When I first arrived in Australia, I was shocked to see so many women lying along the beach, basking in the sun to get tanned skin. It was a stark contrast to what I was accustomed to in Taiwan.
The first time I brought my Australian partner back to Taiwan, we stayed at a beautiful hotel overlooking a famous beach. He was surprised to see that not many people were surfing or enjoying the sun. Instead, most people stayed in the shade, avoiding any chance of tanning.
In Taiwan, having tanned skin is often seen as undesirable. My own skin color, for instance, is frequently judged as “unqualified” by societal beauty standards. In Taiwan, India, and many other Asian cultures, fair skin is highly revered—something many of us are not naturally born with.
In some markets in India, illegal whitening products are sold to meet this demand. Even well-known companies label their products with terms like “whitening” to sell the idea of fair skin. This pervasive cultural pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards can be harmful.
Looking back, I’m grateful I never tried to change my skin color. If I had, I would have faced a different struggle when I moved to Australia at 19, where tanned skin is often celebrated.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to fit in. But when the desire to conform goes against our will, when it compels us to reject the traits we were naturally born with, it’s worth reconsidering.
We have a choice: we can follow trends, or we can believe in our power to create new ones. True strength lies in embracing who we are and inspiring others to do the same.
Picture: A beautiful Indian lady I met in India.
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#EmbraceYourself #NaturalBeauty #SelfAcceptance #CulturalDifferences #BeautyStandards #FairSkin #TannedSkin #GlobalPerspectives #BodyPositivity #SkinConfidence #CelebrateDiversity #AustralianLifestyle #TaiwanCulture #InnerStrength #Trendsetter #BeYourself #CulturalAwareness #EmpowermentJourney #SkinCareTruths #CreateYourOwnTrend
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