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Guest Essay

Toxic Beauty Standards Can Be Passed Down

By Alexandra D’Amour

Ms. D’Amour is a writer based in California. She writes about motherhood and matriarchy.

When my best friend and I lived together 13 years ago, our shared bathroom had a handful of products: soap, tanning lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, potpourri and maybe, occasionally, a face cream that one of us found on sale at Walgreens. No serums, no toners, no anti-aging products. We never considered we wouldn’t be young forever. Our bank accounts were empty, our pores were clogged, our mascara wands were dry — but we were 22, and we were allowed to be messy. We were allowed to be young.

Our generation came of age during the ’90s toxic diet culture. Millennials weren’t taught to fear aging; we were taught to fear fat. Butter was our enemy . When we watched Victoria’s Secret Angels walk down the runaway, we loathed ourselves. Disordered eating may have been a psychiatric issue, but it was also symptomatic of a social problem . And if you had a mother who internalized diet culture and projected it onto her children, the damage could also happen from within the family. Researchers have found that mothers who encourage weight loss or food restriction or even express dissatisfaction with their body weight may lead to their daughters’ becoming more likely to have eating-related problems.

As my generation grew up and became more conscious of the impacts of diet culture, we began to openly celebrate and encourage body positivity. Many of us became aware of our own body dysmorphia. We began seeing clearly how we were manipulated to shrink and hate every part of our bodies.

And yet, even if parts of society came to terms with natural bodies, the same cannot be said for the natural process of women aging. Wrinkles are the new enemy, and it seems Gen Z — and their younger sisters — are terrified of them. A recent video on TikTok that has garnered more than eight million views features a 28-year-old woman showing her “raw,” procedure-free face, meaning no Botox or fillers. As some women and girls cheered on her bravery, others were left horrified. “Praying I’ll never look like that,” one comment read.

Gen Z-ers are being introduced to the idea of starting treatments early as preventive treatment. They are growing up in a culture of social media that promotes the endless pursuit of maintaining youth — and at home, some of them are watching their mothers reject aging with every injectable and serum they can find. Jessica DeFino , a beauty writer, recently coined the term Serum Mom to describe a mother who is “obsessed with meeting a certain standard of beauty and nurtures the same obsession in her children.”

For me, lessons of preventive skin care came from social media, not my mother. I was a few years shy of 30, digging into Instagram and series like Emily Weiss’s Into the Gloss’s Top Shelf . My skin care regimen suddenly became a 10-part routine, each step promising beauty and extended youth.

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When beauty causes harm

New podcast from students and faculty examines how toxic beauty products and unrealistic beauty expectations have led to injustices

December 21, 2022 – Maintaining society’s expected beauty standards can come at a high cost—financially, health-wise, and personally—and those costs fall most often on marginalized groups, according to a new podcast from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Beauty + Justice looks at the history and context surrounding beauty injustices, the potential impacts on health—from asthma to early menstruation to breast cancer —and the sometimes painful emotional toll of trying to attain a certain beauty standard. The podcast features guests from health care, academia, nonprofits, and clean beauty businesses to discuss, as student host Lissah Johnson says in the series trailer, “what it will take to create a more clean and equitable future of beauty for everyone.” Launched in November, there were three episodes as of mid-December, with plans for about 10 more in the coming months.

The podcast team includes Johnson, a doctoral candidate in the Biological Sciences in Public Health program who works in the lab of Kristopher Sarosiek studying how cell death gets dysregulated in ovarian cancer; Marissa Chan , a doctoral candidate in the Department of Environmental Health studying community- and neighborhood-level drivers of hair product use among Black women ; and Tamarra James-Todd , Mark and Catherine Winkler Associate Professor of Environmental Reproductive Epidemiology and director of the Environmental Reproductive Justice Lab .

The idea for a podcast grew out of a desire to translate research results in a way that’s useful for people and policymakers. “There’s a lot of talk about environmental justice and health equity, but we actually need to get the science into the hands of the community members who are most impacted, and also those who are in power and who can affect change,” said James-Todd.

