The Importance of Beauty Culture

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In Korea, you all of a sudden became very aware of the fact that you have freckles. That's because it was the first comment that people would make as something that I could fix. One of the big themes that comes out of the book is this notion of labor and beauty culture. We adhere to beauty culture so much that we don't... It's cloaked in empowerment or choice, but really it does cause time and energy and resources.

Humans have always been captivated by beauty, and for almost as long, we’ve been marketed products and new technologies to help us achieve certain beauty standards. Elise Hu is a journalist and the author of “Flawless: Lessons in looks and culture from the K-beauty industry.” In this episode, she shares the fascinating insights she’s learned from years of studying the $10 billion K-beauty industry and the cutting-edge skincare, niche makeup products, and technology that promise to optimize our appearance. Elise and Chris talk about the real stakes of placing a premium on our looks, why a more inclusive version of “beauty” is worth pursuing, and how we can both enjoy and push back against the very human desire to feel beautiful. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts