“Health” and Beauty

I had to go buy some shampoo today and I started thinking about the "Health and Beauty" sections of most department / grocery / big box stores.  It makes me mad that they call it that.  I know that sounds a little silly, but hear me out.  It equates beauty with health.  While there may be some evolutionists that argue that beauty is a sign of genetic and overall physical health, I don’t think it exactly adds up.

The "Health and Beauty" sections have very little to do with actual health.  Most vitamins, medications, etc are found in the Pharmacy sections of these stores.  So what exactly is sold in this section of the store?  Shampoos, conditioners, body wash, lotions, hair products like mousses and gels, hair accesories, fragrances, deodorant, TONS of make-up, skin care products, anti-aging creams, cellulite creams, "spa" products like foot scrubs and face masks, razors, shaving cream, tooth brushes and tooth paste, whitening strips….the list goes on.  I’m just wondering exactly which of these things are making me healthier.  I’ll concede tooth paste and brushes, maybe even shampoo and body wash.  The rest of it?  It’s products that we are told will make us beautiful.  They will cover up all of our hideous flaws, medicate them away, keep us from aging, and demolish unsightly cellulite.  They will keep us from smelling like humans and replace our natural odor with that of flowers, fruit, or even food.  It will shape our hair, get rid of our hair, help us grow hair, and accesorize it.  Anything on your body that you think is fine, there is a product there that tells you it’s wrong and that they have the solution.

Now why is this all making me so mad?  It is people’s choice whether or not to use these products.  They aren’t all bad.  We want people to bathe and such.  While I personally have a problem with some of these products (see my earlier post here ), I don’t have a problem with other people choosing to use them.  The problem I have is with the word "health."  It’s about the fact that they medicalize things like eyeliner.  There is nothing healthy about putting chemicals right around your eyes.  There is nothing medically helpful in nairing your legs or spraying yourself with chemicals to smell like cake. 

Throughout most of the displays there are bright, fluorescent lights that not only make all of those flaws stand out in conveniently placed mirrors, but also are curiously similar to the bright lights at doctor’s offices, at visits to the dentist, and so forth.  The sterile white and metalic display faces play into the same theme.  What disgusts me is the medicalization of "flaws" in physical appearance, and that these tactics are mainly targeted at women (only a few of the products in these section are geared toward men: a few razors, shampoos, and soaps).  It makes women feel not only that there is something socially unacceptable about the way the look, but something medically wrong as well.  All of the face washes and masks and scrubs and powders have names, packaging, and descriptions that make them sound that way (e.g. Physician’s Formula, medicated face washes, etc), but the truth is they are BEAUTY aids.

Women out there: I just want you to know you are beautiful!  Stop spending your money on these silly products!  Eat well, get the sleep you need, stay hydrated, exercise, have self confidence and you will be healthy!  You don’t need these!!