Dear Humans,
I have been lamenting about many specific problems you humans have caused, however today I would like to highlight an overarching problem that would further amplify your damage. The issue you people have is that you fail to recognise the catastrophe some of your simple everyday choices have on the environment. These choices to you humans would seem as trivial and minute however on the large scale and long term basis, can harm my world. The beauty industry is one of the biggest industries in the world right now with ever changing trends that people seem to chase after.
Many celebrities like Rihanna, the Kardashians, Selena Gomez and even congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are sharing their go-to make-up looks and skin care routines online:
Source: Vogue Youtube Channel – Beauty Playlist
Many young girls who follow these celebrities would be inclined to try and follow their footsteps to achieve their signature look and flawless skin. Many of these celebrities’ routines would include a number of beauty products for both skincare and beauty. Products would range from facial cleansers to eyebrow pencil to makeup sprays. This would leave younger audiences with the impression that they need a myriad of products to look as good as the celebrities.
Apart from seeing public figures as role models, many of you consumers are on the journey to explore and seek the product that “best suits you” (Kestenbaum, 2018). With greater demand and desire to keep up with beauty trends, higher levels of consumption magnifies the impacts of pollution on the environment as levels of consumption rises. Furthermore, the issue of brands greenwashing to cater to a greener audience has become a pressing issue.
With such a booming beauty market, it motivates producers to pledge their allegiance to “greening”. Many products however come up with misleading and untrue declarations, many brands claim to be “natural” and “organic”. But, these words carry no regulated meanings. Similar to product disclosure where ingredients would include “fragrances” however the chemicals used to create them were conveniently excluded. The lack of proper disclosure and misleading statements motivated consumers to purchase greater levels of unsustainable beauty products. This led consumers like you to indirectly and unknowingly support unsustainable brands which amplifies environmental pollution that I have mentioned previously.
It is of utmost importance for you all to recognise that the choices you make daily can lead to devastating impacts. Hence, it is important to educate yourselves and understand the products you choose to commit to.
Worrying vibes,
Mother Nature
References
Ahmed, D. R., Seedani, S. K., Ahuja, M. K., & Paryani, S. K. (2015). Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behavior. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2666148
Biron, B. (2019, July 09). Beauty has blown up to be a $532 billion industry – and analysts say that these 4 trends will make it even bigger. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/beauty-multibillion-industry-trends-future-2019-7
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP). (2018, September). Right to Know: Exposing toxic fragrance chemicals in beauty, Chemicals Linked to Breast Cancer in Skin Care (Rep.). Retrieved September 2, 2020, from Breast Cancer Prevention Partner website: https://d124kohvtzl951.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/26092837/BCPP_Right-To-Know-Report_Secret-Toxic-Fragrance-Ingredients_9_26_2018.pdf
Kestenbaum, R. (2019, September 9). The Biggest Trends In The Beauty Industry. Forbes. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2018/09/09/beauty-industry-biggest-trends-skin-care-loreal-shiseido-lauder/#4287093d6982
Morosini, D. (2019, April 22). How To Spot (And Avoid) Greenwashing In Beauty. Vogue. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/how-to-spot-and-avoid-greenwashing-in-beauty