Is ethical beauty really ethical?

The majority of marketing campaigns are ostensibly aimed at women,  and this has created false standards of beauty and make women feel inadequate and unsure about their bodies, and in particular, about ageing skin. In view of this, many natural skincare companies seek to adopt an "ethical marketing" approach to beauty and ageing, in part to balance the skewed notions of beauty and what is regarded as healthy.

The media is awash with images of the ‘perfect woman’, typically a model in her late teens, very slim and wearing make-up done by a professional artist. Moreover, and what most people don’t know, the photograph is then airbrushed; skin, body and face features are enhanced and made completely flawless with the help of computer software. So these images of femininity and beauty that we see all around us are of women that literally don’t exist! Worse still, vulnerable teenagers especially young girls are heavily influenced by such images and will go to extraordinary lengths to attain their ideal of beauty, sometimes with the onset of serious eating disorders and drastic, unnecessary procedures (or surgery!)

The problem is that this makes women feel inadequate, unhappy and unsure about themselves. Ageing skin is now a particular concern for women. According to a recent market research study, over 90% of women do not feel good about the way their skin looks, regardless of how old they are. This same study acknowledged that nowadays even young women in their early 20s have concerns about wrinkles. It is disgraceful that skin care companies use these images to convey the hidden message that ageing skin is not beautiful, not lovable. Sometimes this message is even blatantly explicit. We think that creating the need for a product by making women feel bad about themselves is just plain cruel.

Do scrutinise all skincare marketing literature ; the focus really should be on how to achieve healthy skin through right diet, natural skin care and a positive mental attitude. A number of ethical skincare companies do not ever want to contribute to women feeling less than worthy nor devalued because of surface appearance and judged solely on visual appeal.  Evidently, one is not suggesting that people don't use skin care products anymore. On the contrary, it is good and important to have skin that is healthy and full of vitality. Such skin is beautiful, regardless of whether it is aged. The purpose is to promote the purest skin care products that truly promote healthy and beautiful skin, by using organic, vegan and unheated, plant-based ingredients, made under an ethical and sustainable business model.

More recent headlines are worrying: "Beauty companies return to animal testing to exploit Chinese demand" and " L'Occitane among firms told to remove 'Leaping Bunny' logo signifying ethical testing practices":

Efforts by Western beauty giants to sell their brands to China's fast-growing middle classes are threatening to reverse years of progress in reducing animal testing, say campaigners. Many UK shoppers think the battle against animal testing for lipsticks and blushers is won, but over the past year four multi-nationals have been stripped of official "cruelty-free" status because of their activities in China where animal experiments are mandatory.

France's L'Occitane, which has more than 70 boutiques in the UK selling Provencal beauty and bath products, has been ordered to remove the internationally recognised Leaping Bunny logo from its marketing worldwide, including in the UK. Fellow French firms Yves Rocher and Caudalie and America's Mary Kay have also been banned from using the logo. The companies say they want enjoyment of their shampoos, skincare and make-up to be spread among the 700 million women in China, where sales of cosmetics grew by 18 per cent to £10bn last year.

Campaigners accuse them of putting profits above principle.  Most people will be shocked to learn that testing cosmetics on animals is still a legal requirement in China. It is particularly galling that this is still going on, and it is an appalling state of affairs that some previously cruelty-free companies are abandoning their principles and returning to animal testing in order to profit from the Chinese market. Britain banned animal testing for cosmetic purposes in 1998, and Body Shop, Lush and Superdrug guarantee their products and ingredients are "cruelty-free". A ban on the marketing of animal-tested cosmetics is due to come into force across the EU next year.
China maintains that animal testing is necessary to ensure mascara, blusher, foundation and other products are safe for humans. L'Occitane, Yves Rocher and Mary Kay declined to comment on their policies or their withdrawal from the Leaping Bunny programme, which is overseen internationally by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics. The Chinese government reserves the right to conduct tests with cosmetic products but hope this situation will change soon by outside pressure.

Cosmetic companies often claim they don't want to test on animals and only do so 'when absolutely necessary'. But it isn't absolutely necessary to sell their products in China, so if they truly had an ethical ethos they would stop animal testing and stick to operating in countries that don't require rabbits, guinea pigs and mice to endure pain for their profits.