Earlier this month, I read a BBC report about how, though creams containing hydroquinone and mercury are banned from over-the-counter sales in the UK, as they can cause liver, nerve and fetal damage, the banned cosmetics were still being sold in the country.

Such a craving for whitening creams comes from social conditioning where beauty is equated with fair skin. In many Asian cultures, including in Thailand, it denotes “class and refinement”, as your article said. However, I think people should learn to accept and appreciate their original self rather than use whitening creams to change their skin tone and put their health at risk.