What the Beauty Industry Fails to Tell You

The beauty industry has been a fundamental part of our culture, society, and everyday routines for decades. As a maverick in the beauty industry, we have always been committed to customer transparency and aim to educate our customers and the general public. Let us quickly uncover just a few of the many secrets that the beauty industry doesn’t want you to know.

1. Attractive Product Packaging & False Claims 

There are numerous discrepancies when it comes to marketing for beauty products. As humans, we are easily allured to product packaging that looks aesthetically pleasing and interesting. Our eyes become so quickly drawn to packaging that looks pretty. Just think of how many products you’ve taken interest in and purchased simply on the basis of the product’s visual appeal. 

We begin our deceptive investments in a lot of our beauty and hygiene products because of not only the attractive packaging, but also becoming fooled from the claims presented on the box. Products will often use misleading marketing tactics and claims. Yet in most cases, these claims are usually too good to be true. People then become duped by these claims and it’s a large problem that this industry does not seem to be truly transparent about. 

Solution? Start looking for companies that readily offer reviews to back their claims, provide customer stories and feedback. This is a great way to ensure you get the transparency you deserve. 

2. Megacompanies and Conglomerates 

It may or may not come as a surprise that almost every beauty and hygiene product that you have at home are all subsidiary brands that have been bought up by a large conglomerate. Your shampoo and conditioner? Likely manufactured by a multi-billion dollar mega-company. Your favorite perfume, body lotion, or makeup product? Likely the same answer. 

This may or may not matter to the average person, but it is certainly eye-opening when you consider just how massive and ubiquitous these companies are, where your products are coming from, and where that money goes. A beloved product of yours can almost certainly be traced back to one of the few megacompanies out there. The one brand you’ve always been loyal to, may just be owned by a conglomerate.  

Solution? Carefully check product labels and the distribution source on future products. Look at brand websites for clearly marked verbiage that says “A ____ brand or company”. Another way to find out if a brand is independently or conglomerate owned is to do a quick Google search for “who owns [insert company name]?”. You’ll likely see the other brands a conglomerate also owns. Independently owned companies are important because it keeps more money within communities and out of tax shelters. Small and medium sized businesses are proven to have a positive economic impact on communities. Executives who are hands on with their companies and manufacturing process, tend to have a deeper connection to the people behind the product. They are more invested in their team and communities.

Check out this graph to gain a better understanding:

Image sourced from https://www.cbinsights.com/research/top-beauty-brands/

3. Harmful Ingredients 

Have you ever taken the time to look at the ingredients list on your products? In most cases, these lists are long and include several ingredients that can actually be harmful to your health and your skin in the long run. While many products feel good when you use them, it does not always mean that they are working or doing anything for you and your skin long-term. In fact, many beauty products have ingredients that add unnecessary fillers and harsh chemicals which are damaging to the skin. Many of these adverse ingredients are also hormone disruptors -- creating the consumer need for even more misleading products to help their issues that they developed from the product that they were using in the first place!

Think about it, your skin is your body’s largest organ. While many don’t think of it that way because the skin acts as a tough protective barrier to our internal organs, it’s vital to consider what you put on your skin because the skin is actually very absorbent. You wouldn’t rub any harsh chemicals on your heart or liver, so why would you apply harmful ingredients on your skin? Did you know that there are very few cosmetic ingredients that are banned in the United States yet in Europe, over 1,000 ingredients have been banned because of their harmful chemical nature?

Here’s a basic list of the most harmful ingredients to avoid: Paraffin, alcohol (not to be confused with Cetyl alcohol), mineral oil, parabens, or silicones. They are especially harmful when they are listed within the first few ingredients. 

4. High End vs. Drugstore Brand Names

Back to ingredients. The next time you think of buying a new product, whatever it may be (makeup, skincare, body care, etc.), take time to look at the ingredients list! Given the fact that all the products we could ever need are made available to us at a drugstore or grocery store for a more affordable price, the same type of products are also available for a more expensive price at higher-end stores -- simply for the brand name. Did you know if you compare a drugstore product to its comparative higher-end version, you will likely see a very similar ingredients list, if not the exact same? This is a VERY common way that beauty brands seem to fool us. In fact, most drugstore and high end brands are even made in the same factories!

Give this article a share! We at Camille Beckman are an independent, woman-owned company that has been operating and locally producing our products for over 30 years. We believe in being truthfully transparent with our customers, while providing good-natured products that everyone can enjoy simply because of our values and ethics.