The podcast, she added, highlights the connection between racism and how beauty products are marketed, sold, and used. “The cost isn’t just our health,” she said. “It’s also an economic cost. People of color are paying more money—a ridiculously high amount—to try to achieve Eurocentric beauty standards. Basically, we are paying more money to make ourselves sicker.”

Experts featured in the podcast series delve into various aspects of beauty injustice. Guests have included Lori Tharps, an author, storyteller, and educator best known for a book she co-authored titled “ Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America ”; Tamara Gilkes Borr, U.S. policy correspondent at The Economist, who wrote a May 2021 article about some of the hidden costs of having and maintaining Black hair; Robin Dodson, associate director of research operations and a research scientist at the Silent Spring Institute; and Blair Wylie, director of obstetrics for the 1 st region Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit and founding director of The Collaborative for Women’s Environmental Health in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. An episode planned for spring 2023 will explore the role of big business in beauty justice with Boma Brown-West, former director of EDF+Business for the Environmental Defense Fund and currently chief growth officer at the Healthy Building Network.

A tool for ‘othering’

In the series trailer, Johnson says, “The fact is beauty is not harmless, nor frivolous, or only skin deep. It’s also a source of toxic environmental exposures and a tool for othering and excluding specific groups of people.”

The episode featuring Dodson focused on the types of chemicals people are exposed to from beauty products and ways to prevent those exposures. Dodson has been involved in research that has shown that most women use products with fragrance—which can have hundreds of different kinds of chemicals —and she recommended that people choose fragrance-free products instead. Other chemicals to watch out for, she said, include phthalates, parabens, and UV filters such as benzophenone-3, which are endocrine disruptors that affect people’s hormonal systems. She also noted that levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals tend to be higher in products marketed toward and used by Black women than in products for white women.

“The majority of people do not realize that chemicals do not need to be comprehensively evaluated for safety before they are used in products that you would use every day,” said Dodson. “I think people should … start making noise and calling as much attention as we can to these issues so that things will start to change.” She suggested speaking out in support of increased transparency around products, or calling your favorite brand to complain about unsafe ingredients.

Borr discussed the social consequences of being perceived as less beautiful. For instance, she noted, a 2020 study “found that Black women with natural hair, with curly hair, were perceived as less professional and less competent than Black women with straight hair and White women with curly or straight hair.”

And while many women spend a lot of money to have their appearance meet social standards, Black women face even greater hurdles. “Black women buy nine times more products than white women do,” Borr said, noting that the Black hair industry generated $2.5 billion in revenue in 2017. “And you also have to think about the fact that women make less money than men, and on top of that, Black women make much less money than White women do, and they’re spending so much more money to show up and go to work, to have their hair be appropriate for work, for that job. It’s really mind-boggling and kind of twisted when you really think about it.”

Chan said she found the episode featuring Borr very powerful. “She highlighted … that we’re not at the point yet where Black women or Black folks can just walk out the door without considering the impact of institutional and interpersonal racism as it relates to their appearance and Eurocentric beauty standards,” she said. Johnson agreed, noting that the episode made her think about how much time it takes to get ready to leave the house “in order to not get negative comments.” She talked about what Black women call “wash day”—the whole day it takes to wash, detangle, and treat your hair. “You miss out on time for so many other things, like being with friends and family,” she said. “And as a PhD student, I don’t have seven hours to spend every week making my hair in its natural state appear in line with those Eurocentric standards of beauty and professionalism.”

James-Todd spoke of her own struggles regarding her hair. At times, she said, she has worried about wearing her hair in a natural style. “I recognize that there are perceptions of what it looks like to be a Black woman wearing your hair in its natural state, one of which is to be perceived as being militant, or being perceived as not being particularly attractive,” she said. “And that has implications for whether or not I’m taken seriously.”

