From faces to armpits--what's with the obsession of turning everything white?

Why does everything have to be white and flawless? Photo Courtesy: YouTube

"Kya aapke toothpaste mein namak hai?"--It sounds like an innocent question pertaining to dental health, doesn't it? I would have thought so too if every ad that ever had this question asked didn't end with a man/woman flashing sparkling white teeth.

"Go sleeveless"-Another innocently-phrased line that at first, gets you thinking that it's just a form of encouragement--until an actress comes into the picture flaunting her airbrushed armpits and urges you to try the roll-on/deo for visibly fairer underarms.

"More than just fairness, clear fairness", claims yet another commercial with sad dark-skinned women turning into bright, white, happy doves overnight with the use of a magical cream offering "instant nikhaar".

To be honest, these commercials are neither fair nor lovely to watch

Photo Courtesy: YouTube

On planet Earth, there's no dearth of two things: Dirty, polluted water and mothers and mothers-in law praying for milky-white daughters and daughters-in-law respectively. Another resource available abundantly on the planet happens to the flawlessness of women portrayed on social media, magazine covers, and movies.

If you sideline the moti-patli, lambi-chaudhi debate aside for a bit, your complexion comes next on the hit list.

On top of that, you introduce products for whiter/fairer everything. What do you think happens?

The answer? Body shaming, body, shaming, and--body shaming--along with over-expectations resulting from seeing unrealistic standards of beauty and well--the resulting lack of confidence in women.

What next? Women flock to buy the "promising" products in a bid to turn their faces, teeth, armpits, and any other body part I might have missed listing here--whiter.

And while businesses boom, our self-esteem is doomed

Sure, we live in a world where even moong daal is painted to make it look more yellow.

So expecting human beings to not go at lengths look like Gods and Goddesses should come as no surprise.

Photo Courtesy: YouTube

In the above picture, the man seems more interested in Anushka's armpits than her pretty face. Now, do you want to be with a man like that? More importantly, do you think that a man should love a woman any less if her armpits were dark?

Another point to be noted, My Lord, is that having naturally dark armpits makes you liable to not raise your hands high up. So, if you ask your mother to tie your hair, tell her it's because of the ad and not your laziness.

On a serious note, this is depressing, not only for me but for many women out there who really look up to actresses for some glamour inspiration.

Several studies have already mentioned about these picture-perfect ads and magazine covers lead to lack of confidence and even depression in women. But it seems like our cosmetic surgeons, Beauty vloggers, and ad gurus have taken it upon themselves to help women "feel better about themselves".

Melanin reduction procedures, skin peeling treatment, bleaching products, fairness creams, roll-ons, whitening powders, charcoal packs, DIY packs--the variety of options to defy nature and mould yourself as per the society's expectations are mind boggling.

If nothing else works, there's airbrush make-up and well--the editing prowess of Photoshop that can give you "instant nikhaar" digitally.

Priyanka's armpits were photoshopped on the cover. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

After all, don't you remember how brilliantly Priyanka Chopra's armpits were Photoshopped on a magazine cover in a bid to make them look fairer?

And our wisdom is doomed too

Sure, we live in a world where we'd much rather waste our time opposing the release of movies based on fictional characters than channeling our energy on the more important issues that lie unsolved. So yes, expecting people to actually understand that it's okay to have darker armpits-unless of course there's bacterial infection-would be like expecting Harvey Weinstein to turn into a brahmachari.

But since Weinstein is getting his due now, I believe in the power of "exposing the reality".

For starters, white is just a colour and so are yellow, brown, black, and purple. Hundreds of tones and shades on one colour on the pantone charts is proof that there's space for every colour in the world and that all of them are beautiful.

Secondly, most of those "whitening" products contain a bleaching agent called hydroquinol, excess of which can lead to thinning of the skin and making the skin sun sensitive and prone to acne. They may also contain mercury which has the potential to damage your already clouded nervous system. In fact, the presence of steroids in them can lead to allergic reactions causing further darkening of the skin.

Not to mention, those whitening toothpastes have the potential to deteriorate the enamel of your teeth--thanks to the presence of strong bleaching chemicals.

Photo Courtesy: YouTube

Now what do you think is the smarter thing to do: Embrace your natural self or risk your goddman body? I trust your wisdom--however clouded it may be right now--to make the right decision.