The Social Issues of the Beauty Industry
Despite its multi-billion dollar size, the beauty industry has a lack of diversity. Models and celebrities are not the only ones who lack diversity in the beauty industry; the products suffer the same fate. There have been criticisms of the beauty industry’s lack of diversity and its billion-dollar annual revenue. The beauty industry is largely dominated by Caucasian women. The lack of diversity in the beauty industry has led to a lack of representation for people of color, which has caused many people to feel excluded from the beauty industry.
Photo: vogue.co.uk 2019
Women’s Self-Esteem
Women’s self-esteem is negatively affected by the beauty industry. The marketing of these products is not only based on products, but also on celebrity and model images. The beauty industry spends billions of dollars each year. Historically, it is an industry that has existed for centuries and will continue to exist for centuries to come as well. People want to feel good about themselves and look good in front of others, so this will continue to be around for a while.
Photo: weheartit.com 2020
Body Image
People’s perceptions of themselves are heavily influenced by the beauty industry. Images used to promote the products are just as important as the products themselves. Multibillion-dollar industries like the beauty industry are growing year after year. In her lifetime, the average woman will spend $15,000 on cosmetic products. This amount does not include other beauty products such as hair care and makeup. Companies in the beauty industry promote unrealistic body images which make people feel inadequate when they do not look like the models in their ads.
Photo: forbes.com 2020
Perception of Beauty
Beauty perceptions are negatively impacted by the beauty industry. Not only the products themselves, but the images used to promote them. In magazines and on social media, people often photoshop and edit to make themselves appear more “beautiful” than they actually are. Consequently, people may feel as though they have to buy products in order to be beautiful. The industry has been around for centuries and it is constantly evolving. The way people perceive beauty changes with time and so does the industry itself.
Photo: orbpodcast.com 2021
Making a Difference
We can fix these social issues by making sure that there is more diversity in the industry. We can do this by hiring more people from different backgrounds and ethnicities, and also by making sure that we are not promoting any one type of beauty as the only way to be beautiful. In order to make a difference, we need to start with ourselves and our own communities. We need to be more inclusive and open-minded when it comes to what we see as beautiful.
Photo: thewalkmag.com 2020
Photo: shssharkattack.com 2018