Borr said that one way to move the needle on societal standards surrounding Black hair is legislation prohibiting discrimination based on someone’s hair texture and hairstyle. In September, Alaska became the 19 th state to pass such legislation, known as the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act. Media images of women with natural Black hair can also help, she said.

Learning experience

For Chan, working on the podcast highlighted the importance of framing research toward solutions. “I think a lot of times in environmental justice and environmental health there’s a tendency to document disparities or differences in product use, which is important. But it’s also important to ask: What can people do about it, and what is the path forward in terms of achieving beauty justice? We’re really emphasizing that point through the podcast.”

Johnson, a bench scientist, said that the podcast has taught her how to be a better science communicator. “I’m a basic scientist. I’m really steeped in using technical language and scientific jargon,” she said. “But why I care about what I study are how the people of a community are affected. So really being able to explain … to a diverse audience about research [regarding beauty injustices] has been really helpful and really powerful. It’s making me more of the scientist that I want to be.”

– Karen Feldscher

Photo courtesy Tamarra James-Todd

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Melissa Blake

Melissa Blake is a freelance writer covering relationships, disability issues and pop culture. She was born with the rare bone disorder, Freeman-Sheldon syndrome. Melissa's written for CNN, The Washington Post, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping, among others, and went viral with her #MyBestSelfie campaign in response to online trolls who criticized her appearance.

Follow her on Twitter @melissablake and read her blog, So About What I Said .

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Why I’m Speaking Up About Toxic Beauty Standards

As a disabled woman, i was taught that i could never be beautiful — and that’s a problem.

I recently started re-reading some of my old journals. I like to do this from time to time because I usually find myself seeing my past in a new light that teaches me something, especially as I get older.

Each night, I’d read several entries; some were a mere recounting of the day’s events while others expressed that all-too-common yearning of teenage crushes.

It seemed pretty harmless and just as I remembered things happening at the time.

But then I noticed something I’d never really paid attention to before: So many entries were littered with words like “fat” and “ugly” — there might have even been a “disgusting” in there too.

This is how I wrote about myself, using the cruelest of words. I wrote about how I needed to lose weight and how no one guy would ever love me because I was so ugly.

To say that I was stunned as I read what I had to say about myself is an understatement. But when I thought about it through the lens of my disability, I suppose it was inevitable that I would struggle with feelings of self-worth and loving myself, especially in the face of our society’s toxic beauty standards.

I was born with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome , a genetic bone and muscular disorder. I had some 25 surgeries by the time I turned 15 and spent my childhood and teen years in a haze of hospital stays, doctors appointments and what seemed like one surgery after another. I had surgeries to straighten joints and muscles in my hands, knees and hips as well as surgery to correct scoliosis. In a weird way, those medical days were sort of comforting; no matter how serious the surgeries were, everything turned out alright.

Plus, for the first 15 years of my life, hospitals served as a cocoon of sorts, wrapping me up and shielding me from the outside world. I knew what to expect every time I rolled through those doors in my wheelchair — I had the hospital-stay routine down to a science (no pun intended) and each time became a little less scary.

As I got older, I learned pretty quickly that my disability made me different — and for the most part, I could handle being different. I could handle all that medical stuff. I could handle using a wheelchair to get around. And yes, they might not have been the epitome of fashion, but I could even handle wearing basic, clunky custom-made orthopedic shoes. Sure, it could all be frustrating at times, but I’ve learned to adapt to the physical challenges of being disabled.

But no amount of surgeries or hospital stays could have prepared me to face life outside those white walls. Inside the hospital, I felt safe and accepted, but outside the hospital? Well, that was a completely different story. It’s a story that I’ve only just begun to unpack in the last few years. It’s a story about identity and how our society views disabled people. And, ultimately, it’s a story of a society that is harsh and unforgiving and toxic (not to mention full of mixed messages) when it comes to beauty standards.

