Lifestyle
Women In China Wear Facekini To Avoid Getting Tan
How far would you go to protect your skin?
You might be familiar with burkinis, but even way before that, China has had its own version called facekini. In order to avoid tans while frolicking at the beach or outdoor pool, you can find Chinese women wearing these face masks that covers everything except their eyes, mouth, and nostrils.
They first made the front page of The New York Times back in 2012.
They are now a popular piece of accessories women wear to keep their skin fair.
Why the fair skin, one might ask? It’s because the Chinese have a long-standing belief that tanned skin makes one looks like a peasant. Back in the days, ladies from rich and renowned families would do their best to stay out of the sun, while slaves and laborers would often spend hours working in the field or outdoor.
This is done on top of using skin-whitening products, a popular product in Asian countries such as Indonesia and Japan.
58-year-old Yao Wenhua, a beachgoer in a facekini, told NYTimes, “I’m afraid of getting dark. A woman should always have fair skin. Otherwise, people will think you’re a peasant.”
This protective fashion piece was first introduced in 2004 by Zhang Shifan from Qingdao.
At the same time, there are also fellow Chinese who get confused over facekini!
