Mahnaz Habib, Amanda Rutledge, and Julia Williamson

Period 9

Eurocentric Beauty: A Standard with Mental and Physical Impacts on Minorities

Rationale
This paper is a review of literature about racial beauty standards in the United States, and how
such standards create a negative environment for the mental and physical health of minorities.
Information used as proof is taken from a variety of studies that connect beauty standards and mental
health, as well as quantitative data that compares levels of beauty product use and representation in
media. The subtopics delve into more specific aspects of this issue including the prevalence of Western
beauty standards internationally, the role of the media in enforcing beauty standards, and health effects. In
examining and tracing the impacts of beauty ideals over time, the paper concludes by hypothesizing on
what beauty standards will resemble in the future, as America becomes a more diverse nation. The
complexity of this issue stems from the underlying presence of beauty standards in American culture.
While not often overly discussed, racial beauty standards impact the media, advertising, and beauty
industries. Refusal to discuss this topic is what fosters the environment for mental illness and negative self
esteem to blossom. Through outlining racial standards and beauty trends, it can be determined that beauty
standards play a major role in a racialized society, and are thus worthy of discussion.
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Period 9

Introduction
The idea of a single superior beauty ideal is ubiquitous throughout many cultures since the
beginning of humanity. Scientifically speaking, humans determine who they wish to reproduce with based
on how successful they think their offspring will be. As a result, people will do what they can in order to
make themselves more appealing. Today, we address these concepts as “beauty standards.” These
standards have changed throughout history. The beauty standards addressed in this analysis surround
“Eurocentric beauty,” the notion that it is ideal to have physical features emulating those of a white
person. As a result of this racist and colorist belief, people who do not naturally fit this standard suffer.
For one, minorities have to face a society that blatantly encourages them to change their identity
completely. This translates to minorities having a lower self esteem and pressures them to alter their
bodies in order to please a racist society. Beauty standards in the Western world are Eurocentric, resulting
in negative psychological and physical effects on minorities.
Eurocentric Beauty Standards
Over the years, it has become evident that beauty standards in the United States follow a very
narrow mold. “The more closely associated a person is with European features, the more attractive he or
she is considered,” claims an article published to the Columbia Social Work Review (Bryant). Since
European features have generally included “lighter skin, straight hair, a thin nose and lips, and light
colored eyes,” this creates a connection between whiteness and beauty (Bryant).
A famous study aiming to clarify this standard was conducted in the 1940’s, originally aiming to
“study the psychological effects of segregation on African-American children” (“Brown at 60-The Doll
Test”). In a modern context, this study is used to identify how beauty standards can be recognized even by
children. During the experiment, a group of African American children were presented with 4 dolls, and
were asked a series of questions about the dolls, including ones such as “which doll looks bad,” or “which
doll looks nice” (Bryant). Out of all the schoolchildren sampled, 59% agreed that the darker skinned doll
was “bad,” while 60% stated that the white doll was “good” or “looked nice” (Bryant). Repetitions of this
test have been completed since 1947, and have yielded similar results, revealing the “internalization of
self-hate among black children based on European beauty standards still exists,” having been passed on
from generation to generation (Bryant). This study is evidence of a larger system in play, perpetuating the
same beauty standards over the course of generations.
Whether subtly or directly communicated, African American women are constantly receiving
messages that shape their self perception. These messages constantly inform them that the more their
physical appearance resembles that of Caucasian women, the more attractive, desirable, and acceptable
they are in America (Jackson-Lowman, 2014, p. 165). These voices are forever looming in African
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Period 9

