The daily consumer product company Hindustan Unilever, the Indian arm of global giant Unilever has decided to remove the term 'Fair' from its skin-care cream 'Fair and Lovely', the company said on Thursday (25 June).

Some of the company's products, most popularly 'Fair and Lovely', have been long criticised for promoting racist stereotypes linked with darker skin tones. Feeding on India's colonial-era obsession with fair or white skin colour, 'Fair and Lovely' has been popularly branded as a product that can help one get rid of dark skin and become fairer.

However, Unilever now has announced that it would do away with stereotypical terminology such as ‘fairness’, ‘whitening’ and ‘lightening’ from its products, Hindustan Times reported.

"We’re committed to a skin care portfolio that's inclusive of all skin tones, celebrating the diversity of beauty. That’s why we’re removing the words ‘fairness’, ‘whitening’ & ‘lightening’ from products, and changing the Fair & Lovely brand name," the company said in a tweet.

The company said it was now waiting for approval from authorities over the new name for the cream and would start rebranding it afterwards.

Many other company's have been branding their products in India with claims of turning one's skin shade fairer while also suggesting that one's appearance is proportional to one's skin colour.

Several famous personalities from fields ranging from films to sports have also endorsed such brands and their products in advertisements earning crores of rupees.