Of course, these toxic beauty standards aren’t something I learned overnight; turns out, it was a far more insidious process, one that started when I was young. I watched Disney movies with beautiful princesses and put on elaborate fashion shows with my Barbie dolls. I even idolized models in magazines, with their flawless skin and perfect hair. Everything from TV shows and movies to the ads I saw in magazines sold this idea of beauty that women, especially, should aspire to. I kept seeing this message over and over, popping up like a neon sign that flashed, “You must look like this!”

By the time I reached my early 20s, what had started out as just an idea of beauty had turned into a full-fledged standard — and a toxic standard at that.

How you should look.

How you should dress.

How you should wear your hair.

Our society has a very narrow definition when it comes to beauty, and if you’re not flawless with perfect proportions, then you’re left out of the pretty people club. There’s no room for even the slightest deviation, which makes it all feel so oppressive sometimes.

Disabilities are never included in that definition and, honestly, I’m not surprised. When you spend your entire life in a disabled body like I have, you get a front-row seat to how society views disabilities. They’re seen as gross and unattractive — and disabled people are seen as broken. Broken, in the eyes of the world, can never be beautiful. So people like me forever exist outside the lines, far away from even being considered pretty, let alone beautiful.

Even worse, social media has only fueled the pressure to be perfect. These days, I can’t even open Instagram without seeing this quest for perfection play out in real time. People share their reality in photos and reels and the temptation to “touch up” that reality has never been stronger. A photo filter here and a full face of makeup there and — poof — reality isn’t reality anymore. Sure, I’ve found myself using a filter to get better lighting or to make my face glow. In the end, the photo may have popped more, but it wasn’t authentic and only reinforced the pressure the next time I posted.

In 2019, the last thing I expected to do was take a very public stand against toxic beauty standards, but that’s exactly what happened. After a troll commented that I should be banned from posting selfies because I was too “ugly,” I posted not one, but three selfies as a defiant response.

There it was again. The word I’d scribbled in my diary so many years ago. Ugly is how I felt for so many years, all because I’d internalized society’s definition of what beauty should be.

That nasty comment probably would have broken teenage me, but 2019 me had come a long way in loving and accepting herself. With my multiple-selfies response, I wanted to let trolls know that they wouldn’t get to me, but I also wanted to start a conversation about how ubiquitous and damaging these toxic beauty standards have become.

Thankfully, that conversation is still going strong today, and it’s even led to a book deal for me. I’m currently writing my first book called “Beautiful People” about living with a disability. In fact, there’s a whole chapter about how the words “beautiful” and “disabled” belong in the same sentence.

The truth is, our culture’s beauty standards aren’t just unrealistic, they’re toxic and unattainable. I’ll never stop speaking up about that — not just for me, but for disabled people everywhere.

And I hope that after reading this, you’ll take some time to think about how important it is to find the beauty in everyone, including people with disabilities, too.

Pretty please .

• Toxic Beauty Standards For Women — MODA MAGAZINE ›
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• Toxic Beauty Standards Harm Women – The Highlander ›

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The toxicity of beauty standards

Societal expectations of women are unhealthy and unrealistic

Elizabeth Hahn , Entertainment Editor

November 15, 2019

Photo courtesy of Safety First For Girls

Unrealistic beauty standards are a plague to today’s society. Women look around and see expectations of what to look like everywhere around them. This can lead to mental health issues and other issues. It can also cause women to try to change themselves to fit society’s image.

In the world today, see different ad campaigns and TV personalities that show completely unrealistic beauty standards. These expectations are detrimental to a woman’s self-esteem and can push them to make questionable decisions when it comes to their own unique selves. Society’s beauty standards need to embrace all women.

Today, society is heavily influenced by what we see in the media. Many TV shows and movies cast beautiful, fit women who seem perfect in the eyes of young teenagers. According to a Mirror Mirror article titled “Body Image of Women,” most content uses “thin-ideal” media, which is defined as images, TV shows and movies that feature thin female leads. Body shape is something that a majority of women struggle with, as many believe their size is too big, too curvy or even too skinny. 

