What The Cosmetics Industry Knows

You could be the desired, worshipped, fabulously irresistable woman in this ad. All you need is a jar of Cuticle Magic!

I've learned a bit about the cosmetics industry through my years of making cosmetics. They're experts at playing on our feminine uncertainties.

The industry is more than happy to provide answers to our unvoiced questions:
Yes, you will be desirable if you buy this product! It will make you so fabulously delicious that men will swarm around you, women will admire you, and strangers will stop you in the street – all because of the miracle ingredients in this little jar!

And we want to believe them, so we buy the product.

Creating Insecurities

The industry is unashamedly good at creating insecurities we never even knew we had:
"Are you sure you're gorgeous enough? How about your toes?"

And once they've roped us in to buying their latest product (which they do), they're experts at keeping us hooked. 

And in Some Strange Way, it Makes Sense

When you think about it, it actually makes perfect business sense. The cosmetics industry is real sharp in that area – the business area. They're so sharp, they have – despite a huge economic depression – managed to grow continuously (overall about 5% in the past year alone) .

The cosmetics industry knows how to make money. And they really seem to like what they do.

There is also some stuff they don't do.

What Cosmetics Companies Don't Do

In all of my years of researching cosmetics ingredients and studying production methods, I've never come across any evidence of the industry trying to poison anyone or destroy the planet. 
No evil plots. 
No dastardly deeds. 
No hateful chemists cooking up allergy-inducing products. 
None. 
Can't find them.

It would be out of character. It would be illogical. It would be incredibly bad for business. And we've already established that the cosmetics industry is good at business, haven't we?

I think the absolute worst things I can honestly say about the industry is: they're far too snappy with their marketing and much too happy about using petro-chemical based ingredients and tip-ins.

Now, don't ask me about that cuticle cream. I'm busy trying to duplicate it with plant-based ingredients.