Dear Glow & Lovely (formerly Fair & Lovely),

I’m at an Indian houseparty right now. Kids hunched over an iPad, the kitchen curry-leaf fragrant, gossip bubbling on whose daughter got into med school. Every time, an aunty compliments me: “I wish I had your fair skin.” I blush, reply “thank you,” and wonder if it was genetics or you or if she was just being polite.

You’re a staple bottle in every Desi household. At the South Asian market, entire aisles are lined with your skin-lightening products; plastic tubes filled with generational standards. Globally, Glow & Lovely has been the face of a projected $11.8 billion fair-skin beauty industry. Indian culture has normalized this deep-seated colorism, and you’re laughing all the way to the bank.

But first, we need to acknowledge that it didn’t start with you. Pre-1947, the British Raj divided India based on its dark- and light-skinned people, the latter of which were closer to colonial opportunity. While the preexisting caste system had traces of colorism, the British dominion suffused its hierarchy with racial bias.

Modern media preserves past standards. So Glow & Lovely, when you capitalize from a historically divisive beauty ideal, you have to be held accountable.

Decades after British colonialism, a 2017 study showed over 25% of Indian men agreed that being fair makes a woman more attractive. In dating sites like Shaadi.com, potential partners were objectified, previously “filtered” based on skin tone, according to the New York Times. Almost half of Indians admit to TV/media’s influence in purchasing your skin-lightening products.

Even as a part of the South Asian diaspora, I see your effects everywhere. When my family watches Bollywood movies, the actresses are cherry-picked to be the fairest a brown woman can be, the industry even preferring mixed-race stars like Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif. “You’re so fair” is a compliment from aunties; we’re supposed to bow, say thank you, ask what skin-whitening cream she uses.

I’m aware of the pushback you’ve received, and your half-done rebrand — what was then “Fair & Lovely” is now “Glow & Lovely.” A surface-level semantic shift meant to erase everything you’ve done. As a brown person, I can say that this isn’t enough. I can say that it’s a shockingly performative response by a large, influential company like yourself.

If you advocate for “inclusion,” then Glow & Lovely, we want dark-skinned models on your advertisements. We want a shift in the products themselves — you don’t need to be colorist to sell skincare. And most of all, we want genuine care for the Desi community.

India has too often been the victim of colorist mentalities. It’s high time to decolonize Indian beauty, it’s high time to recognize that dark is beautiful. Glow & Lovely, the change starts with you.

Sincerely,

Your Best Desi-American Boy.