Shifting the definition of beauty

A report from Driving Racial Equality in Aesthetic Medicine (DREAM) has provided a new understanding of what inclusive and representative beauty looks like today, with a focus on how Eurocentric ideals affect women of colour.

Of the 4,000 women aged 21-65 surveyed, only 17% expressed that racial beauty is accepted by society. In addition, one in four Black, Hispanic, and Multi-Racial women believe that society’s standards of beauty are racist.

The report, titled Forces of Beauty, explores what defines beauty, the interplay between beauty and race and how it impacts the lives of women. It also revealed that just over half (52%) of women agree that “anyone can be beautiful,” despite only 11% of women saying that society makes them feel beautiful.

“We are in a position, as industry leaders, to drive the necessary change within the aesthetics industry,” said Jonah Shacknai, executive chairman of skinbetter Science, which developed the report with Allergan Aesthetics. “We need to create a candid dialogue about racial representation and perceptions within our aesthetics community.”

“Historically, the industry hasn’t included all women in its definition of beauty,” added Carrie Strom, senior vice president at AbbVie and president of global Allergan Aesthetics. “As industry leaders, our goal is to create a more equitable beauty and aesthetics industry that focuses on diversity, representation, and inclusion. That is what Forces of Beauty is about, impacting change and creating a space where the origins of beauty are honoured, the definition of beauty is vastly expanded upon, and where uniqueness is the standard.”

The report will be brought to life through a video series produced by Shutterstock Studios featuring four women sharing their stories and experiences. Each chapter will support the report’s overall findings: that women of all races strongly believe that “one of us cannot represent all of us”; that the standard of beauty should not be defined by only one group; and, that the origins of beauty and cultural practices be celebrated without being exploited.

Coinciding with the report launch, the DREAM Initiative will also unveil a firstof-its-kind partnership in the aesthetics category with Shutterstock Studios and introduce a royalty-free gallery of diverse images to the public. The collection includes thousands of images showcasing beauty across race, culture, gender, age, ability level, and body type, to illustrate the report’s key takeaway, that “one of us is not the face of all of us”, encouraging industry peers to use these assets and creating the first step towards a more equitable industry.