Unilever is facing calls to scrap a range of skin lightening products in South Asia, where critics said a rebranding announced on Thursday was a "gimmick" that did not fully resolve the problem.

Fair & Lovely products are sold across Asia, but the brand has long been criticized as perpetuating negative racial stereotypes and the company has faced intensified pressure in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Thursday, Unilever announced it was dropping the word "fair" from the name, a move applauded by some but criticized by others, with many people on social media in India saying it did not go far enough.