Amid the backdrop of ongoing anti-racism protests in the US and beyond, one beauty brand has announced it will discontinue two skincare lines that seemingly promote fairer skin.
Johnson & Johnson confirmed it will stop selling its Clean & Clear Fairness line of products, as well as its Neutrogena Fine Fairness range, both of which are marketed as helping to reduce dark spots.
The ranges were not available in the US, but sold in Asia and the Middle East.
“Conversations over the past few weeks highlighted that some product names or claims on our Neutrogena and Clean & Clear dark-spot reducer products represent fairness or white as better than your own unique skin tone,” the company said in a statement.
“This was never our intention — healthy skin is beautiful skin.”
The multinational confirmed it would update its websites to remove the lines, though clarified products may be available in stores "for a short while".
“We will no longer produce or ship the product line,” Johnson & Johnson said.
As of Saturday, June 20, a listing for Clean & Clear's Fairness Moisturiser was still present on the brand's Johnson & Johnson Middle East website.
The product, which contains SPF15, is marketed for "those who want fair, healthy, hydrated skin".
"This moisturising cream helps to lighten the skin and protects the skin from sunlight, improving overall fairness in four weeks," the product description states.
On Neutrogena's Middle East site, there is still a product listing for the Fairness Boost Hydrogel Recovery Mask, a sheet mask designed to "leave your skin looking luminous, evenly toned and radiant".
Johnson & Johnson conformed to Ad Age that while it promotes products that use retinol and other ingredients to fade dark spots cause by age and sun exposure, the company does not sell products that bleach the skin.
The decision to scrap both product lines comes amid widespread criticism of skin-lightening products, with Unilever, L'Oreal and Procter & Gamble also called out for ranges that promise to lighten or brighten skin tones.
More than 11,000 people have signed a petition that urges Unilever to stop selling Fair & Lovely, a skin-lightening product sold in Asia and the Middle East.
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
RESULT
Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')
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