To bleach something is to make it whiter or lighter in color, often using a strong chemical. It can also mean to remove color or stains from something.
“Bleach” comes from Old English “blǣcan,” meaning “to whiten,” which is related to “blæc,” meaning “pale” or “shining.” It is connected to the same family of words that gave us “bleak” and “blank.”
Bleach is so powerful that it doesn’t just clean; it actually changes the molecules that create color. The word’s history shows how tightly English links the ideas of brightness, paleness, and emptiness.
“Bleach” has been tied to beauty standards, especially around skin lightening and hair color, often targeting women and people of color. Advertising has promoted bleaching products as a way to conform to Eurocentric or gendered beauty ideals.
Be cautious when discussing skin bleaching, acknowledging health risks and the role of colorism and racism. Avoid suggesting that lighter skin or bleached features are inherently more attractive.
["lighten (hair)","disinfect","whiten (laundry)"]
Women activists and scholars have been central in critiquing skin-bleaching industries and exposing how they exploit colorism and gendered beauty pressures.
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