What is Beauty?
Like most people, you probably know beauty when you see it. Also, like many, you may be challenged when asked to describe or define beauty. To understand beauty, to be beautiful, or to define beauty, it’s helpful to find a reasonable and scientifically sound understanding of what beauty is. And why we, as humans, have a response to beauty.
The pursuit of the elusive and obscure
In all my research, I can’t find one easy or consistent definition of beauty. Truth is, there are several ways to describe and explain beauty. It’s quite elusive, difficult to intellectualize and very subjective in its definition. This is similar to scent - subjective, elusive and bypasses intellectual interpretation. Both beauty and scent are the core of my work and lifestyle. They are also similarly key to our survival as a species. So, it’s quite synergistic that I’d be attracted to the elusiveness and obscurity of both scent and beauty.
The benefit of a beauty definition
That said, I have come up with a workable definition. Or better, an understanding of what beauty is. Why do I, or you, even need a definition of beauty? The world has turned and evolved for millennia without a clear beauty definition.
My pursuit wasn’t intentional. It was triggered when I read Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty (Nancy Etcoff 1999). This book increased my desire to “explain” beauty. I went deeper than just explaining. I wanted to use this understanding to improve, expand and make my work in beauty more effective.
The definition I will present has a benefit. It will effectively enhance your personal beauty goals. It’s especially useful for the beauty therapist, whatever that role may be.
Chemotaxis: attraction and aversion
We can start this journey with the earliest life form on this planet, the one-celled (prokaryotic) organism. Cells use a system called chemotaxis, a system that continues with eukaryotic cells. Chemotaxis is a response to chemicals that drives attraction and aversion. If the chemical was food, sex or in other ways beneficial to the organism, it was attracted. Poison or dangerous chemicals triggered aversion, moving away from the chemical. Chemotaxis, attraction and aversion, is a function that cells in our body use.
Beauty, at its core, is about attraction. Where is the beauty in this eukaryote example? It’s not quite there - yet. I’m going to use this function of chemotaxis as a biological basis of beauty. It’s a primary beauty antenna.
Attraction
Chemotaxis can be considered a sense similar to the sense of smell. Sexual attraction between multi-celled organisms is due to pheromones. These are the chemical compounds common in living organisms to find a mate, among other functions depending on the type of pheromone. What does this mean regarding beauty? First, it forms the primary logic of my beauty definition. It’s about attraction for reproductive purposes.
Ilanna Strauss in a Nov 2020 Atlantic Magazine article stated “lots of single-celled creatures can reproduce both asexually (cloning themselves) and sexually (combining DNA with another organism to create offspring).” Pheromones are part of the attraction in sharing DNA for reproduction. “Organisms that send out more pheromones are more attractive. After all, putting tons of energy into producing pheromones shows strength.” Through their “sense of smell,” prokaryotes, and other organisims, are attracted to a reproductive mate demonstrating strength. Evolve this activity through the animal kingdom and you’ll find beauty attraction is about finding the strongest mate. Why?
The biology of beauty
In the intricate dance of evolution, beauty is far from superficial - it's a vital signal, a beacon of health and genetic robustness. Take a moment to envision the animal kingdom, where the most dazzling displays reign supreme: the peacock with its radiant plumage, the mandrill with its vividly hued posterior, and the alpha whose sheer strength commands attention.
These extravagant displays of color and might aren’t for show - they’re the gold standard of health and genetic prowess. It's as if these creatures are strutting down the runway of life, flashing the badge of parasite-free vitality and genetic superiority. It's beauty with a purpose: the siren call to reproduction, ensuring the endurance of species. Nancy Etcoff, in her astute observations, extends this concept to our own species, noting that "a glorious mane of hair, clear skin, and a lean muscular body are visual certificates of health."
Ornamental traits in animals, like bright plumage, often signal underlying positive attributes such as health and intelligence, which are advantageous for natural selection. These desirable qualities are also likely to be passed down to future generations, reinforcing the role of physical attractiveness in evolutionary processes.
In essence, beauty is not just about looking good - it’s the natural world's way of declaring, "I'm the best mate for you.” Every sequined feather and every flexed muscle, ensures that life doesn't just survive, but thrives. Beauty is evolution's own version of a dating app, matching genetic health with willing mates, all in the name of life's magnificent continuity.
Aversion to ill health
The opposite of attraction is aversion. What is a typical response to disease? Aversion appears to be a preprogrammed response to ill health. The once shiny and thick coat of a dog that has become parasite ridden or diseased, is no longer beautiful but repulsive.
Don't mistake the allure of beauty for the tug of compassion. Witnessing a healthy, radiant dog, our innate beauty-meter reads attraction. Conversely, the sight of a mangy dog initially repels us. Yet, swiftly, intellect intervenes, compassion takes over, urging us to aid the afflicted. This is a departure from the primal allure of beauty - a testament to the depth and complexity of our human responses.
