S6E2: The Origins of Women's Beauty Standards

The topic of women's beauty standards has been talked about for centuries. And as women entered the workforce, gendered social control increased regulations on what a woman should wear, how she should do her makeup, and even the hair on her body. For women, hairless and smooth skin has long been a social standard that signifies beauty—more than 99% of US women voluntarily remove some form of body hair. But body hair removal goes much deeper than the surface. In S6E2, Margaux, Leen, and Lina discuss the origins of societal beauty standards, why body hair—or lack of it—has been a symbol of racial progress and superiority, and share their own personal experiences with the expectations of beauty for a woman.