Public interest in skin lightening across the United States, January 2015-December 2020

Skin lightening is a popular practice across the world, especially in India, the Philippines and other Asian countries, and some Caribbean nations. It is a dangerous trend, as some of the products used to achieve a lighter skin tone have been shown to often contain unsafe chemicals. In this article, we examine trends in consumer interest in skin lightening using a Google Trends query of 4 search terms: skin lightening, skin brightening, skin whitening, and skin bleaching, across the United States from 2015 to 2020, and demonstrated that it is most popular in states with diverse populations, including a high percentage of black and Asian Americans.

Automated summary

Skin lightening is a popular trend, particularly in India, the Philippines, other Asian countries, and some Caribbean nations. However, some products used in this practice contain harmful chemicals. The study reveals that skin lightening is most popular in states with diverse populations, including a high percentage of black and Asian Americans.