Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 6 no. 5 (2025)

Glow-Up or Fade Out? The Interplay of Glutathione Soap Use with Attitudes Towards Colorism and Celebrity Influence among Young Professionals

Samantha Nicole R. Bracamonte | Sophia Isabelle D. Deomampo | Chloe Nadine D. Go | Myla M. Arcinas

Discipline: Hair and Beauty Sciences

 

Abstract:

The growing market of glutathione products among young Filipina professionals reflects the enduring influence of colorism and celebritydriven beauty standards in contemporary Philippine society. This study investigated the relationship between glutathione soap use and two potential influencing factors: attitudes toward colorism and celebrity endorsement-influence. An online survey was distributed to 207 young Filipina professionals (ages 22-35) residing in Metro Manila who had used glutathione soap for at least six months. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's Rank Correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results showed moderate glutathione soap use (Mdn = 3), with moderate frequency (Mdn = 3) but low intensity of use (Mdn = 2). Attitudes toward colorism were moderate overall (Mdn = 3), with strong selfconcept association (Mdn = 4) and moderate ratings for impression formation, affiliation, attraction, and upward mobility (Mdn = 3). Celebrity endorsement-influence was moderate (Mdn = 3), with strong perceived attractiveness (Mdn = 4) but moderate trustworthiness and expertise ratings (Mdn = 3). Neither attitudes toward colorism (ρ = -0.001, p = 0.986) nor celebrity endorsement-influence (ρ = -0.118, p = 0.089) significantly correlated with glutathione soap use. The regression model explained only 1.8% of the variance in glutathione soap use (R² = 0.018, p = 0.161). These findings suggest young Filipina professionals exercise greater agency in navigating beauty standards than previously recognized, maintaining critical distance from colorist narratives despite acknowledging their societal impact. This research provides insights for the skincare industry, public health education, and sociological understanding of evolving beauty standards in post-colonial contexts.



References:

