Who Wins Against Beauty Standards? A Challenge
My approach to skincare is constantly evolving. I grew up consuming everything that promised it would help me feel beautiful. Whether it was because I was fighting acne, dryness, oiliness, [insert skin issue]. I was sold on the idea that X product would give me beautiful skin. And thus, I would be beautiful.
How many of us base our worth and beauty on how we look compared to irrational standards?
There's a combination of society/culture + industry marketing that keeps telling girls that they should look a certain way. Not fitting into the beauty standard box that exists can be detrimental for so many. And this doesn't stop as we get older. Women are constantly told what is wrong with them and what needs to improve, rather than celebrated and appreciated.
With everything that is going on in the US, skincare took the backseat. I was focusing on my actions as an individual vs. systemic racism. But the beauty industry, my industry, plays a huge role in this issue. I'm well aware of the effect it's had on my life, but the consequences are spread all across the board, with some negative messages more detrimental than others, especially for Black and women of color.
Marketing + Racism
We're all aware of the negative impact the media has on body image and self-esteem. A similar phenomenon goes on with skin and beauty. But it's more than ageism or acne shaming. Media portrayal of what is considered beautiful is deeply rooted in Western culture. The "white body" as the idealized image against what everyone is compared.
Skincare products prey on the idea that your life will be perfect if your skin is perfect. Despite the fact that perfection doesn't exist and is a constructed illusion, the idealized perfection being advertised is impossible for most because it depends on the shade of your skin. This has resulted in the dangerous segment of skin lightening products, such as skin bleaching, harsh chemical peels, laser treatments, and even intravenous treatments. This is a billion-dollar industry rooted in Western ideas of beauty that values lighter skin more. And profits while selling toxic products that are not only dangerous for the health of the consumer but also extremely detrimental to their mental wellbeing.
Consequences on Black women and other WOC
The message is clear: white = beautiful. Where does that leave everyone else? Preference for fair skin is a symptom of internalized racism and colorism.
According to research done by Susan Bryant, being excluded from these standards of beauty can negatively affect the life course of Black women. This results in self-hate that has been present in many generations and has consequences across the life span:
Alienation in school and other school settings
Lower levels of academic achievement and higher high-school dropout rates
Reduced employment as adults
Higher levels of distorted body image, depression, and eating disorders
Who Wins?!
Who can win in this culture where beauty standards are impossible to reach. Growing up in Venezuela I was constantly teased about how fair my skin was. No one is ever good enough.
Me because I’m too fair. Others because they’re curvier. And others, whose natural esthetics are regarded as less than, and often result in life-threatening situations.
I work daily to retrain my brain and move away from the negative self-talk. It takes a lot of effort and mental strength to break away from these ingrained beliefs about beauty that run deep. But I believe we can do better as an industry. As my relationship with skincare evolves, I approach it as a tool rather than the be-all solution to my insecurities. Skin care can be empowering, and this is crucial, especially for Black women who experience even more discrimination.
Let’s Get to Work!
There's a lot to be done as we move forward. Open conversations, willingness to be wrong, challenged, educated, and do better is needed.
Personally, I've been learning a lot from:
Ijeoma Oluo's book "So You Want to Talk About Race"
I was positively challenged after watching Rachel Ricketts Spiritual Activism webinar
Specifically for the wellness industry, Dive In Well workbooks. One of the ways they recommend to leverage our privilege for progress is by creating a new language around what wellness is and means. This goes with beauty as well: let us redefine beauty standards and demand more ethical practices from the industry
Speak out against companies and brands selling and advertising skin bleaching products. And as an esthetician, praise individual characteristics and beauty in all shapes, forms, and colors
I believe we can all feel beautiful in our own skin.