Businesses that provide services to help people look their best – the beauty industry. The beauty industry includes the sales of cosmetics, perfume, and products for skin and hair care. Obviously, this list isn’t exhaustive and this blog will continue to explore this list throughout the semester. In the last 20 years, the Global Beauty Market has grown by 4.5% annually on average, with annual growth rates ranging from 3% to 5.5% (Łopaciuk et al., 2013.)  Ironically, as the booming beauty industry continues to elevate our physical appearance, it doesn’t seem to be doing the same for our environment. Products from our skincare to our cosmetics, they pollute our environment, from land, water to air. Hence, with the potential growth of the industry, the pollution rate will only continue to rise if we do not do anything about it.

Throughout this semester, as I continue to learn, I hope to share and reflect on pollution-related issues that lie within the beauty industry. While disheartening, all is not lost as the industry has been taking steps towards becoming more sustainable. With this platform, I hope it serves as a reminder to us consumers that we should and can care for our environment as much as we care for our cherished bodies. At the end of the day, personal care products that cause environmental damage do not reflect true beauty.

References

Łopaciuk, A., & Łoboda, M. (2013). Global beauty industry trends in the 21st century. In Management, knowledge and learning international conference (pp. 19-21).