Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a television advert for Sanex shower gel, owned by Colgate-Palmolive, after ruling it portrayed black skin as “problematic” and white skin as “superior.”

The advert, which aired in June, depicted two black models with “itchy and dry skin, which was shown to be problematic,” while a white model was presented with smooth skin.

The ASA said it received two complaints about the advert, prompting an investigation. “We considered that could be interpreted as suggesting that white skin was superior to black skin,” the regulator said in a statement.

The watchdog concluded that the advert breached rules prohibiting harmful or offensive content. It ordered that the campaign “must not appear again in its current form.”

Colgate-Palmolive explained to the ASA that the concept was intended as a “before and after” demonstration to show the product’s suitability for all skin types, and not to make a racial comparison.

The ASA acknowledged the lack of intent but stressed that companies must take responsibility for the messages conveyed in their advertising. “We accepted that the message was not intentional but reminded the advertiser to ensure they avoided causing serious offence on the grounds of race,” the authority said.

Colgate-Palmolive did not respond to AFP’s request for further comment.