Racial Liberation | Challenging White Normativity in the Beauty Industry

What is beauty? Beauty standards are culturally distinctive and reflect the imagined geographies’ unique socio-political and economic developments across time. For instance, the normativity of thinness in the West contrasts with South Africa's preferences for wider hips, however, being skinny has historically been associated with an “illness” or “poor health” often linked to concerns about the nation's food security (Laughter et al., 2023). Given these cultural variations, it raises the question of whether there exists an objectively universal standard of beauty that transcends culture. Transnational beauty companies often exploit the vulnerability of consumers by perpetuating symbols and images associated with whiteness to reinforce Eurocentric hegemony. A lighter complexion is commonly associated with qualities like purity and enhanced femininity, which are seen as valuable forms of social capital. This, in turn, amplifies women’s sexual desirability in the marriage market and can also lead to improved career prospects, ultimately facilitating upward economic mobility, as discussed by Mady et al. in their 2023 study. Now let’s delve further into the multifaceted ways in which these detrimental beauty standards seep into our lives.

The Media and Youths

In today’s world, the influence of the media in shaping our perception of beauty is undeniable. Corporations strategically market their beauty products to capitalize on the self-esteem, leveraging the insecurities of today's consumers. They play on the unrealistic body standards circulating across various social media platforms, creating an illusion that their products can enhance not only one's physical appearance but also their social status. According to Laughter et al., (2023), an unhealthy amount of exposure to social media can “…[W]orsen body image dissatisfaction, social networking site addiction and comorbidities of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) such as depression and eating disorders…[which] can increase preoccupation with imagined image defects among BDD patients leading them to pursue minimally invasive cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures.” This phenomenon is notably evident in South Korea where a strong emphasis on plastic surgery is rooted in body dissatisfaction.

Youths are often encouraged to undergo extensive appearance modification to gain a competitive advantage in the labour market and solidify their family’s social prestige and position of wealth in society. As a result, South Korean women often experience depression, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders due to the societal pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards (Lin et al., 2020). This pressure also leads to an overestimation of their own weight, with some individuals reporting that their mood is directly tied to the number on the scale. A similar marketing tactic can be seen in the portrayal of popular artists, particularly in how their physical appearance is managed to attain an idealized standard of “perfection”. Young consumers are then bombarded with their favourite artists being moulded to fit the socially conventional attractive guidelines, often characterized by traits such as thinness, fair skin, and height – as these align with the typical hero archetype depicted in movies.

Intersectionality of Race and Beauty

Consider the student racial demographic at the UTSC campus; have you ever found yourself comparing your appearance with fellow students on social media and wondered how they achieved such a flawless look? Perhaps you’ve experienced feelings of insecurity about how your appearance might influence others' perception of you. Or maybe you have felt that your natural racial features are “inferior” to another race because of the messages you unconsciously consume from the media. If so, what are some of your natural features that you were told were unattractive or needed to be “fixed”? It is important to recognize that social assertion of whiteness as an epitome of beauty and “perfection”, ultimately induces appropriated racial oppression within marginalized communities. Interestingly, a meta-analysis conducted by Gale et al., (2020) showed that people of colour verbalized feelings of self-hatred, degradation and experiences of psychological distress as they undermine their attractiveness, resulting in further social alienation. This prompts the question: how do ethnic communities strive to achieve these unattainable beauty standards? The cosmetic industry markets makeup products that promise to uplift consumers’ self-esteem, suggesting that using their product is a route to “happiness” as they “achieve social acceptance”. However, these advertisements and practicality of their products itself lack racial diversity, making it challenging for people of colour (O’Garo et al., 2020) to fully express themselves through makeup application. These products typically cater predominantly to white features, offering limited foundation shades and eye-shadow techniques that naturally enhance double-eyelids, which are commonly associated with a Western aesthetic, rather than embracing the beauty of Asian monolithic eyes.

The chronic pressure to conform to Eurocentric beauty requirements as consumers constantly“chase” the next season of aestheticism demonstrates that beauty is flexible. However, it is a collective responsibility of the society to acknowledge the richness of diversity in the beauty of all individuals. Modern youth can take the first step by acknowledging that beauty is not merely “physical” or “material”; it can also be found in commendable attributes, such as integrity and perseverance. By extension, reading non-western books can also help us grasp the richness and transcendent poetic beauty of literature of different cultures. In a nutshell, it's high time for the beauty industry to embrace and promote beauty across all races and cultures through its portrayal in the media. This shift can help the next generation see themselves not only as beautiful but also intelligent and self-empowered, ultimately enabling them to become the heroes in their own lives.

Citations

Gale, M. M., Pieterse, A. L., Lee, D. L., Huynh, K., Powell, S., & Kirkinis, K. (2020). A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Internalized Racial Oppression and Health-Related Outcomes. The Counseling Psychologist, 48(4), 498–525. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000020904454

Laughter, M. R., Anderson, J. B., Maymone, M. B. C., & Kroumpouzos, G. (2023). Psychology of aesthetics: Beauty, social media, and body dysmorphic disorder. Clinics in Dermatology, 41(1), 28–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.03.002

Lin, K. L., & Raval, V. V. (2020). Understanding Body Image and Appearance Management Behaviors Among Adult Women in South Korea Within a Sociocultural Context: A Review. International Perspectives in Psychology : Research, Practice, Consultation, 9(2), 96–122. https://doi.org/10.1037/ipp0000124

Mady, S., Biswas, D., Dadzie, C. A., Hill, R. P., & Paul, R. (2023). “A Whiter Shade of Pale”: Whiteness, Female Beauty Standards, and Ethical Engagement Across Three Cultures. Journal of International Marketing (East Lansing, Mich.), 31(1), 69–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X221112642

O’Garo, K.-G. N., Morgan, K. A. D., Hill, L. K., Reid, P., Simpson, D., Lee, H., & Edwards, C. L. (2020). Internalization of Western Ideals on Appearance and Self-Esteem in Jamaican Undergraduate Students. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 44(2), 249–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-019-09652-7