German personal care company, Nivea, has defended its Natural Fairness Body Lotion campaign following a heavy backlash on social media started by UK-based Ghanaian artist, Fuse ODG.

Fuse in a series of social media posts which tagged NIVEA’s campaign billboards as promoting skin bleaching used the hashtag #PULLITDOWNNOW.

But in a statement, NIVEA said that the company develops products with the aim of helping consumers take care of their skin’s health no matter their skin type.

Read full statement below:

We have recently noted concerns on social media by some consumers regarding our NIVEA Natural Fairness Body Lotion communication in Ghana. We would like to emphasize that this campaign is in no way meant to demean or glorify any person’s needs or preferences in skin care.

NIVEA as a global leader in skin care has developed a safe product that contains natural ingredients and UV filters, which protect the skin from long-term sun damage and premature skin- ageing as well as reduce the sun-induced production of melanin, which, over time, can lead to an uneven skin tone.

At Beiersdorf, we develop our products with the objective of helping consumers to maintain their skin’s health and beauty in all its diversity, and we have a wide range of products designed to address the different needs of our consumers worldwide.

We respect every consumer’s right to choose products according to their personal preferences, and we are guided by that to responsibly provide them with safe and high-quality skin care product choices”