The End Of the Beauty Industry As We Know It
For decades, the beauty industry has controlled what the idea of beauty is. Traditionally the ideal woman was a skinny, fair skinned, light-haired(usually), doe-eyed, young looking woman. What best represents this image of ‘beauty’ is a Barbie doll. While this is considered to be beautiful and should be, it should not be known as the only definition of what describes a beautiful woman. The beauty industry has been making efforts recently to show they are breaking the idea of their traditional definition of beauty, however they are not doing this as quickly as they should be. Growing up I saw mainly American women as white women. I was born in America and it’s sad to see that in the nation that is known as the ‘melting pot’ did not show the diversity in their media till much later.
“Growing up I only saw American women as white women”
Many women suffer from depression because they compare themselves to what is in magazines, tv, movies and the runway walks. The idea of being skinny, for example leads to many women starving themselves just to look in the mirror and feel a teeny bit of confidence. Many women turn to quick weight loss such as pills, detox teas, liposuction, etc. Women and men only do this because they feel they must in order to be pretty/handsome or for others to think they are attractive. As we know this is not only faced by everyday women. In history many models have suffered or are still suffering from eating disorders. Many people become depressed and also obsessed with the concept of a ‘perfect body’. They lose themselves in this obsession. Models, celebrities, men and everyone else has to see what the media portrays as beautiful. This then makes a lot of people think that this in fact is the only definition of beauty. But in reality, everyone is beautiful. The media hinders them from seeing their true beauty, which turns them away from self-love.
It especially saddens me that a lot of celebrities promote these quick fads to get “beautiful.” Most of them do not use the products anyways and that should be showcased. Jameela Jamil, an actress, is tackling down the fad products that some celebrities and she’s doing a beautiful job. Sugar gummy hair pills, weight loss pills, detox teas, extreme dieting, skin lightening treatments, cosmetic surgery, etc. should not be the first answer to what you need to do to be beautiful. Beauty comes from being happy and healthy. This means you should find self-love. Be positive and love who you are. Find people that share your interest. Eat well and healthy. These are what should be promoted by the media.
“Most celebrities do not even use the products they advertise”
I am not going to be full on negative towards all the fashion industry, because some companies have been improving and showing changes. Some examples that I have seen in social media of companies that show diverse beauty are: Dove, Fenty Beauty, Savage X Fenty, Covergirl, Target, Aerie, Torrid, etc. (there are many more and please continue diversifying beauty!). However, this is not enough yet and the beauty and fashion industries should know that. There are some companies that haven’t showed as much diversity and they know who they are. They are stuck in the old, narrow-minded and false perception of beauty. Hopefully they will start bringing in change, otherwise we should as consumers by not purchasing their products. Being beautiful is just being who you are and that should be promoted across the platforms.
This is not enough