What's so big about being white?

My daughter once told me that she read about skin whitening products and how almost all skin creams sold in Asia contain some kind of whitening agent.

I did some investigation and found out that 4 out of 10 women in Hong Kong (and Malaysia, the Philippines and South Korea) use some kind of whitener. This is completely new to me. I guess it isn't to you but I'm shocked.

What's the big deal about it? Personally, I love brown or tanned skin. At this point in my life, I don't even look at white girls. I know that this runs much deeper than what I like but I hate to think of what the skin creams are doing to women's bodies.

My neighbour is from the Philippines. She isn't that dark but her daughter is very dark. Somehow I think she looks incredible but my neighbour worries that she is just too dark. She tries to keep her out of the sun but I don't think the sun makes any difference. I worry that the girl will lose her confidence if her Mom keeps telling her that she is too dark.

I know that the sun can damage and age your skin, that's understandable. Is using a chemical to make your skin lighter any different? What damage will these things do to you later on? Just something to think about. We use lots of sunscreen here in Canada. Maybe protecting yourself from the sun is a better idea that using an unknown chemical on your skin.

Thanks for reading!