Americans, making it extremely difficult for them to escape the critical gaze in American society that
depreciates their beauty. On a similar note, despite the advantages of African Americans who share an
appearance closer to the Eurocentric beauty ideal, they also feel disadvantaged in another sense. Viewed
as more attractive, these lighter skinned women are often envied and taunted by the darker skinned
African American women, and challenged to prove their blackness; while also receiving preferential
treatment in education, business, print, TV, and the overall entertainment industry (Jackson-Lowman,
2014, p. 167). This is a constant issue African American women are forced to face, always unsure of
whether to conform with American beauty or with African beauty.
How Media Enforces Beauty Standards
“The media channel desire[s] and narrow[s] the bandwidth of our preferences. A crowd-pleasing
image becomes a mold, and a beauty is followed by her imitator, and then by the imitator of her imitator,”
as Nancy Etcoff states in her book, “Survival of the Prettiest” (Etcoff). Essentially, the media as a system
serves as a representation of overarching beauty preferences, which in turn pressures more and more
women to conform to such ideals. Once a standard ideal is created for a society, it is the role of the media
to ensure that it is respected by the population. People magazine, one with women as its specific target
audience, publishes a list of celebrities editors deem “most beautiful” each year (Maymone). Researchers
from ​Jama Dermatology​ analysed the age, skin condition, skin color, and race of the women chosen as
“most beautiful” (Maymone). In 2017, this list contained 135 women, and 70.4% of them had light skin
(Maymone). By over representing white celebrities and under representing celebrities of color, the media
enforces the idea that lighter, or whiter, features are inherently more beautiful.
Beauty standards are enforced by other facets of the media besides print magazines, as Americans
are “constantly surrounded by all sorts of media and we construct our identities in part through media
images we see,” (Ossola). According to A.Poorani, from Bharathidasan University, “Cultivation theory
posits that the more television a person watches, the more that person will believe television life is ‘real
life’” (Poorani). Essentially, what is seen on TV becomes absorbed by its viewers, including ideas about
standards of beauty.
Another piece on beauty standards and their negative impacts is “​Buying Racial Capital:
Skin-Bleaching and Cosmetic Surgery in a Globalized World," by Margaret L. Hunter. In her analysis on
beauty, she looks at the advertising and promotional component of skin-whitening products to minority
women. Her work provided fantastic examples of this racist and colorist ideal and its impact on
minorities. At one point, she explains, “For example, the largest social networking application, Facebook,
launched a new ‘app,’ sponsored by cosmetics giant, Vaseline, that allows users to lighten their skin tone
in their profile pictures. By dragging a vertical bar across their pictures they can create instant
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before-and-after images devised to sell more of Vaseline’s best-selling product, ‘Healthy White: Skin
Lightening Lotion’” (Hunter, 2011, p. 144). Instances where major companies such as Facebook and
Vaseline abuse their enormous positions of power are moments that perpetuate racist ideals and
emphasize the need to follow the standard.
Impacts on Health
Beauty standards negatively impact the health of minorities, especially the mental health of
women. This separation stems from societal acceptance of Eurocentric beauty norms, which puts white
women in a position of privilege. As described above, the media is a strong factor of spreading beauty
standards. Since white women are often more praised for their appearances, and conventional
attractiveness is narrowly focused on white features, “Black women are particularly vulnerable to the
effects of European standards of beauty… these standards emphasize skin colors and hair types that
exclude many black women, especially those of darker skin” (Bryant).
This continual acceptance that white skin is socially regarded as superior has lasting mental
health consequences on the lives of minorities. “In a Eurocentric culture in which women are valued as
bodily objects, self-esteem is intrinsically linked to appearance,” creating a cycle of mental illnesses
(Hesse-Biber). “Across 77 correlational and experimental studies, media exposure was associated with a
stronger internalisation of the thin body ideal, higher body dissatisfaction, and higher eating disorder
symptomatology,” according to a study done by University of Neuchatel scholars (Jucker). The media
plays a large role in enforcing a societal beauty standard, as explained above, and creates a dangerous
environment for the mental health of women.
Since “Black women, especially dark-skinned black women, deviate furthest from European
beauty standards, they are more likely to experience self-hate, distorted body image, depression, and
eating disorders” (Bryant). Unfortunately, these mental illnesses are often seriously underrepresented.
Treatment programs can cost extreme amounts of money, and “even when African American eating
disordered patients do have access to health care, they often go mistreated and misdiagnosed simply
because physicians fail to recognize that differing racial groups can contract what is perceived to be a
White woman's illness” (Hesse-Biber).
Effect on Self-Esteem
Scholarly media and literature both suggest that the concern girls have on their appearances in
school has a huge impact on the overall school experience, both socially and academically (Sekayi, 2003,
p. 473). Girls whose form of beauty is validated by teachers and peers maybe be affected positively in the
form of high levels of confidence and self-esteem. Although people would like to believe that this no
longer reflects the reality of school experience, a recent study conducted by Fordham documents the
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Period 9

