I hope that, having read this book, you now share my passion for natural skin care as it inspires a new concept of beauty. In this modern age, we must change our old definition to one that fits the world we live in and benefits our society.
To me, beauty is a feeling. While it means different things to different people, I describe it as “good health,” which makes us radiate vibrancy and fullness. When we see beauty, we experience awe.
I remember overhearing a conversation about the Northern Lights in my doctor’s office. The receptionist was talking to one of the other patients about having seen them, and she said it was the most beautiful experience she’d ever had. Whenever she is depressed, she remembers that vision and feels her spirits lift.
Whether it is found in a person, a place, or an object, beauty is something weighted with a sense of happiness, contentedness, and purpose in living. When we feel beautiful, we feel grounded and confident enough to face the world with happiness and pride. Many people are so desperate for this feeling that they will undertake dangerous procedures to possess it. Such practices are never really effective in the long term, because they are based on an unhealthy idea of beauty and impossible expectations.
Beauty has always been a reflection of cultural norms and values. It is symbolic of who we want to be and what we admire. In the agrarian age, beauty was about youth and fertility. Robustness and stamina were prized because they represented the ability to procreate and contribute to the community’s survival. Traces of this view still exist as a biological predisposition. As civilization progressed, society began to appreciate full-bodied women who showed no aptitude for manual work, reflecting leisure-class status. These divergent views show how much beauty is about a desired lifestyle rather than the physical magnetism of an ideal.
With the coming of the industrial age, people accepted a more manufactured idea of beauty. The productivity of standard rules for the legal system, workplace, and consumer goods was reflected in a standardized view of beauty. It became associated with mannequin-like faces and sculpted, cookie-cutter bodies. We are still very much in this era, which is why many women wish for more chiseled features, longer legs, and tinier waists to match society’s conventional tastes.
But there are signs that we are entering a more knowledge-focused age in which we must change our definition of beauty just as we are changing our values. With new social issues, new threats to our survival, and new technology, we must align our views of what is attractive and desirable to reflect our new culture.
Beauty must become an embodiment of wisdom, consciousness, and self-empowerment. This supports a move toward a less excessive, less uncompromising, and more inclusive definition. This is why I hope this book becomes a useful part of how we can improve the way we live. It promotes not only clear skin and a healthy body, but also self-respect and a positive perspective of beauty.
Change must come from us first. We often think society must do the changing, forgetting that collectively we are society. It is our responsibility to help change general beliefs and get rid of the self-sabotaging ones.
This understanding came to me while I was listening to the radio. There was a discussion about pornography’s influence on sexual roles in our society. The speaker, who had written a book on the subject, stressed how much the sex industry has shaped what we think of as “sexy,” because so many young people look to Internet pornography as a guide to sexual dynamics. He described these dynamics as misogynistic and stated that this would have long-term repercussions on women’s self-image. More interesting, he introduced the finding that some women believed pornography to be empowering because it asserted female desirability. He thought this reflected the dysfunction of female roles in our society and stated, “Any woman knows beauty is fleeting in our society, as it is considered synonymous with youth. If a woman cannot sustain sexual attractiveness through maturity, the idea of power through sex is a fallacy.”
This spurred an epiphany for me: it is often women who accept these images and promote them to each other. Yet when dominated by this youthful, pornographic image, we can never feel beautiful from middle age on. It is up to us to change this social norm to a more positive one. Because I do not believe beauty is about being perfectly proportioned, I have found women attractive because of the power in their voices; I have found men attractive because of the beauty of their intentions; and I have found myself to be most beautiful when I am living my life in a holistic way.
So I hope this book gives you not only the tools and knowledge you need to maintain your body, but also an understanding of how subtle, healthy practices can yield powerful and positive outcomes. Beauty, as an intangible feeling of being comfortable in your own skin, affects how you conduct yourself. If you feel ugly or out of balance, you may not be in the right headspace to be open-minded, unselfish, and positive.
A change in the definition of beauty is a change in the way we view our world. We must commit ourselves to this responsibility. I see people gravitating toward it already. It is not my movement; it is a natural change that resonates with many individuals. Pure + simple has been successful not only because natural skin care is in vogue, but because it is a company that aligns itself with the way its customers want to live.
I believe the Pure + simple concept involves both a method of self-care and a lifestyle. This new cultural phenomenon is about respect for others, the environment, and ourselves. It is about a world where ideas will be more valuable than goods and where status will come through societal contribution instead of an accumulation of wealth. It is a change that must happen if we are going to ensure the health of our communities.
The future is ambiguous, but I have faith that we will enter an age of consciousness and flexibility, when the old, rigid norms become out-dated and inapplicable. Beauty, as superficial as people may consider it, is central to this change, because beauty is really about embodying what we value.
Beauty made pure and simple makes me excited for the future.