A man walks in front of an ad for a skin-brightening product © picture-alliance/dpa/S. Sen

It is an obsession that literally goes under the Indian society’s skin! “Don’t go out in the sun to play, you’ll turn into a dark-skinned witch and then nobody will marry you!” Sounds funny?!

While westerners flock to beaches in search of the perfect tan, white skin is an ideal for many with darker skin. In Asian countries, billions of euros are spent on skin whitening products, which account for over a quarter of cosmetic sales.