Women in Poland examine their options in the cosmetic department. According to research, beauty and personal care in Poland were resistant to the economic slowdown with total sales showing a growth in 2009.

The cosmetics industry sells products designed to temporarily change a person's appearance. A growing segment of the industry, “cosmeceuticals” (a blend of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals), promise longer-lasting changes. Whether fleeting or more enduring, the changes the industry promises tend to correspond to prevailing standards of beauty, that is, youthful, thin, and quite often white. Cosmetics are a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States and worth $45 billion globally. Women around the world are marketed a wide array of cosmetic products and remain the largest consumer group, although in recent years an increasing number ...