Keep #IdealBeautyRejection Going!
In honor of International Women’s Day, Beat Bar Beauty’s Beauty Stain Project set out to discuss beauty, skin conditions, race, and female empowerment. We hoped to promote diverse beauty and initiate the #IdealBeautyRejection. We wanted women of ethnic groups to share their experiences and contribute their stories to our Beauty in Diversity Movement. We wanted to provide research on the influence of beauty ideals on women and girls of ethnic groups and provide insights on how to initiate discussions on beauty ideals within the household. We wanted women and girls of ethnic groups to reject European beauty standards. Research indicates that although the media is a huge proponent of beauty ideals, beauty ideals permeate through family, peers, and larger society.
What We Discovered
A majority of participants in our study were between the ages of 25-34 with at least a Bachelor’s degree. All of our participants were female.
On The Importance of Beauty
A majority of participants felt that beauty was an important element in their lives and that they either spent a lot of time on their looks or they followed beauty companies or beauty magazines on social media.
On Family Discussions on Beauty
A majority of participants indicated that their parents did not discuss body image with them as a child.
Understanding the Importance of Body Image
Research indicates that at early ages, as young as 6, girls experience body dissatisfaction. It is important to initiate critical discussions on body image and media images within the household. Experts suggest co-viewing TV programs with your daughter and talking about female representations.
Promoting Extracurricular Activities
Encourage sports, music, or reading activities within the household. Such activities can help in boosting self esteem. Develop habits that help your child become more engaged in the world, as well as habits that help with self improvement.
Monitor Your Own Behavior
Parents heavily influence children’s perception of beauty and body image. Do you often make comments about your own body dissatisfaction? Do you talk about hair within your household? Do you talk about natural hair in a negative or unpleasant manner? Do you make negative remarks on skin tones? Do you make negative remarks on features you deem unfavorable such as larger noses or thicker lips? Think about the messages you are sending. Your child is listening and is heavily influenced by your beliefs.
Women and young girls should always feel secure and should not feel disempowered due to stifling beauty standards, which is why a world which embraces diverse beauty is important to the political, social, and economic development of women of ethnic groups. Young women of ethnic groups should not have to feel pressured into fitting a certain beauty standard. Instead, they should be made to feel naturally beautifully.
For more information on The Beauty Stain Project, please visit our website at www.beatbarbeauty.com.