Snow White

Looks like ‘American beauties’ are hopping on the whitening bandwagon. The U.S. beauty industry has been selling whitening products at cosmetic counters for a while; but due to our diverse ethnic landscape, these types of products have been termed “brighteners" or “even skin tone" or “dark spot reducer." Now they seem to be the rave, as luxury brands such as Chanel and Dior are launching whitening collections minus hydroquinone, which is the big bad whitening ingredient that takes away your brown spots only to turn them blue.

Previously, many of these skin-brightening products were for spot treatment, as you didn’t want to lighten your entire face; but the newer products aren’t using the scary bleaching ingredients, rather they’re creating milder formulations with a blend of active ingredients such as hibiscus or pearl extract or caviar (really?) or licorice root—many ingredients that have been used in the natural cosmetics world but are now being used by the luxury brands.

The all-out whitening trend has been big in Asia for years—from geishas powdering their faces and creating a deep contrast with red lips and dark eyes to products that actually make their skin whiter for an overall creamy look. Women throughout history, too, have worked hard to create a pale look. Many have gone as far as outlining their veins blue to appear pasty.

This is where the twist in the U.S. version of the story comes in: luxury beauty giants aren’t just addressing dark spots and acne, they’re actually lightening the entire face to create an extra-pale complexion, some with SPF. It’s like buying a mineral powder or tinted moisturizer two or three shades lighter than your skin tone. Some products provide an “opalescent sheen," while other just white you out.

Interesting timing for some of these product launches, as their names—Chanel’s Le Blanc and Dior’s Snow line—will go great with the two upcoming Snow White movies, and the general white-face theme that seems to be popular in movies such as Twilight and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Are the trends at the beauty counter in “in bed with" Hollywood? Maybe … probably.