Blac Chyna announced on Instagram her new partnership with skincare brand Whitenicious, and she's already receiving criticism for the "illuminating and lightening" cream she plans to launch. The cream comes packaged in a Swarovski crystal-encrusted jar and retails for $250, but lightening cream is nothing new or special, as the controversial practice of whitening one's skin exists in many cultures and has a long and disturbing history.
Chyna has turned off comments on her Instagram post, likely due to negative responses, but that hasn't stopped people from taking to Twitter to air their grievances with her new business venture.
Skin whitening goes back at least back to the Victorian Era, and despite their inherently fraught connection to racism, colorism and the propagation of a European beauty standard, skin bleaching products are used throughout the world. In Nigeria in particular, where Chyna is launching the product, a reported 77% of women use skin whitening products.
Chyna's reps reportedly told TMZ that she's been using Whitenicious' dark spot corrector for years, and that she "felt this was a good deal for her because a lot of women of color suffer from skin issues."
Photo via Instagram