Cosmetics

For better or worse, cosmetics are a part of our culture in the West. It is something rarely questioned, or even commented on. Yet most people would agree, at least from a rational point of view, that the vast majority of cosmetic and personal care products are completely unnecessary. They may think them desirable, useful, or enjoyable, but not necessary, at least outside of a social context. The cosmetics industry is massive. It uses a great deal of energy, consumes large quantities of natural resources, and generates tons of carbon emissions and other pollution.

In previous articles I have discussed other wasteful and unnecessary products that generate large amounts of carbon emissions and cause other environmental damage. For example, plastic water bottles are extremely wasteful, yet just 20 years ago, no one purchased them. Clearly these need to go. Another example is junk mail, which is not only wasteful and unnecessary, it is largely unwanted by most of the people who receive it. Cosmetics are different because they often are desired, and they are not a new product. Cosmetics have been around longer than any of us have been alive, and are a part of our society and culture.

While cosmetics have been around, in one form or another, for thousands of years, until recent centuries they were primarily used only by the very elite such as royalty, or aristocrats. The widespread use of such products by the bulk of a population is a relatively recent development. This new use, along with a much larger population, has led to the development of a giant industry which had never been necessary for the manufacture and use of cosmetics in the past.

Today there is also a large support industry surrounding the main cosmetics industry. We have magazines, advertisements, products placements in movies and television, billboards and other media constantly promoting cosmetics, and reinforcing the idea that their use is natural, good and desirable. These industries, along with the fashion industry and Hollywood, consume a great deal of resources and energy in their efforts.

In recent decades, as global communications and travel have expanded, the whole world has been exposed to Western culture. Many in poorer countries want a higher quality of life, and they look to the West as an example. They are now attempting to emulate us, both in terms of lifestyle (see the explosion in car use) as well as appearance. This has led to a massive expansion of the cosmetics industry into the third world. Large groups of people who had never purchased or used cosmetics before are now adopting them with enthusiasm.

Of course, cosmetics are still primarily used by women. This use has become expected by many men, and viewed as normal or natural by most women. It is important to remember, however, that these ideas are relative, not absolute. Views on female beauty have also changed throughout history, and are largely defined by the dominant social and economic forces of a given culture. It is clear there is no innate value to any one view of beauty. Equally, there is no innate value to the use of cosmetics. If we believe it makes a woman more attractive, that is only because of our culturally defined viewpoint. Other cultures may view cosmetics as garish or ugly, with their own culturally defined associations that may go along with that.

If we can recognize the extent to which our views are defined by our culture, we have the opportunity to identify and change those views. We can actively engage and change our culture, rather than just submitting to it. Instead of just viewing cosmetics as good or evil, we can view them as unnecessary and inconsistent with a sustainable and environmentally friendly society. We make our own values, after all. Culture and society are not static things, they evolve and change, and we can use our values to help encourage that change to move in a more position direction.

The idea of moving to a more natural appearance is nothing new, of course. This was a popular idea in the sixties and seventies, and with the growing threat of global warming and other environmental damage, the appeal of this idea should be even stronger today. We are in a crisis, and can no longer afford flagrant excess and decadence, in cosmetics, or any other area. A natural appearance saves time, money, and the environment. Clearly, Natural is Green.