Cosmetics Aren't Food, or Are They?

It doesn't matter whether or not you're one of the best plastic surgeons in town or just the proverbial Joe Schmoe, beauty remains a very subjective business. That's why we're not completely surprised to see more and more cosmetics coming down the pike that seek to blur the distinction between the subjectivity of beauty with the matters of taste relating to the food world.

We're not only talking about the cosmetics that are made with such food products as avocados, coconuts, grapefruit, and the like, but ones that are marketed to people with dietary restrictions, either medically or ethically self-imposed. We were interested to see this morning a New York Times story about a new line of gluten free cosmetics. Even though some of us are board certified plastic surgeons we had to admit that we thought celiac disease was strictly related to food intake, but apparently cosmetics with gluten can be a problem for people suffering with this condition as well. Of course, as has proven the case with food, we know a number of people who are not suffering from this very real condition will nevertheless be attracted to it. While, as far as we can tell, there is absolutely no benefit to avoiding gluten for people who do not have celiac disease, if it makes people feel better to do so, who are we to tell them not to?

The New York Times also brought up another interesting trend. While products marketed as cruelty-free have been a beauty staple for some time, a company named -- both amusingly and honestly, we're sure -- Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is both cruelty-free and completely vegan.  That means, we suppose, that not only are no animals harmed in the process of using this company's products but that chickens, cows, and pigs need not apply to the company's HR department. Interestingly, the profile of Obsessive Compulsive founder David Klasfield has the cosmetics tycoon praising the very carniverous flora, the Venus flytrap, as "sort of my spirit animal" and famed autistic savant Temple Grandin, whose work might not be considered vegan friendly. (Her work involves making the farming of animals less cruel, but also more profitable for owners.) Well, it's really all in the eye of the beholder and the mouth of the taster, we suppose.

If you want to increase your beauty quotient, subjective or otherwise, now might be a good time get in touch with the top plastic surgeons of We Know Beauty. It's more than a matter of taste.