She’s the toast of the country and the object of admiration of millions of women, African-American and otherwise. She’s the new First Lady, Michelle Obama. Already, the nation is dissecting and obsessing over her appearance and fashion sense; her hair stylist, Johnny Wright, already has a development deal for his own reality show. Clearly, we’re on the cusp of a new era not only in style but in the concept of female beauty in this country.
We say that because for the first time, we have a black first lady, a fact which puts African-American features, hair and style front and center. For most of the past century, for mainstream America, female beauty has equated to a certain set of characteristics: Caucasian, tall, model-thin, large-busted, and charming. Intellect wasn’t really a requirement, and certainly African-American women—even stunning ones like Beyonce or Halle Berry—were sort of on the periphery. But now we have a woman at the crux of American social and political life who’s not only black, but curvaceous, strong-boned, educated, brilliant (she’s a Harvard Law grad and an author in her own right) and clearly just as strong as her husband. It appears that we’ve finally left the “delicate flower” image created by Jackie Kennedy in the past.
This was a process started by Hillary Clinton, who also refused to smile in the background when her husband was president, and caught heat for it. But she began the process of making the powerful, accomplished, highly intelligent woman into an icon of style, confidence and beauty. Michelle Obama is taking the baton that the new Secretary of State handed her, and she seems to be gaining speed. What does this mean for the American perception of beauty? For one thing, it means that for millions of African-American women, their form of physical loveliness will be more regularly in view. This may mean that the unique qualities of African-American hair (though Michelle currently wears her hair straightened, and it remains to be seen if she’ll allow it to become more “ethnic” as time goes on), complexion and body will hopefully become more a part of our lexicon of what is beautiful.
It also may mean that African cultural style, including traditonal clothing, may become something more than a curiosity but more part of mainstream fashion. The Obamas are already talking about adding art to the White House that reflects the African-American experience; can it be too long before the First Lady shows up to a state dinner wearing a kitenge (a Kenyan traditional sarong-like dress)? We think this is all incredibly healthy for our national Inner Beauty for several reasons:
At the simplest level, a generation of African-American women and girls are going to see themselves reflected in the nation’s most visible woman and enjoy having their own physicality and style widely regarded as beautiful, a boost for self-esteem.
As more Americans open their minds to the new ideas of beauty embodied in Michelle Obama’s charisma, strength and intelligence, we begin to see beauty in new areas and new people. And as we have said before, seeing beauty throughout life is a hallmark of Inner Beauty.
The greater tolerance of difference that we hope will come from having a black President and First Lady should make us all more loving and understanding of the differences between us.
Many pundits have already remarked on the ways in which the Obama presidency represents a watershed moment for the nation. Allow us to call Michelle Obama what we believe she is: the symbol and embodiment of a new era of more inclusive beauty for everyone.
Haven’t we been over this before? We mean the whole battle over smoking being cool. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, when we beauty docs were either little girls or not even twinkles in our parents’ eyes, smoking in movies and TV was all the rage. If you were a femme fatale, detective or tough guy, you had to be wreathed in cigarette smoke. But by the 1990s society and public health efforts had effectively countered the image of smoking as the essence of coolness, in part with smoking bans and advertising like the famous faux-Marlboro billboards where one cowboy says to another, “Bob, I’ve got cancer.” Essentially, we thought we had this smoking thing licked, but apparently—and disturbingly—we were wrong.
Now comes a study from the University of Staffordshire in the UK showing that Brits age 17-24 worry about the effects of smoking on their appearance but most don’t intend to consider quitting until they see visible signs of damage. Now, smoking has always been more of an issue in Europe, where it’s widespread, but this is a very dangerous attitude, especially if it’s reflected here in the U.S. First of all, damage to skin and teeth occurs at the microscopic level long before it’s visible to the naked eye. Second, and perhaps more important, smoking may be the single most damaging thing you can do to your general health, and as we’ve said before, health is beautiful. Health is a stage of the Beauty-Brain Loop, so if you negatively impact your health, you’re going to harm all the other aspects of your beauty.
Public officials in the UK have said that they intend to use the results of the study to create a series of new public service advertisements highlighting the ways in which smoking can damage the looks of appearance-conscious young people. Well done, but why wait? Let’s bring the news to the people right now! These are some of the major ways in which cigarette smoking damages your skin, hair, teeth, and overall exterior:
Smoking releases free radicals in your lungs, producing an inflammation response throughout the body. This affects the skin by accelerating cellular breakdown, producing wrinkles and the gray pallor commonly known as “smoker’s face.”
