What is Beauty?
As the famous Greek philosopher, Plato said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. How would you describe beauty? According to Merriam Webster, beauty is defined as the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind. Preferences for beauty vary across borders, cultures, and ages. Beauty in diversity!! From time immemorial, society has always set impossibly high standards of beauty for women (in the present day, on men too). Hourglass figures, flawless and ageless skin, chiseled features, and perfect hair are the most sought after by women. Many women conform to these standards because it is what men look for in a woman. Is there a universal standard for beauty? The answer is a resounding Yes!! What will women give to meet this standard, anything!! It is no wonder that the global beauty industry is currently worth 532 billion dollars, according to Forbes. Women have been the major contributors to this ever-changing industry. It is an industry that has perfected the art of tapping into women's eternal search for that magic pill of perfect weight and beauty.
Some mind-numbing statistics
- According to Statista, the beauty and personal care market in the United States is worth approximately $84 billion
- The United States accounts for 24% of the value of the global cosmetics industry.
- Nearly one-fourth of the world’s cosmetics are bought by Americans.
- In the United States, according to Byrdie, women spend around $3,756 on their appearance annually, around $225,360 throughout their entire lifetime. Number one expense is facials, followed by a haircut, makeup, manicure, and pedicure.
- Skincare products make up 42% of the cosmetics industry, the largest segment of the market.
- According to a survey conducted by the Renfrew Center Foundation, a nonprofit organization, young girls wear makeup earlier than ever before. According to the survey results, 58%, or about three in five, of surveyed young girls aged 8 to 18 wear makeup.
Beauty at what cost
Did you know the skin is the largest organ in the human body? The average adult has nearly 21 square feet of skin that contains over 11 miles of blood vessels. Does it come as a surprise then that the global skincare industry is worth 148.3 billion dollars! There is a product for every inch of the skin, from head to toe!!
Among American women, aging skin is the second biggest concern next to acne. Aging is a natural process for the human body. The skin is the first organ to show the effects of aging, and the visible signs are fine lines (also called crow's feet), wrinkles, and sagging. It is due to inflammation caused by the sun's UV rays, chemicals, environmental pollution, and toxic skincare products. Exposure to these factors over a long period, especially harsh sunlight (accounts for 80% of aging skin), generates free radicals that alter the DNA of the cells. It leads to irreparable damage to the skin. Inflammation in the skin leads to an array of conditions like acne, rosacea, psoriasis, redness, sunburn, and cancer.
The tendency is to panic at the first sign of a wrinkle or a fine line and grab the first skin product that promises to reverse this process. There is a sense of desperation that grasps people who often go to great lengths to prevent the aging process. Placental protein, human breast milk, human foreskin, whale vomit, and bull semen are but a few of the exotic ingredients that promise you the skin you were born with. Any product with any ingredient as long as it promises eternal youth and beauty!! Beauty Brains, a group of blogging cosmetic scientists, writes, "The sad truth is that creams that claim to be anti-aging are not much more effective than standard moisturizing lotions."
Artificial fragrances, dyes, genetically modified ingredients, chemical preservatives, Propylene glycol, and animal-derived ingredients like lanolin are the usual suspects that cause inflammation. It is said that 99% of skincare products have ingredients that can cause inflammation and /or disrupt the endocrine system and can trigger the ageing process. Many branded skincare lines add animal and sometimes human-derived / based ingredients. Without preservatives, these products are easily perishable because of bacterial contamination. Parabens, being the most notorious, are proven to cause breast cancer. These preservatives, called endocrine disruptors, mimic hormones and disrupt the production of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid leading to cancer.
Some alarming statistics that you should sit up and take notice of - Among 215 cosmetics surveyed, 99% contained parabens. 13,000 products registered with the FDA has parabens, yet parabens are the most commonly used preservative in the United States. It is next to impossible to find preservative-free products as they increase the shelf-life of the products.
Did you know one of the iconic summer pastimes, a swim in the ocean and sunbathing in the harsh afternoon sun, leads to melanoma, a form of skin cancer?
Did you know that the glow from a tan (outdoor or indoor) is evidence of DNA injury to your skin? Tanning damages your skin cells, speeding up visible signs of aging leading to skin cancer. The damage is progressive, starting from the very first tan. A rather steep price to pay for radiant glowing skin for a fleeting time!!
Like the poet Emily Dickinson says, Beauty is not caused, it is.
Between cosmetics, perfumes, personal care products, and feminine hygiene products, women in the US apply an average of 168 chemicals on their faces and bodies every day, according to new research by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. By using natural and organic skin and body care products, these chemicals that we are absorbing knowingly or unknowingly will be drastically reduced. Consumers are now turning to the buzzing trend that is clean beauty. Clean beauty is about brands being 100% clear and honest to customers in their choice of ingredients and practices. One such clean trend is organic skincare.
Why is Organic skincare trending?
The trend in the cosmetic world today is organic skincare. The word organic means, produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, GMOs, or other artificial chemicals. This lulls the consumer into a sense of complacency that all the ingredients used are natural and safe to use. Approximately 70% of US consumers aged 18–29 choose to use natural, organic cosmetics (Statista). It is estimated that by 2024, the global organic beauty product market will be worth over $22 billion. (Statista)
It is a commonly held belief that organic products are formulated without harsh chemical preservatives, fertilizers, and pesticides, so it not only benefits your health but also the environment and the planet. Going organic has become the weapon of choice in the fight against climate change!!
Is organic skincare the best there is?
According to the USDA, there are four tiers of organic, which can be defined as follows:
- 100 percent organic: The product contains only organically produced ingredients and will be allowed to display the USDA Organic seal.
- Organic: The product contains at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients and will be allowed to display the USDA Organic seal.
- Made with organic ingredients: The product contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients but will not be allowed to display the USDA Organic seal.
- Less than 70 percent organic ingredients: Products are not permitted to use the term organic anywhere on the packaging and cannot display the seal, but are allowed to identify organically produced items within the ingredient list, usually denoted with an asterisk.
Most organic skincare companies make use of the 95% organic rule. If 95% of the ingredients used are organic to be certified so, then what of the remaining 5%? This allowance of 5% frees the companies to add any ingredients and not be made public. It can be animal, chemical, and sometimes human-based/derived. Remember, they do not have to reveal these ingredients! Also, just because the ingredients are organic, it does not mean that they are safe to use. Unless certified non-toxic, organic or not, they can still be dangerous.
So, the choice is which of the lesser poisons to pick? Do you go the conventional route where you choose your favorite brand regardless of health and safety? Or, do you go organic that is almost safe and healthy? Then the obvious choice becomes organic, which is what is trending.
In conclusion,
There is a moral and ethical responsibility that skincare companies must own up to. It is to be transparent about the ingredients and practices in making their products. If this is not me, then the onus falls on the consumers to make an informed choice to switch to cleaner, safer yet effective products. After all, it is your health and you deserve the best!
