Johnson & Johnson has decided to halt promoting pores and skin-whitening creams well-known in Asia and the Middle East, it explained on Friday, just after this kind of merchandise have occur beneath renewed social tension in recent months amid a world debate about racial inequality.

Johnson & Johnson will prevent providing its Cleanse & Apparent Fairness line of items, offered in India, a spokeswoman informed Reuters. It was documented previously this month that it would drop its Neutrogena Fine Fairness line, readily available in Asia and the Center East.

“Conversations around the earlier few months highlighted that some merchandise names or promises on our darkish place reducer products and solutions signify fairness or white as better than your individual one of a kind skin tone,” Johnson & Johnson reported. “This was never our intention – nutritious skin is lovely pores and skin.”

The healthcare firm said it would no for a longer time develop or ship the goods, but that they could nevertheless surface on retail outlet shelves till shares operate out.

Lotions that assure to lighten or brighten pores and skin are marketed generally to females by the world’s greatest personalized treatment companies, including Unilever, Procter & Gamble and L’Oreal less than their respective makes Good & Beautiful, Olay and Garnier. Individuals businesses did not immediately answer to a ask for for remark.

About 6,277 tonnes of pores and skin lightener ended up bought throughout the world previous 12 months, in accordance to Euromonitor Intercontinental, like products and solutions promoted as anti-growing old creams concentrating on dim spots or freckles.