What You’re Really Buying is Insecurity

Anya Huang '29 Assistant Op/Ed Editor

For decades, the beauty industry has sold more than just makeup to women; it has also sold the idea that beauty is ephemeral. With every new product, the same message is conveyed: that there is something needing to be fixed. By exaggerating traits deemed “flaws” and pushing beauty standards, makeup companies benefit from women’s insecurities by offering their products as a way to be more conventionally attractive.

This issue begins in the naming of beauty products. Take the name of concealer, for instance. The word “concealer” literally connotes that something must be hidden. This branding makes natural features such as acne and dark circles seem like something to be ashamed of, rather than normal human characteristics. Not only does this product offer coverage, but it also offers the idea of looking perfect. However, concealer is just one of many products that offer this idea. Foundations promise a “flawless base”, mascaras ensure longer and thicker lashes, and contour is able to change the shape of your face completely. Each change these products make reinforces the idea that a woman’s natural appearance is not good-looking enough on its own.

The concept of fixing “flaws” is especially detrimental to young girls, who are also led to believe that they too have something wrong with them. An example of this is the rise of “Sephora kids”, where girls as young as ten spend hundreds of dollars on products containing anti-aging ingredients like retinol, designed for adults. Social media has played a big role in this trend, where on apps like TikTok and Instagram, girls are exposed to “Get Ready With Me” videos in which influencers show off the dozens of products they use to stay good-looking. What makes this trend so bad is the fact that ten-year olds are being taught to fix their appearances before they have even fully grown into them. Ten-year olds don't naturally fear wrinkles or aging- those fears are inflicted on them. When children so young are purchasing products with retinol, their actions represent how society has made the impression that every stage of appearance must be perfected. Beauty companies can profit enormously from when insecurity is fostered at an earlier and earlier age. When a young girl is convinced she needs anti-aging protection, she isn’t just buying one product, but entering a cycle of lifelong consumption of products that will keep her looking young. Similar to how concealer ads convince women acne are flaws needing correction, ads for anti-aging products teach children to fear problems that they didn’t even know existed. By creating the idea that beauty is always slipping and has to be maintained, companies secure multitudes of customers who continue buying products out of the fear of not looking good.

This marketing strategy in the beauty industry has not only fostered insecurity among many women and young girls, but also taken away from the true purpose of makeup. Wearing makeup isn’t “wrong”, and it can even act as a form of self-expression when worn by choice. The problem with makeup arises when it’s worn by pressure, and that’s when makeup becomes a device that women use to meet a standard of appearance. Here, makeup is used as compensation for a woman’s supposed deficiency in looks. This idea has been captured in the show Desperate Housewives, when the mother, Gabriella Solis, tries giving up makeup for one night in order to boost her daughter’s own self confidence. During that night, Gabriella continuously worries about her appearance and struggles to feel normal without cosmetics, even assuring people that she isn’t ill before they actually ask. Her discomfort suggests that a woman without makeup is presenting an incomplete version of herself, and in this way, a woman’s appearance becomes something she has to elaborate on, rather than something she can just exist within.

The growing dependence on beauty products for validation depicts how the expectation for maintaining flawless looks has been internalized in women. While wearing makeup isn’t the issue, it’s problematic how both the beauty industry and society reinforce the idea that a woman’s natural beauty is insufficient on its own. By framing beauty as something that must be constantly improved, companies profit from a cycle in which insecurity feels like the norm rather than a wrong belief someone makes you feel. This creates a condition where women are never fully allowed to feel complete, but only temporarily “fixed” until the next imperfection is identified and addressed.

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What You’re Really Buying is Insecurity