Cosmetics And The Brain

Cosmetics: The Unmentionable Effects on the Body and the Brain

Waking up hours earlier, an American college student applies make-up to her face to get ready for the day. Applying makeup has become an essential part of many men and women’s morning routine, and many people cannot imagine their lives without it. Cosmetics are defined by experts as anything that will change your physical appearance or body odor. Cosmetics have been around for hundreds of years for the prime purpose to enhance a person’s physical attractiveness. Cosmetics hide imperfections while simultaneously boosting up a person’s self-esteem. Historically cosmetics were only for the rich, but now so many affordable brands of makeup are on the market and people will buy …show more content…
Cosmetics can produce multiple negative effects. In the article “Cosmetics and Skin Care Products,” the authors, Jonathan ML White, Anton C. de Groot, and Ian R. White, explain to their readers the different types of reactions that can come across when people wear cosmetics over a long period of time. The authors all explain some of the negative effects that people are exposed to which most of the time happen to be skin reactions. However, it is more convenient for people to switch to a different product than to go visit a dermatologist because they think that their condition is not as serious. I agree with the claims being made in this article because they justify the negative effects that cosmetics have on the skin. This article gives examples of ways in which people brush off reactions to products by simply changing to different ones without actually understanding that some form of harm has already been done to their skin. According to the three authors, they state, “Women are more at risk of acquiring hypersensitivity to cosmetic ingredients than men, due to their greater use.” Basically, what the authors are saying is that the more you use a product, the more prone you are to developing a reaction to it. Although some skin reactions may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial because they can often times lead to more severe infections or diseases. My point is that we …show more content…
However, if the use of cosmetics deprives a person from having a positive self-esteem, then it is not worth it to use them. In the article, “Not Just Another Pretty Face: Sex Roles, Locus of Control, and Cosmetics Use,” Thomas F. Cash, John Rissi, Rees Chapman all state, “Many women may experience using cosmetics as a tool of social self-presentation and self-image management.” That is to say, the authors believe that the primary reason for the usage of cosmetics amongst women is that if they can control the way they look then they can control the way they present themselves. In some ways this is true because knowing the way you look can help lower your levels of social anxiety in certain circumstances because you are satisfied with the way you look. However, repeatedly using cosmetics creates a sense of dependency on them for some people to the point that they can no longer go anywhere without wearing even a single cosmetic product. Another point that the authors emphasized in their article was, “Cosmetics use may reflect taking pride in one’s appearance and producing feelings of accomplishment with aesthetic self-enhancement.” Basically, the authors are saying that women who wear make cosmetics may feel more powerful and potent than women who do not. Although I agree with the authors up to a