin is purple in color! It’s quite painful! So, because somebody isn’t tanned, it doesn’t mean that they are not trying to make themselves more attractive. Another thing is that skin cancer is a big concern if a person gets too much sun, especially somebody with fair skin. I really do wish that I could get a nice tan!
I’m a filipina in little old Blighty, and believe me, its pleasure to have a golden brown complexion, without the bother of having to go to tanning salons. My white british friends look upon me with envy! That’s the irony; white people spend a fortune on St Tropez tan treatments, in tanning booths, even running the risk of skin cancer, in their quest for a tan. On the other side of the coin, filipinas use skin lighteners that strip their skin of melanin, a natural protective against the sun, in order to obtain whiter skin. The implication being is, as their is little melanin in their skin, one must shy away from the sun to avoid skin cancer…
I have to ask, is it really worth the expense, the health risks, the incredible high maintance one has to undertake, in order to obtain these two very different ideals of beauty? In my point of view, its not. I’m not 100% happy with my appearance, but I wouldn’t change the fundamentals, as in my skin colour. We all strive to be something we’re not, and to have things that we can’t have. If we want to be comfortable in our own skin, we should appreciate and be glad with what the higher powers have given us.
It’s terrible that a darker complexion is associated with being inferior to your whiter counterparts. I so do hope, that such mentality will change in the Philippines, as it feel it incites prejudice and a further social divides within filipino society and culture.:mad:
I am new to this site. Whether we are coloured or not, the comment below says it all. I came across this in the net..have fun..
a coloured to a white..
When I born, I black
When I grow up, I black
When I go in Sun, I black
When I scared, I black
When I sick, I black
And when I die, I still black
And you white fellow
When you born, you pink
When you grow up, you white
When you go in sun, you red
When you cold, you blue
When you scared, you yellow
When you sick, you green
And when you die, you gray
And you calling me colored?
Interesting comments from all! To me beauty is what is inside. I really do not care or judge a person whether his/her color is white, brown or black. My judgement starts when someone opens his/her mouth. That is my 2 cents worth of comments. Good day to all and Happy Blogging! Cheers!!!
Hi All,A persons colour is defined by nature according to the climate of their ancestors,the hotter the climate,you will naturally be darker as your melanin content is higher to give greater protection from the sun.The cooler the climate,less melanin content, as it is not needed in cooler climates.The promotion of whitening creams etc is a marketing ploy that tries to convince people they will be more successful and socially acceptable the whiter they are.The same applies to tanning products trying to pursuad white people that they will look healthier and more attractive if they are darker.A lot of whitener’s contain bleaching agents which can damage skin.You only have to look at Michael Jacksons disasterious complextion to see what can go wrong.There is beauty in all races,as the saying goes “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” regards Chas.
There are some comments that make a lot of sense, particularly the last two. There are a few, like the charchoal remark, that are just plain ignorant and judgmental. I was thinking of living in the Phillippines. With the colonial mentality thing alive and well, I don’t think I will now. Thanks for the tip.
Hi John!
My wife Marie was told by some friends to be watchful because they heard that there are still vampires in America. I almost fell over when i realized that they were sincere. Of course that led to me waking up Marie in the morning wearing plastic fangs. After she shouted BASTOS! at me we had a good laugh. I did tell her that maybe the accusing westerners of being vampires might just be a cover for their ghoulish endeavors. I explained that the allergy to sunlight was a pretty obvious symptom of vampirism. Of course she defended this by suggesting that she would develop freckles. We had a really sweet helper named Inday that seemed very sad. Marie asked her what was wrong and she explained that she missed her daughter. We told Inday to bring her daughter to live with us and she was very happy for that. The little girl was adorable but malnourished. Marie and I spoiled the little girl by feeding her often and buying her clothes, etc. Inday and her daughter were Filipinas but their skin was really dark like some Pakastanis. The funny but shocking part of the story was when Marie introduced the little girl to her sisters as her little n****r Filipina. I did a doubletake! I could not believe I heard that! I explained that when she comes here to the US she could never even jokingly say that. I did concede that she could still call me round eye!
John: I see the whitening creams all over Asia… Not just the Philippines. I think it is a female thing as much as anything. Think about it… How much do most women spend on primping and preening and have you ever met a single woman who is happy with her body 100%? It goes beyond just skin color… well “endowed” ladies get breast reductions and those with “mosquito bites” want huge gazongas. Nearly every woman I’ve ever met thinks her feet are too big or shaped funny.
Hi John Miele,I agree with your observations.A recent survey found that women buy 80% of all goods on sale,ha ha,i don’t think us men need a survey to tell us that,regards Chas.
