Summer is synonymous with anything fun for the young ones who do not have to work or go to school. It’s the time when the beach or the cool mountain refuge beckons. Getting a little tan is a natural consequence of this season, unless of course one is averse to getting fresh air and enjoying the healing properties of the sea.
We went through some newspaper archives and we came across some facts that continue to be relevant to this day, about how girls put a premium on having fair and flawless skin. We wondered ‘where is the fun in that?’ To maintain such concept of beauty, one can’t play beach volleyball or even dance the zumba on the beach early in the morning, not to mention snorkeling – if diving isn’t your thing. If other people across the globe long for that glorious tan, our girls shy away from the paradise we have to keep that fair skin.
This almost obsessive desire to conform to this idea of beauty has driven many young people to undergo nips and tucks to the point that they could no longer be recognizable. Remember Xander Ford? Whatever happened to him now? From Marlou Arizala he transformed into Xander Ford, going through multiple cosmetic surgeries to change his nose, eyebrows, eyelashes, teeth and lips.
How far do we have to go to achieve the beauty that we desire? For many who do not have the support of Ford’s sponsors, using cosmetic products with names we can hardly pronounce is a tempting option. Through the internet, many search the cheapest lotion to get a fair skin.
Many skin whiteners are said to be toxic due to high levels of mercury. There were instances when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and law enforcement agencies in the city pounced on stores selling skin whiteners coming from outside the country due to high levels of mercury.
Summer passes too soon. Let’s enjoy it while we can and learn to love the skin we’re in.
