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Growing up on the Indonesian island of Java, Happy Natalisa remembers being mocked for her dark complexion. Her classmates called her si hitam<\/em> (black) and orang Papua<\/em> because her father was Papuan, an ethnic group hailing from Indonesia\u2019s easternmost province in Western New Guinea.<\/p>\n Her appearance affected how she served in the church. She preferred to be behind the scenes, choosing to join the prayer ministry rather than becoming a worship leader. Later, she realized this was caused by \u201cseeds of insecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI felt sad and even questioned God why I was born in Java, which caused trauma in my teenage life,\u201d said Natalisa. She yearned for lighter skin. Like in many countries<\/a> globally, skin-lightening products are wildly popular among Indonesian women, as most consider<\/a> \u201cbright and glowing skin\u201d to be the epitome of beauty. Skincare regimens that include creams, lotions, treatments, or pills\u2014some of which have been found harmful and ineffective\u2014have blossomed into a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide. In Indonesia, the skincare market<\/a> is projected to reach nearly $19 million by 2030.<\/p>\n With a population made up of more than 1,000 ethnic groups, Indonesia is built on the idea of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika<\/em>, meaning Unity in Diversity. Yet the preference for lighter skin, which has its roots in colonialism, remains pervasive in Indonesian society and is perpetuated by advertising and media.<\/p>\n In the midst of this, some Indonesian Christians are working to challenge the narrative. Through women\u2019s ministries and promoting ethnic diversity in churches, they\u2019re redefining beauty based on biblical values.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s Indonesian beauty standards began during the Dutch colonial era of the 1600s, which established a social hierarchy that placed those with white skin as the most superior, those of Chinese descent next, and indigenous Indonesians at the bottom.<\/p>\n \u201cThe intelligent, the virtuous, and those to be emulated [were] the ones with fair skin,\u201d said Esther Kuntjara, professor of linguistics and culture at Petra Christian University in Surabaya. \u201cThat was the policy employed by the Dutch at that time. It has become deeply ingrained here.\u201d<\/p>\n Even after Indonesia gained independence in 1945, discrimination and inequality based on skin color persisted through colorism<\/a>, the favoring of lighter skin tones over darker ones. People with lighter skin typically received advantages in their workplace and relationships, while those with darker skin faced systemic disadvantages and prejudice.<\/p>\n The use of light-skinned models in beauty and cosmetic advertisements\u2014first imported from the US or Europe, then from East Asian countries\u2014have also influenced how Indonesians view beauty, says Agung Kurniawan, a psychologist in Surabaya.<\/p>\n The underrepresentation of diverse skin tones on TV, film, and social media also contributes to a mere-exposure effect, <\/em>where individuals develop a preference for what they are familiar with. \u201cThe impression that beauty is associated with fair skin has greatly influenced Indonesian women, resulting in the proliferation of skin-whitening products in Indonesia,\u201d Kurniawan said.<\/p>\n Today, research<\/a> shows that Indonesian women don\u2019t like the whiteness of Americans or Europeans \u201csince [the skin] appears reddish-white, like shrimp.\u201d Chinese skin color is also not preferred because of a long history of discrimination against Chinese Indonesians. Instead, Japan\u2019s colonization of Indonesia (1942\u20131945) has led to the pervasive notion of fair-skinned Japanese beauty.<\/p>\n For 32-year-old Helen Marlina, a Christian who works at a multinational public relations firm, using skin whitening products is an investment for her career. \u201cIf I don\u2019t have bright-looking skin, I feel like I\u2019m not credible enough to do my job,\u201d Marlina said. \u201cI also feel that society generally finds women with lighter skin more attractive in everyday social interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Retno Lopis, a 53-year-old housewife who lives in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, said that when she started to apply a local skin whitening ointment, she found her once oily and dull skin rapidly became lighter and brighter. Yet she stopped using it because she felt uneasy and was unsure about the safety of its ingredients<\/a> after seeing the rapid changes. Although she no longer uses any skin whitening products, Lopis said she still believes women with fairer skin look cleaner and well-groomed. \u201cI want to eliminate such a mindset, but I observe that women with darker skin tend to look dull and older.\u201d<\/p>\n The preference for fair skin is so entrenched in Indonesia society that even today, parents discourage their children from marrying someone from a different ethnicity with darker skin. Chinese Indonesians don\u2019t want their children to find spouses of another race unless they are light-skinned Westerners, Kuntjara found.<\/p>\n For instance, when actress Nana Mirdad posted<\/a> a photo on Instagram of her and her lighter-skinned husband, she received comments questioning their match, with one netizen commenting that she should be \u201cgrateful\u201d that someone with such dark skin could find a light-skinned husband. Under a screenshot of the comment, Mirdad wrote: \u201cNever feel inferior about our skin color, whatever it may be. Being fair-skinned doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s better than having a tanned complexion. Let’s stop making distinctions.\u201d<\/p>\n To overcome the negative effects of media and advertisements to younger generations, Kuntjara believes it is vital for parents to educate their children at home. She said that parents should teach children not to judge people based on their skin color or physical appearance, but instead value others based on their heart, mindset, and attitude. While this may seem like commonplace advice in the West, it\u2019s novel in Indonesia.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a reciprocal relationship between media influence and people\u2019s perception,\u201d she noted. \u201cIf society becomes aware that the concept of light skin is merely a product of people’s perceptions for certain interests, the narrative may start to change.\u201d<\/p>\n Natalisa\u2019s mother, Erina Saraswati, noted that in raising her children, she has taught them that even when others mock them, they should not respond unkindly. \u201cI told them, \u2018Let them say negative things about your appearance or dark skin, but remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses,\u2019\u201d Saraswati said. \u201cSo I encourage [Natalisa] to focus on her excelling in school. As they grow and mature, I also teach them to bring these experiences to prayer and to forgive those who make fun of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIt was only through the help of her college discipleship group years later that she was finally able to accept her skin color and find her self-worth in God\u2019s view of her. Still, the 28-year-old\u2019s daily skincare routine includes a tiny pink bottle of face serum that promises a brighter, lighter complexion by protecting her skin from the harsh exposure to Indonesia\u2019s tropical sun. Her friends now compliment her on her \u201cradiant\u201d skin, Natalisa says with a beam.<\/p>\nIndonesia\u2019s history of colorism<\/h5>\n
Educating the future generation about inner beauty<\/h5>\n
A Christian theology of beauty<\/h5>\n