Beware the skin creams...
The IHT has an article detailing the growth of the skin whitening industry, and some of the little known dangers of the creams which sell like hot cakes here.
The quest for whiter skin was one of the first real differences I noticed when I came to Asia. It's disheartening to hear stories of people using expensive, potentially carcinogenic creams in an attempt to adhere to a meaningless standard of beauty. Even worse are the disaster stories about people who have become permanently disfigured in their quest for a fair complexion.
I wonder whether the skin bleaching sector or the skin tanning sector sells more product per year? Not that it matters. The majority are sold by the same few cosmetic companies who market different products catering to differing regional tastes.