Jaron Givens

Date of Award

Spring 5-11-2025

Advisor(s)

John Van Buren

Second Advisor

Sophia Huda

Abstract

The glitter of the beauty industry creates an undeniably attractive fantasy. Cosmetics and dermatology allow for finding a new sense of self through beauty. However, is beauty's fantasy world accessible to everyone, specifically the Black dance community? The beauty industry, historically and presently, has disproportionate effects on people of color communities like the Black dance community. The unsustainable practices and toxic products in the beauty industry hinder the health of Black individuals at different rates than other racial counterparts. There is still work to be done in deconstructing the racist practices of the beauty industry and in facilitating environmentally sustainable practices that do not negatively affect Black people, particularly Black dancers, physically or economically. This paper uncovers the racist and unsustainable dispositions of beauty and how it negatively impacts Black bodies, like dancers’ bodies. Chapter 1 examines the data on contemporary, environmentally unsustainable, and unhealthy disparities in the beauty space for Black bodies. Chapter 2 analyzes the historical socio-economic and health discrimination Black bodies, like Black dancers, face when encountering the beauty industry. Chapter 3 discusses the community movement for environmental justice education on beauty consumer advocacy and spotting racially harmful ingredients. Chapter 4 explores the effectiveness of acts like the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act and current state laws in the United States concerning toxic beauty products. Chapter 5 pulls on initiatives in the beauty industry's fight for sustainability and racial equity to develop policy recommendations concerning the implications of toxic beauty products on Black bodies.

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