A NEDA article titled “Body Image and Eating Disorders” states that 40-60% of elementary school aged girls are concerned about their weight. This problem starts at a young age and follows a woman her whole life. The unfeasible body standards can lead to eating disorders and mental health problems. The same article states that over half of teenage girls skip meals, fast, smoke cigarettes, vomit and take laxatives in order to control their weight. These actions become habits and can develop into these psychological conditions. 

According to the Eating Recovery Center overview of health risks for these disorders, there is a possibility of organ damage, developmental delays, and death. Those with these diseases also have a higher chance of committing suicide. Negative body image is created by what women see around them, which can lead to succumbing to these risks. Most girls are guilty of looking in the mirror and not liking what they see. In this society, there is a need to realize that all body types are acceptable.

Many brands don’t allow certain models for their campaign for different reasons. An example of this is the controversy that occurred with Victoria’s Secret in 2018. According to the Cosmopolitan article “Why I’m calling BS on Victoria’s Secret’s total lack of plus-size models in their ‘diverse’ 2018 show” while the brand did include different races in their show, not one of the 52 models featured was plus-sized. This show is a highly viewed event and women want to see someone on the screen that represents how they look, not how they “should” look. 

An incredible advocate in body positivity is the artist Lizzo. She is a proud feminist and shares the message that big is beautiful. Lizzo is a strong personality that stands up for everyone, which makes her an inspiring role model to many kids. As an influential artist, she promotes loving oneself no matter what they look like. Young people now are growing up in a more inclusive and accepting environment. Because of this, there is a promising future of the media portraying all different types of people that represent our diversity for kids today.

It doesn’t stop with size either, lack of diversity is also a problem. A Los Angeles Times article titled “UCLA diversity report finds women and minorities still underrepresented in film and TV,” a study taken at the University of California at Los Angeles this year found that in a sample of 167 films, people of color only made up 19.8% of film leads. This factors into beauty standards because people base what they want to look like on stars they see in lead roles. Leaving minorities out makes those individuals feel that they don’t fit society’s idea of beauty. It’s sad to see that even though there’s been progress, there are groups of people that are still being left out and underrepresented.

Social media also portrays these beauty standards heavily. There has been a rise of girls who specifically use their platform to become “Instagram models.” These girls fit all of society’s expectations of attractiveness. Most of these “models” are tan and super skinny with perfect skin and facial features. It’s hard to scroll through Instagram without seeing a girl that fits this description. A Medium article “New study shows impact of social media on beauty standards” explains that the brand Dove took a survey of 1,027 women between the ages of 18 and 64, and 25% claimed their conception of beauty was shaped by social media. 78% of the women surveyed felt that the portrayal of women on these platforms is unrealistic. The rise of social media has given yet another platform for these criteria of women.

These standards can cause people to go to lengths to achieve the face or body they want. Plastic surgery use has been rapidly increasing. People see stars like Angelina Jolie or Kylie Jenner setting trends for plump lips and decide they want to change themselves to fit that description. According to an Attn article titled “How Plastic Surgery Is Changing What It Means to Be Beautiful”  botox procedures alone have increased by 759% since 2000. The issue with plastic surgery is that there is the risk of the procedures being botched, which can be unhealthy for the person’s body. The Mayo Clinic ’s overview of cosmetic surgery states that with plastic surgery there is risk of complications from anesthesia, infection at the surgery site, fluid build up under the skin, bleeding, scarring and nerve damage. Women would not be in danger of these complications if it weren’t for the beauty standards that push them to get these surgeries.

Procedures to use weight such as CoolSculpting, freezing fat, and Zerona, a fat-contouring laser treatment, have been becoming more popular to achieve a skinnier shape. It’s upsetting that women are willing to go to lengths to change their own beauty to fit what society wants.

The only way this is going to change is if society begins to open their minds to different types of beauty besides the ones that are expected. All races, body shapes, hairstyles and stretch marks should be socially acceptable. Moving forward and away from the outdated beauty standards is essential. Doing this will give all women the confidence they need to be themselves without fear of judgement. The future is bright, but we need to branch out and be accepting of everyone in order to make the progress needed.

