Comments on: Who Wants Whiter Nurse Noses?

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:18:32 +0000

I do believe the insert about lead was uncalled for. The validity of U.S. products are no better.

By: Ninjarina

Ninjarina — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:21:29 +0000

I speak Cantonese (the language that is spoken by the majority of the people in Guangzhou) and the term “whitening” is something of a misnomer. The Cantonese term for a relatively fair skinned person w/ clear complexion has the word “white” in it so in order to clear up someone’s complexion, I assume that “whitening” was a direct translation. Conversely, the common way to refer to a dark complexion (but not necessarily blemished) is to just say that one’s complexion is “black.”

By: thebeautybrains.com » Blog Archive » Top 10 Causes and Cures for Under Eye Circles

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 05:18:17 +0000

[...] Treatment: The best approach is to have a doctor use a laser treatment to break up the melanin molecules and get rid of the color. But if you can’t afford that you may also see some minor improvement using skin lightening creams like Meladerm or Hylexin. You could even try the Lusidina 18K Gold Nurse Whitener Nose Mask. [...]

By: thebeautybrains

thebeautybrains — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:32:38 +0000

J: We appreciate your comments and we CERTAINLY didn’t mean to offend anyone. We’re well aware of the importance of whitening products in the Asian markets but the translation of this particular product had so many amusing elements that we couldn’t resist having a bit of fun with it. Thanks so much for taking the time to educate us on the real facts behind the product and thanks for your sense of humor!

By: J

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:23:48 +0000

As an ethnic Chinese who’s grown up in the U.S., I could be offended by this post, but I have a hearty sense of humor and realize how ridiculous translations can be. (I’ve laughed plenty at the content at engrish.com and other similar sites.) Just in case you’re genuinely curious about this product’s name, here’s my attempt at deciphering the packaging. (I actually read very little Chinese, so this is by no means a thorough translation!)

Xiaohushi, which translates to Little Nurse, is one the most popular body care brands in China. A sign of its market importance is that it was acquired by L’Oreal in 2003. The “Little Nurse” name probably helped in establishing itself as a trusted “scientific” brand.

Lusidina is a brand that’s owned by DanJia Cosmetics. 18K may be the name of the line or the product itself (e.g. possibly equivalent to Fructis in Garnier Fructis or Wet Shine in Maybelline Wet Shine). However, I’m not sure about the origins of the names Lusidina and 18K.

This product is simply a pore strip, like those manufactured by Biore or Ponds. The whitening implies that it gets your nose really clean. East Asians also prefer and desire pale skin, so “whitening” is a popular buzzword in body care products. “Whitening” gets slapped on almost everything whether or not it has any whitening active ingredients.

Ok, I hope I didn’t sound too “preachy” — just trying to shed some light on this jocular translation!