Preface

While serving as the editor for the book The Perception of Beauty, I was struck by all the different iterations of beauty. Through my work in the field of eating disorders and at Penn State College of Medicine, I have found that many young adults struggle with poor body image and low self-esteem. We are all inundated by media images that push us towards a vision of perfection. The video Evolution by Dove shows how many alterations go into creating media images. There is a staff for hair and makeup, which take hours to do, and then the images themselves are altered digitally to make them even more "beautiful." This impossible persona is then presented to the public as an ideal, yet it is not attainable in real life.

When I edited that first book, I expected stories about body image. How could that not be a focus with all the overwhelming messages related to beauty that are perpetuated by the media? Some chapters did address those issues, but others looked at different views of beauty in art and science. I learned how beauty is perceived and presented in a variety of venues. That same pleasant surprise came with this volume as well. While some of the chapters do focus on eating disorders and body image, others take us down additional avenues so that we can consider the beauty of creative thought and scientific alterations in the pursuit of beauty.

## *Beauty - Cosmetic Science, Cultural Issues and Creative Developments* is divided into three sections.

Section 1 encourages us to recognize beauty in nature and ourselves.

Chapter 1, "Sense of Beauty and Creativity," considers how beauty leads to contemplation, observation and, ultimately, to creativity. When we witness the world around us, we discover new connections to our thoughts, to each other, and to our limitless possibilities.

Chapter 2, "Environmental Art and Wilderness: The Stakes of Beauty," allows us to travel with the artist as she explores places of wilderness. In the words of the author, "…it is a question of thinking of the place from the perspective of the body and conversely of thinking of the body from the perspective of the place in which it is immersed." Through this work, readers are invited to experience how the wildness of nature can stir the same wildness in our souls.

Chapter 3, "Identity, Self-Identity and Beauty in Chinese Female Worker," provides a beautiful and rich dissection of the poem "The Sundress," written by Wuxia, a migrant worker in Shenzhen. The author leads us through the poem's imagery and interweaves an understanding of the role that culture can take in shaping one's sense of beauty and self-acceptance.

Section 2 looks at formal and natural sciences as they related to Beauty.

Chapter 4, "Beauty in Mathematics: Symmetry and Fractality," examines opposite ends of beauty—from stable order to the self-organization of chaos. While we can all readily accept beauty in symmetry, it may be harder to see beauty in chaos. Yet, the author encourages us to see the beauty of both sides.

Chapter 5, "Cosmetovigilance in Hair Straighteners: Determination of Formaldehyde Content by Spectrophotometry and Label Evaluation," examines the formaldehyde content in various hair straighteners. Society often pushes individuals to use products to obtain a "standardized" beauty that can put them at risk. The results lead to a call for vigilance and oversight to ensure safety for consumers.

Chapter 6, "Nanocosmetics: Production, Characterization, and Performance Improvement," looks at nanoparticles that are used in certain products, such as sunscreens and moisturizers. These particles have improved ultraviolet protection and help with the controlled release of active ingredients. This chapter provides an understanding of products designed to help protect our skin and its natural beauty.

Chapter 7, "Chalcones in Dermatology," examines the role of chalcones to treat a number of skin conditions, such as vitiligo and psoriasis. Our skin is the canvas of our external beauty. Many individuals struggle with skin conditions that can then also affect their sense of self. Our external beauty is often tied to our self-esteem.

Chapter 8, "Maxillofacial Defects: Impact on Psychology and Esthetics," examines beauty as it relates to alterations of the face. The authors examine the effects facial defects can have on the psyche of the individual and in interpersonal relationships. They offer guidelines to help clinicians consider the emotional toll of both the injuries and the rehabilitative procedures.

Section 3 examines interpersonal influences on external and internal beauty.

Chapter 9, "Decoding the Signals of Facial Attractiveness: A Communication Theory Perspective," looks at ways in which the face transmits a wide range of social signals. Using the communication theory perspective, the author discusses ways that faces and attractiveness provide instant tools that alert us to the potential for cooperation or aversion within social interaction.

Chapter 10, "Social Media and Its Effects on Beauty," looks at the impact that social networking sites have on the perception of beauty. The author looks at the positives and negatives of a "selfie culture," where individuals turn to social media sites for a sense of self-acceptance.

Chapter 11, "Blossoming for Whom? Social Approval and Body Image," delves further into the role of media and the approval of others as we evaluate our body image and sense of self. The author describes, "When we put a category of qualities on the pedestal, we are essentially labeling people who do not possess such qualities as inadequate." How do we maintain a positive view of ourselves when we are subjected to messages that diminish certain types of beauty?

Chapter 12, "Do Individuals with Eating Disorders See Their Own External and/or Internal Beauty?" considers some of the reasons individuals with eating disorders struggle to appreciate their own beauty, internally as well as externally. It encourages us all to become more compassionate to ourselves and to strive for self-acceptance rather than rigorous perfectionism and self-hatred.

While I was beginning work on this book, our family suffered the loss of a friend, Anna, who was a beautiful person, both inside and out. She pulled everyone she met into her orbit of positivity. She was full of energy and interested in everyone and everything, from public transportation to chocolate. Her memory reminds me of the goals of this book—to find beauty in our lives. To find beauty in all of its glorious forms. That is one of the joys in editing these chapters—people have many different views and insights into beauty. I hope that by reading this volume, you find a new perception, jog a new thought, or make a new connection to fuel your ingenuity. I hope that you work to practice self-compassion and find that beauty is there in both the symmetry and chaos of life. I hope that you recognize beauty in yourself and all those around you.

> **Martha Peaslee Levine, MD** Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Humanities, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

> > **Júlia Scherer Santos, Ph.D.** Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Brazil
