Whitening Craze: Chlorine soap hits the market

For women who put vanity before health (and there are a lot of you), injecting a skin whitening substance into your bloodstream is so last year. Now Thai ladies can use a chlorine soap, which is a new whitening fad where women rub and scrub their skin with chlorine to keep it pale. Yes, chlorine.

The chlorine soap, which actually contains calcium hypochlorite, otherwise known as the substance used to sanitize water in swimming pools, is a hit on the internet as its makers claim it helps to whiten skin and reduces the accumulation of bacteria within 1-2 weeks.

The soap is sold online for about THB90.

Thai society commonly depicts pale skin as beautiful, so who doesn’t want to give this a try?

Except it could potentially damage your eyes, according to Kasetsart University’s Dr. Weerachai Phutdhawong, who ran a test from samples of the different chlorine soap in the market.

“The substance is 100% calcium hypochlorite. The soap will irritate your skin and damage your conjunctiva,” he wrote on Facebook. “It is very dangerous. The Food and Drug Administration should come forward already [and take it off the market].

The calcium hypochlorite is commonly used to keep pools free of bacteria, by killing them. The compound is also found in household cleaners and bleach, which contain only 2-5% chlorine.

Of course, once in direct contact with human skin, chlorine does everything but lighten it.

“Chlorine causes irritation in the respiratory system, nose, eyes, and skin,” he warns.

Weerachai also mentioned the best ways to handle chlorine, with gloves and masks, not on the face or in a bubble bath.

“Skin color is deep beneath the epidermis — using soaps or scrubs cannot lighten naturally-dark skin tones,” Dr. Nopadol Nopakun, President of the Dermatological Society of Thailand told Manager.

“I think that smooth clean dark skin is also pretty. There’s no need to be white. Eating healthy and getting enough rest are a key to beautiful complexion,” he added.

Be careful, ladies!  After all, Sunny Burns, Thailand’s shirtless, most handsome English teacher said he thinks tan skin is beautiful in this unbelievably douchey video.