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Ava • Nov 5, 2023 at 5:55 am

very inspirational and a great help for my school speech! x

shannon • Apr 30, 2023 at 11:35 pm

Love this article and your writing! Keep it up!

Asha • Apr 27, 2023 at 11:49 pm

this article is written very well and has good points, its really going ti help me with the school report.

bulletproof • Jun 8, 2022 at 1:39 am

this article has exactly everything that i was looking for. very well written. definitely gonna help with my project.

child. • Mar 31, 2022 at 2:40 pm

I love this article! I found it very helpful for my L.A. project =>

Your mom?? • Mar 23, 2022 at 1:06 pm

Inspirational

Tata • Sep 19, 2021 at 10:47 am

amazing reminder for me that been struggling for my weight loss over years and years so that I can be slim ,beautiful. Thanks.

Aya • Sep 6, 2021 at 7:45 am

Your writing is great! I like your subject and I also like the way you executed it.❤️

Fittis Oxinurmoth • Apr 20, 2021 at 11:52 am

Lily • Jan 16, 2021 at 12:28 am

Ali B • Nov 7, 2020 at 4:37 pm

This article is perfect. Putting light on the unrealistic expectations society has over women’s self esteem and standard of beauty. Every decade is a different phase and body are ever changing expectations.

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How Racialized Beauty Norms Motivate the Use of Toxic Beauty Products Among Women of Color

A new study sheds light on racialized beauty norms that motivate the use of chemical hair straighteners and skin lighteners linked to poor health outcomes. Among survey respondents, beauty was the leading reason for using both chemical straighteners and skin lighteners. Evidence suggests chemical straightener use has declined among Black women, in line with the rise of the natural hair movement, while skin lightener use by Asian woman remains steady, the study also finds.

Data analysis was led by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in close partnership with the environmental justice group WE ACT for Environmental Justice , which also led the design and execution of the study. Findings are published in the journal Environmental Justice .

Historically, chemical straighteners and skin lighteners are disproportionately used by women of color, as a result of racialized beauty norms that prioritize straight hair and light skin. The disproportionate burden of toxic chemicals from beauty products among women of color is an environmental injustice of beauty since intersectional systems of oppression (i.e., racism, sexism, classism) influence Eurocentric beauty norms (e.g., societal preferences for light skin and straight hair) and racialized beauty practices, all of which can have long term consequences on the health and wellbeing of marginalized populations.

Chemical straighteners, such as relaxers, can contain harmful chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, and formaldehyde. Studies have linked relaxer use with earlier age at menarche and increased risk of uterine fibroids and breast and uterine cancers. Skin lighteners can contain corticosteroids, which can disrupt cortisol regulation and lead to metabolic problems, and mercury, which can cause kidney and nervous system damage.

The researchers surveyed 297 women and femme-identifying individuals in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx through the WE ACT Beauty Inside Out campaign.

Chemical Straighteners

Forty-four percent of female respondents reported ever using chemical straighteners and 34 percent of femme-identifying respondents reported ever using them. Current use of products was lower at 15 percent and 13 percent for female and femme-identifying respondents, respectively.

Black respondents were most likely to use chemical straighteners. Among non-Hispanic Black respondents, 60 percent reported ever use and 19 percent reported current use. Among Hispanic Black respondents, 48 percent reported ever use and 24 percent reported current use.

Half of all respondents said they think others believe straight hair makes women more beautiful, while only 36 percent of respondents said they personally felt this way. The researchers found similar results when respondents were asked about whether straight hair makes women look younger, wealthier, or more professional. Respondents who thought that others believe that straight hair makes women look wealthier or more professional were more likely to use chemical straighteners in their lifetimes than women who did not have these beliefs.

Skin Lighteners

Twenty-five percent of female respondents reported ever using skin lighteners and 22 percent of femme-identifying respondents reported ever using them. Current use was lower at 16 percent and 9 percent for female and femme-identifying respondents, respectively.