It reduces the level of oxygen in your blood and thus depletes the collagen in your skin. This can cause sagging and a premature aging.
The reduced circulation caused by smoking also causes the skin to become thinner, making fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable.
It yellows teeth and causes bad breath.
Smoking is also highly addicting because the nicotine and other addictive chemicals go right to the lungs and bloodstream, so it’s very easy to get hooked. Young smokers are very vulnerable to this rapid physiological addiction to tobacco.
We could go on, but why? It’s common knowledge that smoking is terrible for your body, inside and out. We’re not sure that any public service ads are going to dissuade youth, who always think they’re immortal, but it’s worth a try. If you think about the effect that smoking has on Inner Beauty (making you feel bad about being a smoker and not being able to quit) and on Environment (repelling other people who hate the smoke and ruining the area around you), there may be nothing more toxic to the Beauty-Brain Loop. We’ll keep an eye out for similar research in the U.S….and hope for better results.
It’s been obvious for many years that the U.S. has become a deeply diverse nation. The election of Barack Obama was, to us, final proof of the fact that we’re getting to the point where we can see a non-white face not only as beautiful but trustworthy, intelligent and wise. That’s a huge step, and here’s another: a company called Thevi Cosmetics is debuting lines of beauty products designed specifically for women from different ethnic groups. Companies have been marketing specialty lines of foundation, eye shadow, lipstick and other prodcuts to African-American women for years, but now this company is targeting the estimated 44 million women in the U.S. of Latino, Asian, South Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent.
This is a fantastic development. As we talk about in The Beauty Prescription and this blog, not all colors are for every woman. Color palettes are based on skin tone, eye color and hair color, and women from different ethnic backgrounds have exotic combinations of these elements that demand attention. Well, they’re getting it. Thevi and other companies are using color science to develop new palettes based on undertones like red-brown, red-gold, olive and golden. The reason this is so important goes far beyond giving women from Pakistan, Greece, Syria, Sri Lanka or Brazil the ability to accent their most beautiful features. That’s important, of course, but the real benefit goes deeper.
Essentially, by opening our eyes to wider world of cosmetics, companies like these are saying to women of different non-Caucasian ethnicities, “Yes, you are beautiful, too!” By acknowledging these women, they are contributing to the inner beauty of all ethnic women. Part of inner beauty is seeing beauty in others and knowing that others see beauty in you. In this context, ethnocentric beauty products become tools of recognition and empowerment. That may seem like quite a burden to place on lip liner, but hey, it’s not easy changing the world.
The stock market drops by 1,000 points. Banks fail. Brokerage houses go belly up. Unemployment rises along with inflation. Economic hard times seem to be upon us, and when you’re worried about your job and making your mortgage payment, it seems crazy to pay $120 for a few ounces of moisturizer, no matter how miraculous the marketing claims happen to be. The fact is that for most of us, anything beyond the most basic beauty products—moisturizer, cleanser, makeup, shampoo and conditioner, etc.—are luxuries, and luxuries are the first things to go when we’re watching our 401(k) accounts go dry. But while you’re watching the NASDAQ shudder and waiting for the Federal Reserve Board to announce its latest desperate attempt to salvage the economy, there’s no need to completely abandon the idea of looking beautiful.
In these hard economic times, being and feeling beautiful is as important as ever. Studies show that attractive people earn more money, hold greater positions of power, and get special treatment from their employers. Generally, beautiful people feel better about themselves and their situation in the work place Beauty is currency. But how to afford beauty in these hard economic times? Try some of these ideas (some are even free!):
See your beauty. Realize from the very start you are at least 20% more beautiful than you give yourself credit for. Women tend to underestimate their beauty by 20%. Just giving yourselves that Beauty Boost is a great way to live with real self-confidence.
Try drugstore brands. Drug store brands are as effective as the department store brands. It’s the ingredients that count, not the packaging. As a matter of fact, many drugstore brands have sister products in the department stores (i.e. Lancome and L’oreal).
Smile and wear bright lipstick. A smile with the shimmer of bright lips is like a welcome sign for people to feel attracted to your beauty. Eyes are the first things people notice about you but a warm beautiful smile seals the deal.
