• A look at the notions of beauty standards in Sri Lanka

Beauty standards have changed and evolved over time from the heroin chic of the 90s to the more voluptuous figures of the 2010s to our current use of Ozempic as a weight loss drug.

While beauty trends around the world have been influenced by celebrity culture, fashion, and the economy, Sri Lankan beauty standards have been slow but steady in change with beauty norms like fair skin and a full but not overweight figure being the norm.

“People like me have never been seen as conventionally attractive,” Vihara Weerasekara, a 26-year-old marketing executive, told The Daily Morning Brunch.  “I have always been told that I am too dark skinned or too tall or too skinny.”

Fair but forsaken

South Asian obsession with skincare products and treatments that promote fairness has become a known concept. Several women across generations report being told that they were too dark to be attractive or to be considered for marriage.

“I remember having to field several comments over how dark skinned I was,” Weerasekara said. “Or even worse, that I was pretty for a dark-skinned girl. It was somehow seen as a mark of beauty and desirability to be fair skinned instead of dark even though many of us are naturally gifted with melanin.”

The comparison has often made several Sri Lankan women insecure about the colour of their skin and many of them have often been pressured into buying beauty products or opting for treatments that were not only costly but also had the possibility of having harmful effects.

“We see some of the skin whitening products that have been sold online and in fancy salons have not been standardised,” consultant dermatologist and Sri Lanka College of Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine President Dr. Nayani Madarasingha said.

Dr. Madarasingha said that several of these skin whitening products contain one or more of three harmful ingredients which are mercury, bleaching agents, and steroids. 

“For example, a skin whitening agent with steroids can cause harmful effects such as acne and stretch marks, which are oftentimes permanent and if applied under the eye can lead to cataracts and increased eye pressure.”

However, while harmful, these products still remain popular among Sri Lankan youth.

“We are constantly raiding shops that sell these products,” an official from the Consumer Affairs Authority said. “And we are prosecuting the sellers.”

Body shaming

While fairness has often been a standard of beauty, several women have also reported getting shamed for their bodies, causing them discomfort and sometimes insecurity.

“I remember getting told that my chest looks like a board by random strangers on the road,” Yasasi Jayewardene* said. “I’m a little on the skinny side and that has invited a lot of comments from people who are not doctors but still try to diagnose me with an eating disorder.”

Jayewardene said that while the comments did not make her insecure about her weight, they caused her a certain level of discomfort and annoyance.

“I don’t know why they have to comment on other women’s bodies,” she said. “While I am happy about my body, there might be so many other women both young and old who struggle with their self-esteem due to this criticism.”

Nirmani Perera-Varma, a 26-year-old stay-at-home mother who lives in Australia, said that body shaming has become ingrained in Sri Lankan culture. 

“Wherever you go, people comment on women’s bodies,” Varma said. “Even though I live in Australia now, I am Sri Lankan and I grew up in Sri Lanka and I feel like it is so ingrained into our culture.”

Like most Sri Lankan women, Varma said that she has experienced body shaming in Sri Lanka and that has had a negative impact on her self-esteem, especially when she was growing up.

“Growing up, we were always told to be fair, full-figured but not fat, and if you didn’t fit into the ideal of it, people would always criticise,” she said. “And the criticism I faced definitely affected me.”

A subtle shift

While these beauty standards have been perpetuated, several young people are fighting back with body positivity and the rejection of fairness products.

“I’m very accepting of my brown skin,” Jayewardene said. “Although I wear sunscreen, it is to protect myself from the ultraviolet rays and not because I want to stop myself from becoming dark. I believe that brands should also start embracing what it truly means to be a brown girl in the tropics.”

While several brands do continue to promote fairness creams, many have seen a shift in public opinion and have started a significant rebranding towards being more inclusive. An example of this is the renaming of Unilever’s Fair and Lovely to Glow and Lovely, marking a shift in the opinion that one needs to be fair to be beautiful. 

Meanwhile, several South Asian influencers and celebrities have either stepped away from promoting fairness creams or have publicly expressed regret over their actions over promoting them in the past.

“I think there is more work that needs to be done,” Jayewardene said. “However, this is a good start and I am hopeful for a better and more inclusive future.”

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the individual