Asian respondents reported the highest frequency of skin lightener use, with 57 percent ever and current use. Skin lightener use among Asian and Hispanic respondents was higher for respondents born in other countries versus the U.S. 

Similar to the findings for straight hair, half of respondents said others find light skin more beautiful, while only 33 percent of respondents reported personally feeling this way. They found similar results when respondents were asked about lighter skin making women look younger, wealthier, or more professional. Respondents who thought others believe that lighter skin makes women look more beautiful or younger were more likely to currently use skin lighteners than women who did not have these beliefs.

“We found evidence that racialized beauty norms that are shaped by historical and present-day racism and sexism continue to determine the use of these products,” says study first author Lariah Edwards, PhD, associate research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia Mailman. “Respondents’ perceptions that others believe straight hair and/or lighter skin confer benefits were associated with greater product use.”

While the evidence suggests a decline in the use of chemical straighteners by Black women as women opt for hairstyles that feature their natural hair texture, the researchers caution that there is a lack of data on the chemical content of hair products sold to style natural hairstyles. Researchers say the lack of a similar decline in the use of skin lighteners is facilitated by gaps in the regulations of the products that make them easily available to buy online.

“Programs and policies are needed to counteract natural hair discrimination and colorism and transform the markets that depend on racist beauty norms. Educating consumers about racialized beauty norms could motivate them to advocate for legislation, such as the Safer Beauty Bill package, which ensures safer products for all,” says co-senior author Ami Zota , PhD, associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia Mailman School.

“WE ACT is dedicated to using this data to advancing policy at all levels of government, understanding that the health and quality of life of women of color and femme-identifying folk is of the upmost importance. These Euro-centric standards of hair care, and toxic chemicals in beauty products are endangering the lives of people that we know and love, and change must happen immediately,” says co-senior author Beaumont Morton, Director of Environmental Health and Education at WE ACT for Environmental Justice

Co-authors include Jasmine McDonald, Columbia Mailman; Lubna Ahmed, Leslie Martinez, Sophia Huda, and Beaumont “Taylor” Morton (co-senior author), WE ACT; Bhavna Shamasunder, Occidental College; and Robert Dubrow, Yale School of Public Health.

The Passport Foundation and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan (ES009089). 

9 Books About the Burden of Female Beauty Standards

Reading Lists

Christina chiu on how expectations about appearance keep women from reaching their full potential.

We believe that beauty for women is a source of power and privilege. A kind of currency. But is it truly attainable? What is the flip side of beauty—when does beauty cause suffering? What happens when someone who identifies as beautiful gets stripped of it, whether by age or accident? And in the end, who decides what—and more to the point, who —is beautiful? 

My debut novel Beauty is about Amy Wong, a Chinese American woman who goes into the fashion industry. She’s a gifted, up-and-coming designer; she’s young, beautiful, and seemingly has it all. And yet, life circumstances not unlike what many women face—chauvinism, prejudice, marriage, motherhood—result in a deep loss of self. The narrative arc of Beauty encompasses most of Amy’s life. Her ideas around beauty, family, and power evolve throughout the course of the novel. In Maya Angelou’s memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, we see how “the caged bird” is kept from flying and freedom. Societal conventions about beauty are like cages. They often keep women from reaching their full potential. In literature and books, we see a range of characters. Some buck and transcend expectations. Others remain stuck.

Here is a list of books that speak to questions about beauty, identity, and the impossible standards for which women are expected to live to this day.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

This novel made me realize I could be a writer; that I, a Chinese American woman, had something to say. It is the story of an 11-year-old girl named Pecola. She’s black, growing up in an America that worships blond hair and blue eyes, and so, wishing she could be beautiful and that her life could be different, she does too. Morrison revealed how race factors into identity and how racism can distort one’s self-perception.

