Be Aware the Beauty Industry Standards of Beauty (aka: White Beauty)

The beauty industry is a complex culture and environment of its own. The beauty industry tends to set the standard of beauty in the world of makeup. A set standard of what others want to embodied or become influenced by. I have always notice as a black women, the beauty standards are geared towards Eurocentric features.

The industry gives out the toxic idea that only “white women” are beautiful. For example, going shopping and trying to find a foundation to match my skin color. Only to be disappointed with a tan light color shade, with a name of “tan beige”. I think you can picture this shade.

Not only this, ever did a google image search on “beautiful women” or “fashion magazines”? Generally, the search is exclusively white women being represented. This makes me believe the industry wants to appeal to a certain group (white women) and not represent all minorities and shades. There are many negative effects of the industry’s preference for white skin within the beauty community. Women that are not Caucasian decent are not being represented fairly, and it signals out the wrong message to those women as well.

Three Reasons Why I believe the beauty industry standards are catered to “White Beauty”

Over the years, I have notice three general obvious reasons in the beauty industry that adheres to ‘White Beauty"

1. Lighter Skin Means More Beauty Let’s reflect back to my post about colorism. The media has often advertise women of lighter skin or black women whom are lighter skin. Messages are sometimes subtle in advertisements when black women are portrayed, but have lighter skin to appeal to “beauty standards”.

Also, it portrays a message to black women that lighter skin means attractive, beautiful, and accepting. I explain this concept in my previous blog about the epidemic of skin bleaching. It presented an issue of women accepting the harms and dangerous of changing their physical skin color to be considered “beautiful”.

2. The Selection of Products Available for Women of Color is Limited

As briefly mentioned, dark-sinned women who use foundations, setting powders, concealers, blushes, have difficult time finding shades to suite their skin tones. Women who are even models or work in the fashion industry are often bringing their own makeup to fashion shows because the makeup artist doesn’t carry their shades. Also, ever notice of there are darker shades available for foundations, it’s often placed at the bottom of the shelves at the store. I always have thought the placement was a subtle message about how beauty standards are portrayed.

3. The media will “white-wash” women of color

The media, magazines, commercials, and other forms of various advertisements will white-wash women. The media will use photo edit applications to elude the appearance of lightening skin or alter physical and facial features to appear more European. This should not be the perception to give black women and young black girls.

The industry is sending out the wrong message to black women and young black girls. Some women are not able to pin out the deception many advertisements display. The stereotype that white beauty is the “ideal” which has spread throughout the entire world. The stereotype has spread to the point of many black women in some form altering their bodies/skin through plastic surgery. The stereotype is pressuring black women to achieve the Eurocentric “white beauty” standards by any means necessary. The message the industry is setting is toxic and distasteful.

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