Cosmetics Industry

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 ...