The Role of Advertising in Educating Colored Women in Malaysia on Embracing Natural Beauty to Boost Confidence

Abstract

Women all around the world especially in East Asia such as Japan, China, and Korea with fair complexion skin and in Asian region such as Thailand, Vietnam, and India, as well as other countries such as Africa, with darker complexion or skin tone are the targeted consumers of skin lightening products. Blessed with a diverse culture and ethnicity with the presence of three major races namely Malay, Chinese, and Indian, Malaysian women are of no exception in striving to look fairer. The advertising industry supports the product owners by their communication strategy through various media such as television commercial, printed advertisements in the magazines, and billboards to name a few, using famous celebrity for endorsements and as brand ambassadors. This research argues whilst beauty product owners compete in producing the state of the art products such as whitening creams to increase sales, women, in general, should be educated about the implications and risks of using the products on their precious skin. It has been widely researched ever since the success stories of the whitening creams is phenomenal that there is a risk of skin cancer as well as other potential health issues. Women, in general, should embrace their natural gifts and learn to be confident with their appearance without relying on beauty products that may cause harmful effects in a long term. Due to that, this chapter will discuss and explore the possibilities of emphasizing the role of advertising in educating colored young girls and women the truth on the hazards of long-term use of whitening products as well as persuading them to celebrate their originality and suggest the benefits of natural home remedies as part of their beauty regime.