Top 10 Dark Truths About the Beauty Industry
#10: Unrealistic Beauty Standards
The cosmetic industry undoubtedly influences societal standards of beauty through their marketing and advertising methods. A lot of companies within the industry claim to be driven by a desire to make people feel comfortable in their skin. However, many of their products are marketed as means to help customers conceal their perceived flaws. By doing so, these brands seem to exploit people’s insecurities about their appearance to drive sales of their products. This is further bolstered by the use of models in campaigns whose pictures have been professionally edited to make them look as flawless as possible. These unrealistic standards inadvertently present, especially in young people, adverse mental health effects such as anxiety, body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
#9: Lack of Diversity & Inclusion
The beauty industry has existed as an organized market for decades. For the longest time, many of the popular brands have promoted Eurocentric body ideals and created merchandise in that line. This has resulted in a glaring lack of diversity in marketing campaigns, with many products failing to represent a wide range of skin tones, hair textures and body types. In recent years, however, as the topic has dominated the mainstream, a little progress is being made. Most notably, the launch of Rihanna’s cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty seems to have marked a turning point in inclusivity for people of color. Despite these strides, the industry still has a long way to go in meeting the beauty needs of lesser-represented demographics.
#8: Dishonest Marketing Terminologies
Perhaps in a bid to attract more customers, beauty companies have turned to rather questionable marketing tactics that supposedly make them look more refined. In the United States, rather than any regulatory bodies, the responsibility of verifying marketing claims rest on the shoulders of the cosmetic brands. As a result, complex, scientific terms are slapped on many beauty products seemingly without due verification. Scientific buzzwords such as ‘hypoallergenic’ and ‘non-comedogenic’ have seen an uptick in usage, even though they may not apply to every consumer. Although many of these brands are reported to carry out some scientific research, according to industry experts, these marketing tactics help to rationalize their expensive product prices.
#7: Makeup Products Contain Fish Scales
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If you’re vegan, then this one probably won’t go down well with you. Apparently, some makeup products, including lipsticks, nail polish and eyeshadow, contain a particularly shimmery substance known as pearl essence. This compound, which gives the products their signature shiny quality, is derived from the scales of herring fish. Although the aquatic creatures serve as a primary source of pearl essence, it can also be obtained from other animals such as cows and pigs. However, there are brands that use synthetic, as well as plant-based alternatives to this substance. If you do smell something fishy about your makeup products, a quick glance at the list of ingredients may reveal a compound called guanine, which represents the pearl essence.
#6: Greenwashing
In the advertising world, Greenwashing refers to the steps taken by a company to appear more environmentally friendly, even though their practices are the exact opposite. As a result of lax regulation in the beauty industry, practices like this often go unchecked. Buzzwords like ‘natural’ and ‘organic,’ which have no clear legal definition set by regulatory bodies, are reportedly used by some companies that aren’t necessarily eco-friendly. This also calls into question products that are purported to be ‘cruelty-free,’ especially for brands that also sell in countries where animal testing is mandatory. While there aren’t clear guidelines set by any regulatory agencies, independent bodies like COSMOS and PETA are known to certify brands that actually walk the walk.
#5: Anti-Aging Scams
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Quite a lot of people aren’t exactly on board with the idea of losing their youthful looks as they grow older. For that reason, millions of individuals around the world are ready to pay big bucks to companies claiming to have a solution to their aging worries. According to a 2022 report by Statista, the anti-aging market worldwide was estimated to be worth around a whopping $62 billion dollars. But just how legitimate are these claims? In the opinion of Bryan Barron, a beauty consultant, not so much. Most of these creams that claim to get rid of wrinkles and repair DNA damage have been dubbed as bogus not only by industry experts, but also by the FDA.
#4: Lead-Containing Lipsticks
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Lipsticks can be a fun addition to your makeup collection, but they may contain one slightly concerning ingredient. According to a 2012 analysis by the Food and Drug Administration, over 400 different types of lipstick were found to have varying amounts of lead. As alarming as this may sound, by FDA standards, it’s nothing to worry about. The report discovered the average amount of lead in all 400 lipsticks to be 1.11 parts per million, which is apparently much lesser than that present in some children’s products. However, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, any presence of lead is enough cause for concern, as the compound can build up to a detrimental level over time.
#3: Nail Polish Contains Harmful Chemicals
Speaking of potentially detrimental compounds, turns out you may be getting an unhealthy dose of toxins with that manicure. A 2015 study carried out by researchers at Duke University and Environmental Working Group discovered that many nail polish products contain a chemical known as triphenyl phosphate. According to the report, a by-product of the compound was detected in the blood just hours after participants applied the nail polish. Triphenyl phosphate, which has been used in the plastic and furniture-making industries, is thought to interfere with hormones and has shown adverse reproductive effects in animal studies. While some brands include the compound to their ingredient labels, the study also found triphenyl phosphate in other brands that did not list it.
#2: Formaldehyde Present in Multiple Products
The beauty industry has come under intense scrutiny in recent times over the harmful effects of some of the ingredients used in formulating products. In addition to those already mentioned in this list, there is yet another surprising component in multiple commodities, and that is formaldehyde. A known cancer-causing agent, the colorless gas acts as a preservative and is used in many products, such as nail polish and removers, shampoos and body lotions, often in the form of formaldehyde-releasers. Apparently the slow release of the chemical over time reduces the risk of overexposure, but that still doesn’t feel comforting. Meanwhile, some other products, such as hair straightening treatments, contain significant amounts of formaldehyde and pose a much greater risk of cancer.
#1: FDA Approval Not Needed
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Like in many other countries with their respective agencies, the FDA is an American body that regulates the production, distribution and consumption of dietary and pharmaceutical products. But unlike in some of those countries, in the United States, cosmetic brands generally do not need FDA approval to market their products. As earlier mentioned, making their commodities safe enough for human use is a responsibility that lies with the beauty companies themselves. This apparent laxity in regulation has opened the doors to many questionable actions, including some already highlighted in this list. In essence, beauty companies are allowed to use any chemicals, as long as they’re generally considered safe and properly labeled, standards which aren’t exactly very rigorous.