Everything in nature displays beauty when it is healthy. A lush, growing field is beautiful and attractive. When the land is abused, polluted, or clear-cut, it becomes ugly. Triggering the “move away from” response. Nature, when healthy, is beautiful. When disease is present in humans, other animals, and nature, it becomes unattractive.
Though there is ample evidence to demonstrate how beauty is a display of a healthy individual, there is little research that explains the response for aversion. Tybur and Gangestad, in their 2011 study, suggested that “animals should often be expected, then, to possess adaptations that function to avoid disease through preferential mating.”
The definition, or understanding, of beauty
The conclusion isn’t that beauty is all about sex. It’s about health. Beauty is an evolutionary response to health.
Here’s my definition:
“Beauty is a biological ‘feeling’ and attraction to health that benefits the survival of the species.”
My definition deserves more detail and only addresses the biological function for a beauty response. There are definitely layers to how and why we respond to what is attractive. Dig deep enough you find beauty is the response and attraction to health. Evidenced by the vibrant, nourishing meal that tempts our senses, the majestic mountain view that beckons us to the restorative embrace of nature, and the harmonious melodies of beautiful music that resonate with our inner sense of peace and well-being.
There’s more to beauty than meets the genes
There is beauty beyond the biological function. Social conditioning is definitely a powerful influence to our beauty reactions. Fashionable beauty is quite different than innate beauty. In this discussion we can dismiss much of what is learned or trendy. This is because, as with many of the biology fighting social conditioning, health will always override any subjective, learned or stubbornly held on to view of beauty.
The neck rings are a potent symbol of power and female beauty in a matriarchal society.
The beauty intention
Whether you find value in having a clear definition of beauty is totally up to you. It really won’t matter unless you find a purpose in its use.
In my world, this definition is an intention. That intention is health. Beauty is a pursuit of health, whether as an individual or professional. What this beauty definition does is to make the pursuit of health the overriding beauty goal.
The thing is, most beauty practices have been developed to mimic health. The blush, lipstick, creams and techno restructuring, over the years, have been designed to mimic the biology of a youthful, healthy appearance. This is an attempt to mimic reproductive viability. These techniques do not enhance or create the look of authentic health.
Check out all the facelifts and techno body restructuring and similar. These techniques do not generate the same response as genuine beauty. It’s a distorted beauty, biologically out of synch with true health. When a healthy functioning body and strong immune system is the intention, beauty is the result.
Keep this in mind. Beauty may seem to diminish after reproductive age, though a healthy vibrant body, at any age, will still appear attractive.
Beauty facial structure
This part can’t be ignored. The analysis has determined that there is a face that can be deemed, across all social and racial conditions, to be beautiful or handsome. Lots of research has been done on this including the “Marquardt Beauty Mask,” a mathematical design that demonstrates a physical human facial structure that is “beautiful.” All good though. We don’t all fit the beauty mask. Though it is nice to have the perfect face. An unquestionably beautiful or handsome face and body gets you places - career advancement, better grades, more social engagement, etc.
the “Marquardt Beauty Mask,” a mathematical design that demonstrates a physical human facial structure that is “beautiful.”
Changing the face, through collagen injections, facial surgery or other techno-facial restructuring, won’t make these benefits happen. Health will! In this presentation, I’m suggesting that health is an overriding attractor. The perfect beautiful facial features on an unhealthy diseased body will not be attractive. A so-called average beauty, when healthy and vibrant, will trigger an attractive response.
The results from a beauty is health intention
Accepting that health and beauty are intertwined leads to a logical conclusion. Any personal beauty goal, such as glowing skin, clear eyes, or firm thighs and buttocks, depends on a healthy body and mind. This requires a well-balanced and nutritionally nourished lifestyle.
Logic suggests that skin impurities and damage are signals that disease, toxicity, or systemic imbalance is present within the body. The skin condition is a symptom of disease or ill-health. Health must be regained to eliminate and correct a skin condition and to achieve overall beauty.
Beauty is a health goal
Our goal is health. I’ve made that clear, right? The model is holistic. The current trend in beauty, and nature, is sustainability and environmental consciousness. We want the whole planet to be healthy. This holistic model is the ideal for overall health of the planet and the people on it. It’s beautiful.
I haven’t offered any techniques, methods or systems for beauty health. I have those all over the place within years of articles, blogs and products I formulate. The intention in this writing is to inspire a health intention. Developing a mindset and goal of health as beauty.
That’s all it takes. An intention of beauty health. I know that most in the beauty industry understand this. They just aren’t making the biological holistic connection between beauty and health. I was the same way until I read Survival of the Prettiest. It was an aha moment.
Focus on your health. If you’re a professional, focus on holistic wellness for your clients. Use products that are plant-based and holistically therapeutic. Practice mindfulness and incorporate wellness therapies into your life or spa. Always keeping in mind the health intention. That is true beauty.