In Brazil, L'Oréal sunscreens now designated with numbers instead of light, medium or dark

While skincare brands have long used terms like porcelain, caramel and mahogany — or in Brazil, 'extra clara, clara, morena and morena mais' — to denote product colors, L'Oréal Brasil is now switching to a numerical scale for its sunscreens. The new color codes offer the same function of indicating which skin tones products are for, but without potentially racist undertones.

The numerical system is being rolled out for Anthelios by La Roche-Posay, Capital Soleil by Vichy and Solar Expertise by L'Oréal Paris, all of which are owned by L'Oréal. The change follows an earlier, similar switch from color names to numbers for the group's make-up products.