Get a Beauty Buddy. Studies show that having close female friends is not only helpful as a support system in hard times, but it is also an amazing beauty booster. Having a Beauty Buddy is associated with a release of the hormone oxytocin, which gives you that feeling of calm, makes your skin glow and helps you feel more beautiful about yourself.
Keep it simple. You don’t need 10 products to have beautiful skin. As matter of fact, you only need 3-4 daily skin care products: an exfoliative cleanser, a sunscreen, and a therapeutic night cream.
Look in your kitchen. It’s a great source of free beauty products. Green tea bags soaked and frozen make great eye de-puffers, thanks to the cold and the antioxidants found in green tea. For youthful lips, mix granular sugar with cherry jello and do a light scrub of your lips. You will be left with a smooth, pink tinted pout.
Grab the free samples. Visit any cosmetic counter or even go to your dermatologist for your annual skin care exam and free skin care samples are yours. Many of the big cosmetic companies want you to try their products and they are yours for free.
Try natural alternatives. Scrubs and masks made completely from plants like papaya and pumpkin are very common at high-end spas and provide real benefits, but you don’t have to pay spa prices. Just get your hands on the fresh fruit or vegetables and make your own products. The Budget Ecoist is a wonderful source of information on how to make your own safe and effective home beauty products.
Take care of your health. The Health stage of the Beauty-Brain Loop dictates that when your whole body is healthy, you feel and look better inside and out. One of the first steps you should take when trying to stay gorgeous through belt-tightening times is to make sure you’re in the best health possible. Exercise regularly; 30 minutes of exercise five days a week releases pleasurable hormones, makes your skin glow, improves muscle tone, and enhances attitude. Eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and fish, which gives you important fatty acids. Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Don’t smoke. Keep the alcohol, which can dehydrate you, to a minimum. Get enough sleep.
Find smart ways to manage stress. Some stress in your life is normal and even healthy. But the chronic stress that can come with tough financial straits can wreak havoc with your skin. The release of “stress hormones” like cortisol stimulates your sebaceous glands to produce extra oil, which can lead to breakouts and acne, not to mention what stress does to your heart and blood pressure. Whether you rely on long walks in nature or a daily yoga or meditation regimen, come up with tricks to help you let go of stress and relax your body and mind.
Do your research. Often, the most costly cosmetics and skin care products are not necessarily any better than the cheaper department store brands. In 2006 the beauty industry was rocked when Olay Regenerist Night Cream, which runs about $20, was voted best anti-aging product by a consumer panel, beating out products that cost four or five times more. Cetaphil makes great cleansers and moisturizers at reasonable prices.
Shop online. If you care more about price than you do about sampling a product at a department store beauty counter, then do your shopping on the Internet. Sites like Cosmetic Times offer all the major brands at savings of 40% and more (of course, you have to pay for shipping, but if you place a big order the shipping becomes insignificant compared to the savings.
Protect yourself from the sun. The sun is still the major culprit in skin damage. What about Vitamin D? You get all you need walking to and from your car each week. Every morning, put on a moisturizer that contains a broad-spectrum (meaning it blocks UVA and UVB rays) sunscreen of at least SPF 30. Wear a hat and UV protective clothing if you’re going to be out in the sun for a long time, and be prepared to reapply sunscreen every two hours or so. If you can, avoid being outdoors during the hours when the sun is most intense, typically about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. That’s usually not a problem on weekdays, because most of us are working. But on weekends (or if this recession costs you your job and you have lots of time on your hands), you’ve got to be careful. This applies to your hair as well; use a conditioner that contains an SPF.
Take care of your teeth. Your smile is an important part of your appearance, and as long as you have dental insurance, there’s no excuse for not taking care of your oral health even if you can’t afford expensive products. Visit your dentist twice a year for exams and cleanings and if your teeth are dingy, look into inexpensive home whitening kits. Even if you don’t have dental coverage, you can still floss, brush and rinse at least twice a day and use whitening toothpaste. A great smile is a terrific accessory to beautiful skin and hair.
These steps may not be as glamorous as spending a small fortune on skin cremes, night cremes, home microdermabrasion scrubs and so on, but they’re good medicine for tight financial times. Keep in mind that prevention is always the best medicine for your beauty, so stay clear of the sun, eat and drink smart, sleep, and try to keep from getting too stressed out. Better times will return…so they tell us.
