Introduction

The Harms of Beauty has offered an insight into the wider life-worlds of consumers and sellers, following them not only as they engage with licit and illicit beauty markets, but also through their attempts to navigate a society characterized by hyper-comparison, hyper-consumption and competitive individualism. Recognizing the importance of online commerce and the internet, the empirical evidence from observations and interviews within online spaces (for example, social media sites, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube) has provided an understanding of the relationship between digital technologies, criminological activity, harm and the beauty industry. The concluding chapter will tie together the book's empirical findings with the theoretical context of this study. In doing so, it will answer the fundamental questions of why these young people use and sell counterfeit and illicit beauty products, and how they engaged with these products, before offering some recommendations to address these problems.

Aims of the book

This book set out to address the significant gap in knowledge regarding the broad range of harms related to the licit, illicit and counterfeit beauty industry and the willingness of individuals to self-harm and inflict harm on others and the environment in the pursuit of self-interest and ‘ideal’ perfection. Using life testimonies of young people, including numerous observations, informal conversations and interviews, I have tried to offer an alternative understanding of young people's involvement in illicit markets. In forging strong theoretical connections between harmful actions and the wider economic, social and cultural forces, structures and processes, this book offers a vital contribution to the criminological literature on counterfeits, crime and harm.