Beauty as a Reflection of Identity
Beauty extends far beyond mere aesthetics; it is a profound concept that is deeply embedded in our essence, shaping our individuality. In celebration of International Beauty Day on 9th September, L’Oréal Groupe unveiled its beauty manifesto through a photographic collection titled “La belleza nos habita,” created in collaboration with artist Cristian Salvatierra. This manifesto articulates a clear vision: to redefine beauty as an act of dignity.
The principles outlined within this manifesto encompass various dimensions of beauty, including its role as an economic driver, its social and human impact, cultural heritage, creativity, health and prevention, emotional wellbeing, ethical science, diversity, longevity, and sustainability.
Ersi Pirishi, President of L’Oréal Latin America, emphasised during the launch event at the Kaluz Museum in Mexico City that beauty in Latin America transcends luxury or superficiality. It is a strategic sector with significant resilience, directly influencing the health, dignity, and development of the region’s 670 million inhabitants.
The Economic and Ecological Impact of Beauty
Pirishi highlighted the beauty industry’s ability to achieve continuous growth, even within challenging market environments. According to her, L’Oréal has a substantial multiplier effect on the region’s economy. For instance, in Mexico, every direct job created by L’Oréal leads to 15 additional jobs in the national economy, resulting in over 46,670 total jobs. In Brazil, where the company operates a Research and Innovation Centre, the ratio is approximately 1 to 14, generating more than 43,300 jobs.
However, L’Oréal’s leadership in the Latin American sector is not solely reliant on strategic initiatives; it also hinges on a commitment that spans from the development of new formulations to the final product reaching consumers. The company collaborates with stylists, dermatologists, and retailers, ensuring operations run on 100% renewable energy, promoting ethical and cruelty-free science, and implementing social programmes to identify skin irregularities. Such initiatives are integral to their operations across 17 markets in the region.
Beauty as Cultural Heritage
Cultural expression transcends literature, monuments, or historical archives; it is also conveyed through our physical forms, hairstyles, and the scents we incorporate into our daily rituals. Thus, beauty can be perceived as a form of heritage, preserving what a community deems worthy of transmission and celebration. In many instances, it can serve as a means of resistance.
Latin America is a tapestry of diverse roots, histories, and origins. Each face and hair type tells a story that defies singular standards. L’Oréal Groupe acknowledges that this diversity is integral to their research and innovation processes, aiming to create products tailored to varied characteristics and needs. For instance, their Research and Innovation teams employ scientific methods to study hair diversity across different regions, measuring physical attributes such as curl diameter, curl index, wave count, and how strands group together. In Brazil, a nation known for its diverse population, the company has identified at least six distinct curl types.
Innovating Beauty Through Technology
Additionally, L’Oréal Groupe collaborates with Dassault Systèmes, a French software company, to develop a tool that generates 3D models of various hair types. This cutting-edge technology enables the visualisation of different hair sections, facilitating the study of biological mechanisms and enhancing the understanding of the relationship between hair roots and curl formation.
Embracing Personal Beauty
For L’Oréal Groupe, beauty is not merely about the image we project to the world; it also encompasses how we perceive ourselves. Cristian Salvatierra’s portrayal of various individuals within the company reinforces the notion that everyone has the power to be the author of their own image and engage actively in its creation.
This exhibition raises one of the most profound questions of human experience: “Who can I become?” The faces captured in “La belleza nos habita” represent a diverse spectrum of identities, inviting reflection on the myriad possibilities of self-expression and beauty.