THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY by Aldous Huxley

THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY

                                                                                                     Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was a famous English novelist, poet and short story writer.  He was a prolific write and experienced with all forms of literature and provided a vast variety of material: novel, poetry, drama, travel books, short stories and biographies.

The Beauty Industry’ is a satirical essay by Huxley. He satirizes in a light way the most cherished habit of women, that of decorating themselves by using different beauty products. In the essay the writer very masterly tells the difference between a real beauty and artificial beauty. The artificial beauty is that which the women get by using the beauty products. It is only skin deep beauty. There is no attraction in this type of beauty. The writer gives a rough estimation that the American women spend one hundred and fifty six millions dollar a year on their faces and bodies. The women have become freer and more socialist than the past; therefore they try to decorate their body in order to look beautiful. In America, the old women have become very rare. The writer also gives an example to explain it. These women are just like china porcelain which looks very beautiful outwardly but id full of slime, dead leaves, spiders and flies from inside.

Huxley is of the view that real beauty is the beauty of character. The beauty of character is not I need of ant type of beauty products. If a woman has spiritual beauty, it reflects from the face and this beauty attracts others. .He gives the example of two girls who fulfilled all the requirements but they could not impress the writer as they lacked the spiritual beauty I, e. the beauty of character. The writer focuses on having good health. A healthy body has a healthy look. A woman of poor health can never be looked beautiful though she even uses different beauty products.

According to Huxley, what is real beauty?

The Beauty Industry’ is a satirical essay by Aldous Huxley. In this essay he makes fun of the women who decorate and paint their body in order to look beautiful. It is said that in the world-wide economic slump of 1930, all the industries of the world stopped except one industry that went on working and that was the industry of producing beauty product.

As compared to past, the women of the present times have become more social. This is why they paint their faces to join public meetings. But Huxley is of the view that beauty got by the artificial ways is not real beauty. The beauty got by this way is wit out attraction. Huxley tells that he met two women who were fulfilling all the requirements of beauty, yet there was no attraction in them. The artificial beauty is like the beauty of China porcelain that looks very beautiful outwardly but gives stinking smell inwardly.

According to Huxley, real beauty is the beauty of character and soul. If a woman is beautiful in this sense, she can be called real beautiful woman otherwise not at all. It is said that the face is the index of the heart. Spiritual beauty glimpses on the face and it creates attraction and this attraction attracts others. 

A healthy life style and a healthy body are the source of becoming beautiful. If there is a social justice in the society, the people living in that society are really beautiful. Huxley is in favor of the beauty of character and the beauty of soul. So, one must focus on this type of beauty , if one  wants to be real beautiful. 
Beauty of soul is of great importance. In human it is the only beauty that makes someone attractive. If one has the beauty of soul ,he can be called the beautiful in the real sense.Beauty of soul creates a magnetic force in the man. This magnetic force attracts others. The beauty got by the use of  beauty products is a cheat and an artificial beauty.

Important points
1.The only industry which remained unaffected during the economic depression of 1929-34
2. The American women spend more than 156 million dollars in a year that is more than double revenue of India budget in a year.
3.With passage of time , the women of America prospered and they started decorating their faces and body with beauty products.
4. The women became freer and freer and also status conscious.
5. In America and allover the world the old ladies are becoming antique as they garnish their bodies with beauty enhancing products.( This is Huxley s' most satirical remark)