Fun
Nice poem my friend thank you
David
I went to school in the UK in the 70s and I remember that racism was in bult in our police, shows on the TV and newspapers.
Thank god its changed…or has it??
Chas
Did you note that Michael Jackson was 50 this week!!
Tom
I heard an American in a public place say to everyone that he was going home to his monkey wife now, everyone laughed. The sister of the wife was in the room she laughed too.
What does that say?
John M
Now a foot fetish story too lol
Chas
No survey need at all and its the same in the gay world too.
Hi John!
To answer your question: it says that he is an arrogant jerk. I hear many stories about disrespectful marriage partners and it makes me ashamed to be a man sometimes. These insensitive bufoons think that these women accept their abuse but in reality they are economic prisoners. Why else would a supermodel Filipina marry a nasty old kano 30 yrs her senior. When I see couples like this I always tease my wife by saying look honey; theres a pedaphile. I am 44 and my daughter is 20yrs old. I can not imagine having anything in common with someone so young. Here in the US I hear many stories about the old men treating their child-brides like slaves. I married a Filipina two years older than me so I told her that she is my sugar-momma! Tom
Hello John,
If women of all cultures believed they looked good good without all of these so called body improvements the world would go into recession.
Women are quite often their own worst enemy in regards to how they look, it is more pressure from other women than men that drive women to do these improvements to themselves.
The industry built up around women’s lack of self esteem is mind boggling. Marketing people love it, because all they have to say is it will make you look more beautifull and of the women go down to the local mall to buy. Add a famous female actors name sales go through the roof, till the next actor comes along. The only people benefiting from all of this is product manufactures and marketing companies.
Most of these products are not worth the money women pay for them and truly have little effect on how they look.
External beauty only lasts so long, but internal beauty lasts for a life time.
Steven
After being diagnosed and successfully treated for Basil Cell Carcinoma ( a very common and treatable form of skin cancer ) I’d advise anyone that whatever skin you have if it is in good condition leave it alone !
For quite some time I thought I had a pimple or ingrown hair on part of my face. It was not until I saw myself in a digital photo taken with a bright ( commercial camera ) flash the dark area surrounding the ” pimple ” really showed up.
I went to a dermatologist who carefully removed the ” pimple ” sent it out to a lab where it was diagnosed as Basil Cell Carcinoma. I had a 2 inch by 2 inch piece of skin removed from my face a little at a time until all the cancerous area had been removed. Basil Cell Carcinoma fortunately grows towards the outer surface of the skin.
A cosmetic surgeon was able to stretch surrounding skin over the affected area and now you would hardly know anything ever happened. I found out Basil Cell Carcinoma afects thousands of people each year and it has to do with exposure to Sunlight and possibly things like ” tanning Lights ” etc.
The Surgeon told me that Basil Cell Carcinoma can be acquired as a child that frequents the beach or has long exposure to the sunlight. It can stay dormant for decades and when people get to a ” certain ” age it will then surface and begin to spread over the surrounding area.
When I was a kid, a suntan was supposed to be ” Healthy ” ? I never remember hearing the term ” UV Index ” back then. Sure there were suntan lotions but I dont think anyone even knew what ” Sun Block ” lotion was then if it even existed.
I really think we all must accept what we were born with for the most part. Sure, things we may not have that someone else does may look better to us but then again unless you look in a mirror, you really see the other person so if that is more appealing just be glad you are the one that is looking at them.
Too much tampering with trying to change what we have seems to open the door to problems sooner or later and in some casses not even tampering with skin coloration catches up with people.
It seems many of the things we heard from our parents ( if you are over a certain age ) used to be ” Healthy ” for us. Things like Suntan, Whole Milk, Butter, eggs, red meats and the list goes on and on. Now we are told all of these former ” healthy ” things are out to kill us if we are not careful.
I think Psst #25 by Steven really says it all ” External beauty only lasts so long, but internal beauty lasts a lifetime ” Thats a good one Steven !
Tom
Cannot but agree with you my friend.
Steven
Thank goodness for internal beauty my friend, thats all I can promote of myself now
Bob NY
Thank goodness you were able to catch the cancer at an early stage. Your point about the money spent on all the cosmetics makes me angry when you consider most of the population cannot afford anything to protect them from the Sun, like suntan lotions etc
Funny how cultures differ, Americans prefer the golden look, while the pinoys like the white look, ….I’ve been told by several filipina’s that they are attracted to westerners due to the beutiful children that they produce….fair skinned and all….I usually tell them I can be “Bar fined” for a reasonable fee ( just joking of coarse!).
The term “Blue Blood” (a brit term used to describe royalty) came about due to thier pale skin and the easily seen blue veins reulting from that.