Hindustan Unilever to Drop ‘Fair’ From ‘Fair & Lovely’ Skin Cream Amid Anti-Racism Protest

Hindustan Unilever, which is India’s biggest consumer products firm, has announced on Thursday that it will remove ‘Fair’ from the name of its skincare brand Fair & Lovely. The decision of rebranding has been taken considering the ongoing global movement #BlackLivesMatter. This anti-racism protest started after an unfortunate incidence of police killing of an African American named George Floyd. Also Read – Hindustan Unilever pitches for reducing corporate tax rate

Taking about the decision of rebranding, Sanjiv Mehta, chairman at HUL recently stated, “We are making our skincare portfolio more inclusive and want to lead the celebration of a more diverse portrayal of beauty. In 2019, we removed the cameo with two faces as well as the shade guides from the packaging of Fair & Lovely and the brand communication progressed from fairness to glow which is a more holistic and inclusive measure of healthy skin.” Also Read – Hindustan Unilever Q1 net profit rises 19% to Rs 1,529 cr

Notably, the brand has been criticised for promoting light skin colour as the symbol of beauty in a country like India where people of all skin colours reside. That’s why, last year, it had removed words like fair/fairness, white/whitening, and light/lightening, from its packaging. Notably, the cream, Fair & Lovely is being marketed since 1975. Also Read – Hindustan Unilever’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanjiv Mehta Gets 36 Per cent Salary Hike. Know How Much he Earns