We hear it all the time: we have brown skin and the 'pretty' girls have fair skin. Advertisers would like you to believe that our dark skin isn't good enough – and that they have just the solution, in the form of lightening soaps and creams and treatments.

It's time that we recognize that all skin tones are beautiful. Would you say that Lupita Nyong’o, Sasha and Malia Obama, or Prianka Chopra aren’t pretty? Absolutely not! These ladies are successful and beautiful — and all of them have brown skin! They are pretty because they are confident and they value themselves for more than just their looks.

The definition of beauty isn’t only fair skin, long straight hair, and a skinny body. Lots of people with different body types, hair textures, facial features, and skin colors are beautiful. What makes them gorgeous is their confidence!

There are many things wrong with the practice of making girls believe that their skin tone isn't correct, but let's begin with an easy one: many products aren't even safe!

Irresponsible manufacturers use dangerous chemicals and ingredients for skin whitening products, like steroids, hydroquinone, and mercury. These things can be really harmful and can lead to lots of health problems, including permanent scarring, mercury poisoning, and death! Scary!

Some skin whitening products use positive-sounding words, like “herbal” and “natural,” to make you believe that they are safe. The truth is, many things are technically natural, but that doesn't mean that they're good for you: even some of the most dangerous chemicals in the world can be found in nature — many poisons could be called natural, but we definitely wouldn’t want to have them on our faces!

Your skin color is beautiful just the way it is, and when you are confident and happy, you radiate something even better than fair skin: you shine with inner beauty!