By Guest Contributor, Demee Koch
The beauty industry is a massive global market, making hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
The Beauty Industry has always played a major role in humanity – just think of the Ancient Egypts who used green copper malachite and black lead sulfide to create dramatic eyes, and Cleopatra running sour donkey milk baths. Beauty products are created to support one’s well-being and self-care. However, more often than not, they are marketed in a way that pushes us to feel we’re not good enough the way we are.
The focus of every beauty brand should be to develop elaborate mixtures of ingredients that provide fabulous results. Results that would embellish complexion, protect our hair and nails, and /or leave us with a compelling smell.
Instead, the focus is on marketing a beauty standard that would push users into consuming more.
Over-marketing a dead-end beauty standard
Beauty marketing has come so far that it affects the creation of new beauty products. One fact that has recently (and finally) shed light on is the focus on the Caucasian beauty standard, where products were exclusively created for this type and shade. One shade for all of humanity – as insane as it sounds, it is true. Only the recent call-outs for inclusivity in beauty, driven by consumers who are fed up, are turning this dead end around. It also took a whole movement on body positivity to explain to brands that it is totally fine to have your own, individual body shape. With over two decades in the beauty industry, I also know that many product lines divide ingredients into different products – so the consumer would have to purchase several products to achieve the best result. Think of it – instead of mixing these ingredients together in one product, you would have to purchase several.
Customers need to be seen as key stakeholders
Customers need to get involved more, and now is the best time for it. They need to exercise their power as key stakeholders of beauty brands with all the capacities the internet and social media provide. We’ve seen big parts of the beauty industry following ugly roads, pressuring society into feeling less when we would not fit into a certain type, even if we tried. But guess what, the purchase of a certain beauty product would not make you feel better – there would always be more you need to come closer to a standard that you did not choose.
Wouldn’t you rather celebrate your uniqueness?
This “beauty standard“ has nothing to do with trends. True trends in beauty are new developments to give us the effects we like since Ancient Egypt, such as highlighting our eyes, making our skin soft, and letting us smell adorable. No matter which color or shape we come in, we should not only feel supported by the beauty industry in our efforts of self-acceptance but in celebrating our unique, beautiful selves.
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Demee Koch is the founder of the conscious beauty brand DE MOI, a social, ecologically friendly, and cruelty-free brand, offering high quality and results-driven pharma-grade beauty products made with principles of honesty and fairness.