  1. Aguja, H. J. (2013). The Filipino woman: A gen-dered    history. The    Mindanao    Forum, 26(1).
  2. Bandura,   A.   (1977).   Social   learning   theory. Prentice Hall.Cerezo,  C.  T.  (2022).  The  Filipina’s  changing aesthetic standard and affirmative partic-ipation in the event of ideal whiteness and commodified beauty. Aguipo Global South Journal, 1, 97–117. https://doi.org/10.5281/ze-nodo.8313240
  3. Correa,  O.  M.  D.,  Villamonte,  G.  M.,  Manaois,  A. D.,  Basto,  O.  Q.,  &  Arcinas,  M.  M.  (2024). The Beauty of Seoul: Determinants of Ko-rean  Cosmetic  Usage  among  Young  Fili-pino   University   Students. International Journal  of  Multidisciplinary:  Applied  Busi-ness  and  Education  Research,  5(8),  3179-3190.Bracamonteet al., 2025/Glow-Up or Fade Out?IJMABER2216Volume 6| Number 5| May| 2025
  4. Crenshaw,  K.  (1989).  Demarginalizing  the  in-tersection  of  race  and  sex:  A  Black  femi-nist   critique   of   antidiscrimination   doc-trine,  feminist  theory  and  antiracist  poli-tics. University  of  Chicago  Legal  Forum, 1989(1), 139–167.
  5. Doran,  C.  (1993).  Spanish  and  Mestizo  women of  Manila. Philippine  Studies,  41(3),  269–286.
  6. Elmi,   S.   (2024).   The   effect   of   Eurocentric beauty:  A  qualitative  study  about  Euro-centric  beauty  standards  and  ideals  and their effect on women of colour. Theseus.
  7. Gabucayan,  J.  D.,  Alayu,  C.  A.  O.,  Alden,  S.  M.  A., Amponin,  H. J. D., Apostol, S.  M. C., Banga-an, A. M. P., Santos, R. A. B., Serna, A. C., Ta-bor, M. J. B., Villaester, C. T. S., Santiago, C. D., & Andal,  M. S. (2022). Impact of celeb-rity  endorsement  on purchase  decision-making of students in Centro Escolar Uni-versity-Manila  towards  beauty  products. GSC   Biological   and   Pharmaceutical   Sci-ences, 20(1), 206–211. https://doi.org/10.30574/gscbps.2022.20.1.0273
  8. Gerbner,  G.  (1973).  Cultural  indicators:  The third  voice.  In  G.  Gerbner,  L.  Gross,  &  W. Melody  (Eds.), Communications  technol-ogy  and  social  policy(pp.  555–573).  John Wiley & Sons.
  9. Gorgonio Brandt, M. (2022). The advertisement of skin-whitening products: A critical dis-course analysis [Bachelor’s thesis, Malmö University].Hall, R. E. (2001). A descriptive analysis of post-colonial residue. Philippine Studies, 49(4), 584–596.
  10. Harvey, R. D., Tennial, R. E., & Hudson Banks, K. (2017).  The  development  and  validation of  a  colorism  scale. Journal  of  Black  Psy-chology, 43(7), 740–764. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798417690054
  11. Hernandez, C. G., & Borlaza, G. C. (2024, October 21). History of the Philippines. Encyclope-dia Britannica.Karunarathna,   I.,   Bandara,   S.,   Asoka   Jaya-wardana, A., Kapila De Alvis, K., Gunasena, P.,  Hapuarachchi,  T.,  Ekanayake,  U.,  Ra-japaksha, S., Gunawardana, K., Aluthge, P., &  Gunathilake,  S.  (2024).  Glutathione  for skin   lightening:   A   review   of   efficacy, safety, and clinical evidence. Re-searchGate. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.31092.97924
  12. Lopez,  A.  (2022).  Where  there  is  lightness, there  is  dark:  Exploring  colourism  in  the Philippine   diaspora   [Doctoral   disserta-tion,   Toronto   Metropolitan   University]. https://doi.org/10.32920/25417162.v1
  13. Mendoza,  R.  L.  (2014).  The  skin  whitening  in-dustry in the Philippines. Journal of Public Health Policy, 35(2), 219–238.
  14. Neves, A. P. B., Padama, A. M. D., Malgapu, M. G. S.,  Golosino,  B.  L.  V.,  &  Arcinas,  M.  M. (2023).  Embracing  My  Body:  Unveiling the Diversity in Body Appreciation among Clustered   Groups   of   Filipina   Emerging Adults. International Journal of Multidisci-plinary:  Applied  Business  and  Education Research, 4(7), 2662-2662.
  15. Ohanian,  R.  (1990).  Construction  and  valida-tion  of  a  scale  to  measure  celebrity  en-dorsers’ perceived expertise, trustworthi-ness, and attractiveness. Journal of Adver-tising, 19(3), 39–52.
  16. Peterson,  L.  (2022).  Who  is the  fairest  of  them all?  A  content  and  rhetorical  analysis  of Gluta-C’s   advertising   for   Filipino   skin-whitening products [Master’s thesis, Tem-ple University]. http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/8014
  17. Pham, R. H. (2018). “Whiteness in a tube” A se-miotic  analysis  of  TV  commercials  in  the Philippines [Bachelor’s thesis, Malmö Uni-versity].
  18. Quimpo,  N.  G.  (2000).  Colonial  name,  colonial mentality  and  ethnocentrism. Public  Pol-icy, 4(1), 1–49.
  19. Regencia,  Z.  J.  G.,  Gouin,  J.,  Ladia,  M.  a.  J.,  Mon-toya, J. C., Gamalo, M., & Baja, E. S. (2024). Skin-lightening  products  (SLPs)  and  lev-els   of   depression,   anxiety,   and   stress among  Filipino  emerging  adults:  a  cross-sectional  study. Journal  of  Public  Health and Emergency, 8. https://doi.org/10.21037/jphe-23-156
  20. Reyes,  A.  (2020).  Real  fake  skin:  Semiotics  of skin lightening in the Philippines. Anthropological   Quarterly,   93(4),   653–Bracamonteet al., 2025/Glow-Up or Fade Out?IJMABER 2217Volume 6| Number 5| May| 2025677. https://doi.org/10.1353/anq.2020.0073
  21. Sonthalia,   S.,   Daulatabad,   D.,   &   Sarkar,   R. (2016).  Glutathione  as  a  skin  whitening agent: Facts, myths, evidence and contro-versies. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Ve-nereology and Leprology, 82(3), 262–272.
  22. Stuchtey,  B.  (2011).  Colonialism  and  imperial-ism, 1450–1950. European History Online.
  23. Ya  Azibo,  D.  A.  (2014).  Teaching  the  Mulatto Hypothesis  to  combat  African-U.S.  color-ism: Just knowing can cure. Race, Gender & Class, 21(3/4), 8-31

Tools


Copyright © 2025  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic