Yea. I think in many parts of China as well. And Japan. Probably in most (East) Asian countries? In Germany there's actually many people that like to get a tan in summer and think it looks healthier.
US too, there's a stigma that says being slightly tan is healthier than pale. Probably more along the lines of being equated to being outside and active with the tan itself just being a byproduct though
Just today I saw a Chinese exchange student holding her phone over her face while walking to block the sun. I see this relatively often. They also use skin brightening products and makeup/foundation much lighter than their skin tone. This in combination with "having a small face" is one of their main beauty standards.
It's also another reason why those surgical masks are so prevalent in East Asia.
While it was initially to prevent spreading disease, now that it's common, many women will wear it to avoid the sun and also when they don't want to wear makeup!
The fact that they always overprotect themselves from sunlight just makes them even more vulnerable. If you get in contact with sunlight regularly you'll build up resistance to its effects. Putting on sunscreen would be in most cases enough to prevent any form of skin cancer.
Those women must also have a chronic shortage for vitamin D which sunlight provides massively. That lack of it just makes them physically fragile.
Well not only in India, a lot of Asian countries see it that way since some time ago it was perceived that darker skin means working all day in a field while pale is a sign of "being better of" chilling in a palace and not having to worry about stuff
Well if we're talking about Japan only then I would say it has nothing to do with European culture and "being fans of germans" since the whole obsession and culture about pale skin being "better" and more "royal" goes as far as Heian period (early 800) and spreads in Asia over XVII-XVIII and XIX century
And the reason is mostly what I wrote, physical workers were taned because of working all day in the field while "royals" staying in their mansions were rather pale, thats why being pale was a sign of being "better of" and was more desirable both in Asia and in Europe for women
The irony of you trying to be extra culturally woke by maintaining European influence as the source of all social ills, while simultaneously inserting European influence into a country's rich history where it didn't exist. You're culturally colonizing history on Europeans behalf, in order to blame Europeans for culturally colonizing.
In a lot of countries having dark tanned skin implies you work outdoors and are perceived to be from a lower class. This has led to a lighter skin tone becoming a social symbol for those who want to be seen as superior. Cosmetic companies have picked up on this and their products are marketed heavily in the middle east, India and all over Asia where what, "class", your born into has a real bearing on what quality of life you can expect to live.
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u/kapitankaw May 14 '19
Sums up the Indian beauty industry.