Vanity is big business.  With billboards, commercials, magazines, television, runways, ads and even store mannequins – we are bombarded by society and media’s idea of what beauty is. 

The cosmetic industry revenue is in the billions and that alone only covers products.  Add to this the numerous services, surgery, supplements and professionals and their income and this figure if put into an account could probably take the nation out of debt. 

But few people concentrate on inner beauty and the transformation of internal self-esteem and self-worth and how that can have a bigger role on what we think of ourselves than anything inside of a bottle, jar, box or under a knife can provide. 

The problem in today’s world is there is a much larger price to pay for beauty than we realize.  Glamorizing the definition of what that means and the need and greed for measuring up to ever-changing standards of how one identifies the meaning of beauty comes at a hefty price. 

While everyone has talked about animal testing, there are many companies who have made a conscious effort to ‘change’ how they produce said beauty products.  Some have taken steps by changing their practices in manufacturing and no longer tolerate testing on animals.

Other companies have taken a stand ingredient-wise, after many reports have discussed lead content in lipsticks and other chemicals which once absorbed into the human bloodstream have had an effect on overall health, causing cancer and other diseases, ailments and disorders. 

With this consciousness, some companies have taken the approach of all-organic, natural composition, botanical ingredients and beneficial products which have changed the landscape of beauty, health and personal care items. 

And other manufacturers have taken yet another step to consider packaging – reducing it, making it recyclable, better for the planet and utilizing less materials, waste and even soy ink printing on packaging. 

Beauty companies may be changing, but the way products are being pimped still has been a topic of controversy.  With the Internet throwing more information out to the public, it has been somewhat of a blessing in some instances by way of becoming more informed about what consumers purchase. And that is good.  Also good are the companies taking a stand – like Dove with their Anti-Airbrushing campaigns and other products like TRUTH – who did a domestic violence awareness campaign to promote their sheer makeup (since most victims use makeup as a cover up for the abuse they endure). 

But the cosmetic industry advertising has a curse side also as they throw more damaging ideals out to the human race prompting continuous questioning of the damaging effects this has on today’s youth and self-esteem, particularly using younger and younger models.  Cyber bullying has become more prominent with today’s youth being tossed into the pool of physical image assessment – with an alarming number of teen suicides as an end result from not feeling accepted and attractive. At what point is pimping beauty destructive?  

From innocent animals being tested, innocent children succumbing to the pressures being judged externally, innocent humans being poisoned with chemicals and Planet Earth suffering from the waste – are we reminded when we look in the mirror of what the price of beauty actually is?   Are people becoming more aware and alert to the domino effect of what internal insecurities we have to the point where we mask ourselves with external ‘fixes’ in order to destroy everything else?

These are questions we must ask ourselves.  We must face the facts with or without makeup on and see the naked truth for what is happening to society.  These are questions which we as consumers have answers to and solutions for  - but it takes a shift, a movement, conscious collective consumer action to do something about it, for it is our dollars that are not really adding up to much SENSE. 

What we can do is redefine our sense of self and what really matters and reinforce self-esteem in the next generation and be mindful of the products we use, products we support and choose.  Being okay with who we are takes more than a few grooming tools, a beauty kit or self-medicating with external masking.  It takes more than just a village, it takes time to re-examine priorities and a sense of security in being alright in our own skin regardless of what is applied on top of it.

 ~ Athena & Tess – We Solved It

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