Pale is Beautiful -- Beauty in the Eye of the East Asian Beholder

In East Asia, pale is in. TV and magazine ads abound with beauty products, much like the States, but there is one difference -- most skincare ads are for whitening products. They all make claims of being able to lighten the tone of your skin by several shades. Most daytime facial moisturizers are SPF 50 and above. Reminds me of when my travelmate, Matt, commented that he never knew SPF 70 sunscreen existed until he traveled with me. >_< Yay, Neutrogena. Unlike other countries, in which the population favors bronze tones for the skin, in Taiwan (and other East Asian countries) pale skin rules. It's so amusing how cultural standards of beauty can be so different. Self-tanning products would probably get such strange looks if sold in shops here. While I'm not easy prey for beauty advertisements in the U.S., while I'm in Taiwan, I think I'm prone to be like every other girl and buy into the advertisements. Dangerous, very dangerous.

I've taken up the habit of carrying my umbrella with me rain or shine. The umbrella is such a versatile accessory, it keeps you dry in the rain and it keeps the sunshine off you on sunny days. In the States, carrying an open umbrella would attract odd looks but over here it's quite normal. I'm tempted to continue the practice when I return, but I may cave and conform to social norms. True, there is sunscreen, and though my favorite brand claims to be light and non-sticky, it's not quite as lightweight and non-greasy as I would like. Either that or the heat of Taiwan makes it impossible for the sunscreen to dry. Maybe I'll try one of those spray-on options next time. No melanoma for me! Oh and no worries, I'm making sure I still get my vitamin D through sunshine or milk.