Is HBO’s ‘Not So Pretty’ an Accurate Portrayal of the Beauty Industry?

“I am SHOOK right now.”

“We can’t do, use, or buy anything!”

“Just threw away like half my makeup.”

“[This is] scaring the shit out of me right now.”

“I can’t believe these [beauty] companies are trying to slowly kill us.”

These are just several of the terrified responses to the HBO documentary series “Not So Pretty,” now going viral on social media platforms, and especially on TikTok. Many women now worry their compact pressed powder will give them cancer, that manufacturers don’t safety-test a single ingredient, and so on. Eyeshadow palettes, sunscreen, shampoo …. all getting chucked this week.

But is the fear warranted? 

No. This docu-series missed many of the fundamental concepts about chemistry and formulation. As one cosmetic chemist told me, the filmmakers didn't seem to understand that ingredients alone are not the same as ingredients in a formula.

It is also quite biased and heavy-handed, if not sensationalized. “Not So Pretty” heavily relies on emotional anecdotes but skimps on rele…