Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM: Campus Center Auditorium [A1]

Microbe-Influencers: How Microbes Have Influenced Beauty Standards Around The World

Presenter: Chelsea Rose Scanlon

Faculty Sponsor: Jean Kennedy

School: Quinsigamond Community College

Research Area: Biology

ABSTRACT

Beauty standards have evolved widely across cultures and historical periods, influenced by social norms, aesthetic ideals, and biological factors. One intriguing aspect is how interactions with microorganisms have shaped beauty practices from ancient times to the modern era. 

For instance, in ancient Egypt, kohl eyeliner served aesthetic purposes and provided antimicrobial benefits, protecting eyes from infections. In early Europe, powder-based cosmetics indicated elite status while masking body odor and covering signs of diseases like syphilis and smallpox. The romanticization of tuberculosis led to a resurgence of pale skin and emaciated looks. In Japan, Ohaguro, or teeth blackening, was considered beautiful and a sign of loyalty until Western ideas deemed it uncivilized, eventually leading to its ban in 1870.

In Africa, ochre served both decorative and insect-repellent purposes, highlighting how beauty practices evolved with environmental challenges. In the United States, early weight-loss methods exploited tapeworms, intertwining beauty norms with health risks.

Today, contemporary standards continue to be informed by microbiology, as demonstrated by the cosmetic use of Clostridium botulinum, known as Botox. These examples show that beauty is not just a social effort; it is influenced by our interactions with microorganisms. This highlights the biological complexities that shape our ideas of beauty over time and across cultures.

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