Why Beauty Services Are Positive for Our Mental Health.
Society seems to be split between people who tell us to love and embrace our natural body and those who say women (and men) should strive to look a certain way and maintain a premium appearance at all times. Fending off judgement and trying to be happy in who we are as individuals is difficult in an age where everything is so easily, and often so publicly, shared online. With the rise of influencer marketing, the slope to a decreasing self worth grows steeper as we pit our bodies against one another.
The beauty industry has an estimated worth of $US532 billion worldwide. The average Australian woman will spend $3,600 on beauty products each year. These may seem like astronomical figures, but when we consider the different categories of beauty (products and services across hair, skin, makeup, face and body) this number seems to make a little more sense. But even so, why does the average woman spend $70 a week on beauty products – especially as the cost of living is on the rise?
Why do we spend so much money on beauty?
Even in the wake of a global pandemic, the beauty industry has barely taken a hit. Whilst beauty services like hairdressers, salons and spas have become more limited as stores have had to shut their doors – temporarily or otherwise – online and mobile sales and services are thriving. The coronavirus pandemic has offered a taste of what the world would be like without access to the everyday services we tend to take for granted. As a result, more women than ever are taking their beauty into their own hands, stocking up on their favourite products and learning to mimic the beauty treatments they would receive from the spa.
The old adage “all dressed up with nowhere to go” has never made more sense than right now. Even though we have been stood down, are not venturing outside of the house, or are continuing to work from home, it seems that we are still putting effort into our appearance. This is because, especially with the world in such a tumultuous state, at least we can still control how we look.
A one-of-a-kind opportunity.
Many of us have had more time on our hands than ever before. We’ve set about putting it to good use by watching tutorials and reading DIY blogs to fill the void that the usual beauty appointment would normally fill. With all of this time, we’ve allowed ourselves to experiment with makeup, trialled cutting our own hair, and allowed our skin to experience new products – or wearing nothing at all for the first time in a long time.
Many women have realised just how important beauty is to their mental wellbeing. We put our faces and our bodies on display each and every day, whether it be for our personal benefit, or for that of others, or because our jobs specify a preferred look. Some of us have learned to love the process of applying makeup, and some of us thoroughly enjoy our nighttime skin routine. While we can’t make beauty blanket statements, we know that self care is vital to our mental health.
Feeling good is beautiful.
Beauty is an essential service. Taking care of ourselves physically is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves internally. Just the same as a moderated diet and regular exercise is healthy for us, taking care of our appearance is equally healthy for us. Some people like to exercise when they feel stressed; others prefer a massage, or a hot bath, or a face mask. These are things we find soothing, and they are often more accessible to us, especially in a climate where staying at home and socially distancing is paramount.
We know things are tough right now and that your access to high-quality, low-risk beauty and wellness services is limited. Purely Polished is here to help with all your physical beauty needs. We understand that beauty is more than just a superficial industry – it is something that allows women to be expressive, individual, and dedicate some rare and exclusive time to just being yourself.
