Great

Back in this era, it was common for rich people to want to have super white skin, especially the nobility. They would use several toxic powders and creams to make their skin ghostly white as a symbol of wealth while the commoners would have to "suffer" with their sun-kissed and sun-tanned skin from working outside. So no, it's not for "absolutely no reason" and instead it's for the sake of a business opportunity to get more money from the greedy, selfish nobility without the harmful side effects of what was used in real life.

For example, Venetian ceruse was a lead-based powder mixed with vinegar and other acids and it was used for giving someone a pale complexion. However, the mixture caused a whole slew of health issues including premature aging, hair loss, teeth deterioration, and skin corrosion along with lead poisoning (of course).

They would also use lye, ammonia, arsenic, mercury, and other harmful toxins in lead compounds that caused an insane amount of health issues. There are so many listed from where I'm reading this info.

So yeah, I can see why the MC here wants to use a healthier alternative to what likely already exists on the market within the story.

I mean it's still pretty hypocritical to call out toxic beauty standard like corsets, but uphold face whitening just because it's also Korean beauty standard. Then she shouldn't have said nothing about corsets because now it doesn't seem like she really cares about consequences of these standards, she's just bashing the ones that do not align with her own standards.

Um… Where exactly is she “bashing” things just because she doesn’t say anything about it? I wasn’t even talking about a particular ethnic group’s history with face whitening, seeing as it was commonplace both in the East and West for thousands of years.

In the chapter 9 or 10, where she judged high society for forcing corsets on girls and women. Don't get me wrong I still love her character and it makes sense to make face whitening, but I'm allowed to not agree with every action she makes, right?

right lol. why would the author make this blunder kms

personally, when I heard "face whitening" I thought of blemishes, acne, dark spots, and uneven skin tone since I also use face whitening produces to help with those. And tbh, this seems more of a western setting? people back then used dangerous products for brighter skin to indicate nobility status so I don't think it's feeding into the korean beauty standard

As I said it's "also" (so also Victorian Europe) a Korean beauty standard. I wouldn't say this if this wasn't a common trope in historical manhwas. Especially when an ugly mc becomes pretty and it's just weight loss and skin brightening. I don't even care, we all have our own beauty standards and nobody is entirely free from them, I'm just calling out the hypocrisy. You can't criticize toxic beauty standards and act like you are entirely free from them. These authors are acting like their beauty is "superior" (there are many examples and one being The Empress Lipstick). And also, skin brightening IS rooted in colorism masked as skincare. It may have health benefits but let's not act like most people don't use them bcs they want brighter skin (not saying this about you personally ofc I don't know you lol). But yeah I'm not coming for you or anything I'm just criticizing the work, but I still enjoy it very much. Mcs is still a great character.

Wasn't she just explaining that the corset the ladies wear are tight and cause sweating that's why it's good to use the powder?

I think it’s less so white washing but more so brightening like using vitamin C lol

Ohh I see yeah I agree. I personally don’t like it either when the character is considered ugly when they’re just chubby, darker skin, or have freckles. I guess I didn’t associate the face whitening product with colorism bc a lot of ppl who use those products are also ppl with all sorts of skin types just looking to even their skin. But yes I agree that it’s hypocritical and maybe even bad writing on the author for characterization inconsistency