concept of “those loud Black girls” in schools. Although the study is not focused solely on beauty, it
concludes that​ “African American women are not seen as the archetypal symbol of womanhood, as is the
case for White American women” (Sekayi, 2003, p. 471). Evidently, one’s life is deeply impacted by the
extent to which they fit into the ideal standard of beauty. Many African American women often feel they
have no other option but to adopt standards of the dominant cultural norms.
African American women struggle with body image, self-identity, and physical self-acceptance
more than any other race and gender in America (Thompson, 2006, p. 47). Although many African
American women choose to try not to idealize and desire the “Caucasian standard,” body image concerns
are proven to increase due to the beauty standard. These women are constantly confronted with the same,
if not more pressure to obtain the Caucasian ideal while making even greater sacrifices to attain this idea,
especially regarding skin and hair tone (Thompson, 2006, p. 49).
International Beauty Standards
While each individual community around the world stems from a unique set of experiences that
led to the development of each culture, Western Beauty standards still have vast international impact. In
places like Ghana, “beauty salons use light [skinned] women...in their advertisements... [though] the
majority of these pictures don’t represent the average Ghanaian woman,” associating whiteness with
luxury or attractiveness (Frazier). This is also seen in Lebanon and Iran, where it is universally accepted
that it is easier to secure a job if considered attractive, a code word that refers to appearing white (Zare).
A focus group from Iran was created to analyze the trend of Western beauty standards impacting Eastern
Societies, run by Kharazmi University (Zare). During this discussion, an anonymous woman shared her
personal experience; “I remember when I referred to an office the employee did not respond me properly
since I had not worn heavy makeup and I had not operated my nose or other plastic surgeries. I had worn
ordinary clothing and a natural face. But, when a woman with heavy makeup and operated face came to
the office, I saw that the employee’s behavior changed. It was unexpected…” (Zare). The Western trend
of privilege being determined by appearance is clear to have strong impacts internationally.
Plastic surgery is extremely common in Asia, as one in five South Korean women from age 19-49
have undergone plastic surgery, compared to one in 20 women in the United States (Youn). The majority
of facial cosmetic operations in Asia are considered “Westernizing” procedures, because they are always
designed to make facial features look more Caucasian (Youn). According to Dr. Kim Byung-gun, head
South Korea’s biggest plastic surgery clinic, “​The Chinese and Korean patients tell me that they want to
have faces like Americans. That means the Asian people want to have a little less Asian, more
westernized appearance. They don't like big cheekbones or small eyes. They want to have big, bright eyes
with slender, nice facial bones” (Lah). ​Even Miss South Korea 2012 confessed having been nipped and
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tucked: “I never said I was born beautiful” (Youn). Although Asian plastic surgeons claim that these
procedures are meant to embrace the patient’s ethnicities, it is really about making them more
“attractive”, meaning an appearance that is as Caucasian as possible.
As British psychotherapist Susie Orbach states, “Just as English has become the lingua franca of
the world, so the white, blondified, small-nosed, pert-breasted, long-legged body is coming to stand in for
the great variety of human bodies that there are” (Zeilinger). This is in direct contrast to opinions about
the west before globalization, according to Christopher Fraiser, who claims that “In Japan, before large
scale Western influence, opinions of Caucasians were quite negative. One scholar in 1807 even described
Westerners as being beasts that resembled human beings” (Fraiser). It was only after the cultural
acceptance of Western practices that countries like Japan began to admire features they once detested. In
summary, the rate of globalization and the spread of Western values have created the international desire
to appear white and the universal acceptance of a Eurocentric beauty standard.
Beauty Products and their Impact on Minority Women
As a result of the collective lower self esteem held by minority groups, minorities tend to harm
their bodies by attempting to fit the Eurocentric beauty standard through the use of beauty products. This
problem is apparent among minority women, regardless of wealth and social class. One piece of literature,
“The environmental injustice of beauty: framing chemical exposures from beauty products as a health
disparities concern,” details the negative effects of beauty products used by minority women. This piece
“​incorporates the social factors that influence beauty product use and the potential for cumulative impacts
that may arise because of co-occurring environmental exposures” (Zota and Shamasunder).
Table 1
Examples of disproportionate beauty product exposures among vulnerable populations.
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Period 9

(Zota and Shamasunder)

