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!!

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9 Comments

August 9, 2008 3:15 PM

[0+]  ElleStar said:

In the store near me, the health and beauty section is in the same place as the headache and allergy medicine, so I get it there. Also, I can see toothpaste etc. as oral health, so that doesn't bother me too much.

But I do understand what you're saying.

Something that bugs me the most: if you're looking for body wash and/or lotions, steer clear of those that promise "luminous skin." I bought these once thinking "I'd like luminous skin." It turns out that it makes your skin luminous by adding finely ground glitter to the formula. I felt like a 14 year old for a month (because I still spent the damn money, I'm going to use the product)!

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August 9, 2008 5:13 PM

[0+]  does_this_screenname_make_me_look_feminist? said:

Can I get an AMEN?

This post was very beautifully and passionately written. You just verbalized what I and many, many other women have been thinking when we see that sign looming over us, beckoning us closer, telling us that we're not good enough but they can help.

And for that, I want to thank you.

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August 9, 2008 5:30 PM

[0+]  bluebabebat5 said:

"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."

I agree but I just wanted to say that it is not wrong to say that heath equals beauty because that is true what is wrong is to put all of that crap under the sign

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August 9, 2008 6:58 PM

[0+]  does_this_screenname_make_me_look_feminist? said:

I think what she was saying here is that the stuff that is generally found under the "Health and Beauty" sign doesn't improve health. It is assumed that you are unhealthy if you have cellulite or gray hair or no hair or too much hair or a few wrinkles, and these products offer the "cure" to these "ailments."

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August 9, 2008 10:58 PM

[0+]  im_still_a_guy said:

Or could it be "Health AND Beauty," as in two things that are somewhat related enough to be grouped together, yet fall into different categories?

Health: Medicines, vitamins, herbal suppliments, etc.

Beauty: All those so-called beautification aids that the mass media will tell women they need in order to be "beautiful."

The store I work in has the "Health" aisle next to the "Beauty" aisles, so we call it the "Health and Beauty" area. Soap, shampoo and dental care products are in the middle, as they fall into both categories.

Incidentally, I don't believe that women need any of these "beauty" products to appear attractive. The woman I've been seeing recently doesn't wear any makeup at all, and if she did, it would detract from her.

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August 10, 2008 12:54 AM

[0+]  wax_ghost said:

I agree, im_still_a_guy. It doesn't seem nefarious to me, just mildly and occasionally related.

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August 10, 2008 2:37 AM

[0+]  nightingale said:

I've seen stores that go either way: Health and beauty being just a beauty section and health and beauty actually containing both. Even though it's not universal, the former is still prevalent enough to be a problem. I've also seen it in some book stores, where there is a health section that's mostly fad diets and beatification tips. Part of that is that those books are simply more popular, but implying that it's a health and beauty section, not health or beauty is troubling with the overall trend in our society of "Who cares if it's unhealthy so long as you look nice!"

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August 10, 2008 5:11 AM

[0+]  Nettle Syrup said:

I'm_still_a_guy, that's the point. The herbal supplements and medication are NOT in the 'health' part, they're in the pharmacy part. What's in the 'health' part is all these foot scrubs, etc.

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August 10, 2008 3:51 PM

[0+]  RiotGrrl said:

And the "luminous" stuff makes me break into a rash...

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