Selling Insecurity: How the Beauty and Cosmetics Industry Profits from Self-Doubt

At first glance, the cosmetics and beauty industry markets itself as a source of empowerment, self-care, confidence, and enhancement. Yet a large body of psychological research and cultural analysis shows that commercial beauty messaging very often fuels insecurity and body dissatisfaction — conditions that benefit industry profits.

1. Idealised Images and Unrealistic Standards Drive Body Shame

Studies looking at the effects of advertising on young people’s body image show that exposure to idealised images — especially those repeatedly presented in beauty and cosmetics ads — increases body dissatisfaction and shame. Research cited by the UK Women and Equalities Committee found that advertising that promotes unrealistic beauty standards — including thin, young, often edited images — is detrimental to positive body image and contributes to diet culture and negative self-perception.

Academic psychology studies have confirmed this: images portraying unattainable beauty ideals — including those common in cosmetic advertising — are linked to self-objectification and increased appearance anxiety in women, even after brief exposure.

2. Media and Advertising Drive Internalised Pressure to Conform

Research into the effects of media on body image shows that sociocultural standards conveyed in advertising contribute to negative thoughts about one’s appearance and decreased self-esteem. This effect is especially strong among women and girls exposed to idealised beauty messaging.

Additionally, sociological studies have documented how beauty corporations historically expanded markets by framing normal bodily traits (e.g., body hair) as “undesirable” or in need of removal or concealment — reinforcing that the natural body is something to be fixed.

3. Industry Profits and Body Image Work Together

Critics of the beauty industry argue that its marketing strategies often encourage women and girls to see themselves as incomplete or flawed without products, thereby boosting sales. As one cultural critic has put it, when women love their bodies as they are, there would be far fewer people willing to spend on products promising to “fix” imperfections.  Although social platforms like Dove’s Self-Esteem Project aim to counter harmful beauty standards, the fact that only a small percentage of women feel beautiful without conditioning reflects the strong influence of broader beauty norms propagated by commercial interests.

4. Social Media and AI Tools Reinforce Appearance Norms

Emerging research highlights how technology — including AI-driven marketing tools and social media platforms — amplifies existing beauty standards and can intensify negative emotional responses tied to appearance. This includes devices that assess or rate facial features, leading to greater self-objectification and emotional distress.

The Consequences: Self-Hate, Shame, and Psychological Harm

When unrealistic beauty norms are presented as universal goals, individuals — especially women — often measure themselves against standards that few can meet. Research links such internalisation to:

• Body dissatisfaction and body shame, especially when women adopt a third-person view of their bodies.

• Eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem in women and girls exposed to media promoting narrow appearance ideals.

• Persistent anxiety about looks, affecting mental health and social confidence.

These findings contradict the idea that cosmetic advertising is purely aspirational — instead showing a cycle where insecurity is cultivated, then monetised.

Rejecting Commercialised Beauty — A Call for Liberation

For many women, breaking this commercialised cycle of self-criticism can be deeply liberating. Rejecting the idea that worth is tied to appearance opens the door to self-acceptance, autonomy, and psychological well-being.

Why Naturism Can Be Part of That Liberation

Naturism — the practice of non-sexual communal nudity in defined settings — can play a role in this journey of acceptance:

• Challenges external standards: In naturist communities, clothing, makeup, and beauty products are absent, removing symbols of commercialised aesthetic hierarchy.

• Promotes self-acceptance: Being visible without cosmetics or artificially enhanced features can help many women confront and accept their natural bodies.

• Encourages equality: Naturism fosters a culture where all bodies are present without judgment, which can counter internalised feelings of inadequacy.

• Connects with nature and self-respect: Many find that naturism shifts focus from appearance to how the body feels, functions, and connects with the world — a powerful corrective to detrimental messaging from beauty marketing.

For women in Wales — where there is growing interest in body positivity, nature culture, and community wellbeing — naturism offers a non-commercial, non-judgmental path toward self-empowerment and psychological wholeness.

Conclusion: From Commercial Shame to Self-Acceptance

The evidence is clear: media and beauty advertising that promote narrow, unrealistic standards of beauty are linked to increased body dissatisfaction and shame, and these conditions are profitable for cosmetic industries that thrive on selling solutions to insecurity.

But liberation is possible. By questioning the messages we absorb — and exploring alternatives like naturism that emphasise body acceptance, community, and personal agency — more women can break free from a cycle of self-doubt and move toward freedom, happiness, and authentic self-empowerment.