The table seen above describes some of the factors that influence the use of beauty products:
colorism, hair texture preferences, and odor discrimination. All of these factors can be traced to a
Eurocentric beauty standard. Whiter skin, straightened hair, and a “fresh” pubic scent are the main causes
of beauty product use as described in the study. Seen further on the table, all of these factors pigeonhole
African American women, and other dark-skinned minority women because the Eurocentric beauty
standard pressures them into using products such as skin-lighteners, hair relaxers, and vaginal douches.
The harsh reality is that these products come with major consequences: endocrine disruption, cancers, and
mercury poisoning are just some of the tragic effects of these racist beauty standards ​(Zota and
Shamasunder)​.
In the United States, there is stigma around African American women and their hairstyle choices.
In fact, “African American women experience more hair-related anxiety and are twice as likely than white
women to experience social pressure at work to straighten their hair. For example, the US army
historically banned several hairstyles traditionally used by African American women, such as twists and
multiple braids, in favor of styles that encouraged straightening or other practices to change hair texture”
(Zota and Shamasunder). This instance is a decent example of how minorities are pressured into changing
their life to fit into the Eurocentric beauty mold.
This review of literature specifically addresses adult American women and their health at the time
they are able to reproduce. It “suggest[s] that women of color have higher levels of certain
endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as phthalates and parabens, in their bodies compared with white
women and that these racial/ethnic differences are not explained by socioeconomic status” (Zota and
Shamasunder). In addition, “Workers in the beauty industry, who are predominantly women of color and
immigrant women, can also face occupational health hazards from chemicals in professional cosmetic
products and ad-hoc workplace safety standards” (Zota and Shamasunder). Both of these data points from
this piece illustrate that minority women have a higher amount of harmful chemicals in their systems as a
result of these detrimental beauty products.
Evolution of Beauty Standards
Standards of beauty in the United States are often made very clear through popular literature, art,
fashion, and other informal discussions. African American women are constantly confronted with
conflicting beauty standards: one suggested by the majority white culture in America, and the other which
corresponds to their African heritage (Makkar and Strube, p. 1547). This is especially apparent in the
entertainment industry, where African American women are constantly critiqued on their appearance. One
example of this seen in the article “Flawless: Racial Bias in Beauty,” points out that people “need only
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Period 9

juxtapose Disney’s classic film ​Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs​ with the imagery of the ​Merrie
Melodies​ animated short ​Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs​, a blackface spin on the story, to see the
historical misrepresentation of black people in this country” (Lockett). Despite the evolution of beauty in
the fashion industry, the ideal feminine beauty standards continue to depict only white women. Due to
this lack of change, “​Black women are relentlessly pushed to serve and satisfy others and made to hide
their true selves to placate White colleagues, Black men, and other segments of the community. They
devote an entire chapter of their book on beauty and shifting” (Sekayi, 2003, p. 467).
However, it is apparent that the increasing diversity in America is at least bringing some
improvement to the concept of beauty in the eyes of Americans. The entertainment industry is gradually
beginning to embrace beauty in all different skin colors. In a research study published by ​JAMA
Dermatology​, researchers analyze People Magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful” list in 1990 to present
day. In 1990, lighter skin represented 88 percent and darker skin represented 12 percent; in 2017, lighter
skin represented 70.4 percent and darker skin represented 29.6 percent (The Jama Network Journals).
Additionally, the proportion of celebrities of nonwhite races increased from 24 percent in 1990 to 40
percent in 2017; celebrities of mixed races increased from 2 percent to 14 percent (The Jama Network
Journals). There is still much improvement that must be made in the entertainment industry to truly
represent equality in beauty standards and acceptance of all skin colors, however, the progress that has
been made shows that there is hope for a shift in the strict Eurocentric beauty standard in America.
Conclusion
The evidence shows that the implementation of Eurocentric beauty standards in America has had
detrimental and harmful effects on racial minorities in America. The narrow range of appearances that the
beauty standard enforces is completely implausible for African American women and creates a socially
accepted beauty norm enforced and perpetuated all over advertisements, TV, and fashion magazines. This
Caucasian ideal is now spreading to all parts of the world, with people altering their body and facial
features in any way possible to look the most “beautiful”.
Minority racial groups in America are constantly receive messages that indicate they do not fit
into the ideal beauty, as shown by experiments such as the doll test, and proven through the preferential
treatment of women with lighter skin in all aspects of everyday life. Additionally, the media enforces
these beauty standards by over representing white celebrities, and even encouraging harmful alterations to
one’s body such as skin bleaching. This critical gaze that is inescapable to African American women
ultimately results in a negative impact on their mental and physical health, and a huge loss of self-esteem
and acceptance. Minorities think they need to alter themselves in order to be beautiful, and will endure
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Period 9

painful operations to make that happen. This harmful beauty standard is also slowly spreading globally,
now especially present in countries such as as Ghana, South Korea, and Japan.
The evidence of evolving beauty standards in the United States does give this country hope for
improvement in standards for the beauty ideal. Although there is still unequal representation, the
entertainment industry is beginning to give more representation to minorities and darker-skinned African
Americans. The increasing diversity in America is allowing for the narrow beauty ideal to slowly
becoming wider to represent a wider variety of races and skin colors, a trend that can be hypothesized to
continue in the future. As a whole, Eurocentric beauty standards will remain an ever-present topic for
years to come, but there is hope that these attitudes will evolve if the United States and the rest of the
world become more accepting of beauty in more than one form.
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