Since the development of so-called beauty enhancing products in Ancient Egypt, human kind has had the ability to change peoples faces. Standards of beauty exist in some form everywhere and are important to many people.

There comes a point, however, when society has to set limits for these ideals and think rationally about their consequences.

An art form that has its origin in bees wax and castor oil is now a multi-billion dollar industry ranging from hair and makeup, to fashion and weight loss programs.

This monopolized conception of beauty comes with a slew of social pressures that dictate status, success, capability and desirability over American women.

A typical critique of the beauty industry is that men control it. Whether or not this is true does not matter.

A website, titled The Anti-Feminist, posted an account of a Pick Up Artists travels to England. It discussed how the women there were not appealing to him due to their haggard faces, saying, you know theyre not that old, but they just look old, like theyve been working in a factory or coal mine their entire lives. He then urged other artists not to waste their time in England, for there were far more satisfying women in other parts of Europe.

These kinds of messages suggest that regardless of whether an aspect of beauty is praised or jeered, the physical attributes of women in the media are far more important than their actual capabilities.

With so many divergent opinions on what beauty is, what point is there in aspiring to any standard other than the naturalness of the individual?

This seems like such an overly simplified point. Yet it affects both men and women. An industry that heavily controls the images of women also makes the assumption that all men are attracted to one, unattainable image of bodily perfection. Its a lose-lose situation.

This falsified image of a ready and fertile woman assuming reproductive capability is still a driving force in beauty is detrimental to the female population. It is degrading to their intellectual, physical, and emotional existence.

The only viable response to such an overbearing force of control in our society is to use consumer power to determine what products are produced and sold and at what quantity.

Stacy Malkan says, Women absolutely have the power to control the nature of every consumer product on the market. This is achieved simply through choosing what to buy, if anything, and from where. These simple decisions can make an astronomical impact, save money, and have a positive influence on generations to come.