Major Brand Has Advert Banned for Suggesting Black Skin Is ‘Problematic’

Published: 20 August 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

A Sanex shower gel television advert has been banned in the UK after regulators ruled it reinforced an offensive racial stereotype by suggesting that black skin was “problematic” while white skin was portrayed as “superior.”

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) made the ruling following two complaints about the ad, which aired in June and featured contrasting depictions of women with different skin tones. The watchdog said the way the advert was structured risked perpetuating negative stereotypes about darker skin.

The commercial began with a voiceover stating: “To those who might scratch day and night. To those whose skin will feel dried out even by water,” accompanied by imagery of a black woman with visible red scratch marks and another depicted with cracked, clay-like skin. This was followed by a scene of a white woman taking a shower with the product, with the voiceover then urging viewers to “try to take a shower with the new Sanex skin therapy and its patented amino acid complex. For 24-hour hydration feel.”

The advert ended with on-screen text alongside the claim: “Relief could be as simple as a shower.”

Colgate-Palmolive, the parent company of Sanex, defended the campaign, arguing that the commercial was intended to demonstrate “before and after” effects to show the product’s suitability for all skin types. The company said the models featured were chosen to represent diversity and insisted there was no intention to imply any racial hierarchy.

Clearcast, the body responsible for approving television adverts before broadcast, also defended the ad, maintaining it demonstrated inclusivity and not negative stereotyping. It argued that darker-skinned models were depicted in “stylised and unrealistic” ways to illustrate skin dryness and irritation, rather than being linked to ethnicity.

However, the ASA disagreed, concluding that the narrative of the advert created an implicit racial contrast. The regulator said: “The ad was therefore structured in such a way that it was the black skin, depicted in association with itchy and dry skin, which was shown to be problematic and uncomfortable, whereas the white skin, depicted as smoother and clean after using the product, was shown successfully changed and resolved.”

The watchdog added: “Although we understood that this message was not the one intended and might appear coincidental or pass unnoticed by some viewers, we considered that the ad was likely to reinforce the negative and offensive racial stereotype that black skin was problematic and that white skin was superior. We concluded that the ad included a racial stereotype and was therefore likely to cause serious offence.”

As a result, the advert has been banned from being broadcast again in its current form. The decision highlights the increasing scrutiny facing advertisers over how racial representation is portrayed, particularly when campaigns risk perpetuating harmful stereotypes even unintentionally.