I sometimes get confused when I hear a man say that he prefers a woman to be “natural” looking. Many times, his expectations align with societal standards that describe female natural beauty as a woman who wears minimal makeup, has neatly styled hair, a fresh-faced look, and smooth, hairless skin. However, what men sometimes don’t understand is that women often have to work hard to achieve this look. “Natural” doesn’t necessarily equate to effortlessness, nor is it something that’s an inherent trait. It takes time and effort to create the appearance of being effortlessly beautiful, which often involves grooming, skincare routines, and carefully chosen products to maintain this “natural” look.
Perhaps, we need to rethink the concept of what is actually “natural” when referring to biological processes that occur without human control. In this context, gray hair is natural, yet women often spend many hours and large amounts of money to disguise the color of their hair. Similarly, hair naturally grows until it’s cut. Not many women aspire to look like Rapunzel, though this would be the result if they were truly embracing nature. Along those lines, hair continues to grow on other parts of a woman’s body when left uncut, like underarms and legs. If a woman chose to go completely “natural,” she might develop long strands of body hair on her legs and underarms, and yet, it’s unlikely that many men would applaud this decision, even though it’s entirely natural. The same can be said for letting upper lip hair grow into a mustache or embracing a unibrow, like the famous painter Frida Kahlo.
Gravity also plays a significant role in the natural aging process. As women age, their breasts begin to sag as the body’s support structures weaken under the constant pull of gravity. Historically, women have addressed this through various forms of breast support. In fact, the modern bra, patented in 1914 by Mary Phelps Jacob, was designed to counteract this natural effect. Despite breasts sagging being a natural occurrence, society has long encouraged women to defy gravity, valuing lifted, perky breasts over their natural state. This raises the question: when men say they prefer women to be “natural,” are they truly referring to the untouched reality of a woman’s body, or are they unknowingly reinforcing beauty standards that still require a considerable amount of effort and artificial intervention?
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