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

Published in 2002, this nonfiction book revolutionized how we think about beauty and its effect on women’s identity. Her point is that despite the women’s movement and the power women have gained in terms of professional success and legal recognition, societal ideas about beauty keep women trapped in a cycle of reaching for ideals that are, in fact, unattainable.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

A lot rides on beauty for the Bennet sisters, as their mother makes it her mission in life to see her two older daughters married to men of both means and class. Beauty is the road that she knows will get them there. Mrs. Bennet is an irritating nag, and yet, considering the circumstances, she’s being reasonable and practical. She has five daughters, none of whom can inherit their father’s estate by law. If beauty can’t catch a husband, the girls face poverty and homelessness. (Mrs. Bennet seems to exist in many mothers, and perhaps for the same reason: they desire economic security for their daughters.)

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Similar to The Bluest Eye , but written as an epistolary, the protagonist, a teen named Celie, has grown up poor in rural Georgia. As a poor black girl, she is despised both inside and outside her home, and is sexually abused by her father. Later, she is physically abused by her much older husband she calls “Mister.” No one considers Celie beautiful and neither does she. In fact, she’s told she’s worthless and ugly and she believes it; her journey to self-discovery starts after meeting several strong women. She becomes friendly with Shug Avery, her husband’s mistress, and their relationship develops into something more.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

What happens when beauty is dangerous for a young girl? In this searing memoir, Gay speaks honestly about her relationship with food, weight, self-image, and beauty. As a girl, she’d been sexually assaulted. She blamed herself, and as a result, turned her pain inward, hiding the truth and feeling self-loathing for herself. She buried the young girl she’d been with food, feeling that she would be safe if she made herself invisible to boys like the ones who attacked her.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Ifemelu is a beautiful, confident Nigerian woman, but when she immigrates to America, she finds herself questioning and redefining what beauty means for a black woman, and in particular, how it plays out with her hair.  Back home, she had her hair braided. Her hair was celebrated. Here, to be beautiful and professional, she is suddenly expected to have her hair straightened to be more “white” and acceptable. After doing so, and reaching this kind of “beauty,” however, Ifemelu is overcome by a deeper sense of loss. 

Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Hired as the personal assistant to one of the most powerful fashion editors, a young woman finds herself in the most unglamorous position of hop-skip-and-jumping to the beat of her tyrannical, unpredictable, and impossible boss. In this work environment, appearances mean everything, and for this particular protagonist, it requires a total makeover. She trades in her hiking boots for four-inch Manolos, $100 skirts for Armani, and her briefcase for Prada. Welcome to a world in which “trivial” matters like manicure and pedicures, hair, and the evenness of one’s tan, are not so trivial anymore. Beauty can determine one’s future and fate in the industry. It’s a job a million girls would die for. But is it worth selling one’s soul? 

Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

The novel is set during the late 1800s, a period of American prosperity and growth referred to as the Gilded Age. The protagonist, Newland Archer (a name that pretty much says it all), is a lawyer from one of the most prominent “old money” families in New York City. Newland is ready to marry the perfectly beautiful and well-bred May Welland and is unhappy when his fiancé’s cousin arrives from abroad, shrouded in scandal, thus threatening to tarnish his nuptials. But Newland soon discovers that as beautiful as May may be, she is innocent and ignorant. Newland’s idea of beauty begins to shift and he soon finds himself in love with the Countess Olenska. Age of Innocence won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, making Edith Wharton the first woman to win the award. A truly beautiful thing.

Look at Me by Jennifer Egan

This story opens with a Manhattan-based model, Charlotte, who is only 35, but struggling to look younger in an industry in which she is already considered past her prime. Charlotte is in a car crash that crushes her face, and though it is totally reconstructed, she doesn’t look the same. What is it like to be a recognized beauty that people look at to becoming virtually a stranger to everyone? 

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Beauty / Beauty Standards: Redefining Beauty Beyond Conventions

Beauty Standards: Redefining Beauty Beyond Conventions

• Category: Life
• Topic: Beauty

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Introduction

Evolution of beauty ideals, media and cultural influence, consequences of unrealistic standards, the importance of diversity, redefining beauty on personal terms.

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