THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COSMETICS

The Environmental Impact of Cosmetics

Fanny G. Plata
University of Texas at El Paso
Professor Masoud
RWS 1302
CRN: 15336

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COSMETICS

Introduction
Both chosen genres involve cosmetics and its impact in the environment. Beat
the Microbead is a written article that is part of the official journal of the Society of
Environmental Engineers (Ferrara, R., 2016). Its main argument is based on the ban of
microplastic in cosmetics and other products since they have a negative impact in the
environment. The Greenpeace is trying to get more and more countries to ban the use
of cosmetics since scientists have found these microplastic inside many marine
organisms. Lush Cosmetics presents: Our Environmental Policy is a short video by the
YouTube user Lush Australasia (2012), and it visually explains the efforts of the Lush
Cosmetic Company to have a positive environmental impact and still continue to have a
successful business by doing its best to resurrect their environmental policy in order to
reduce the companys environmental footprint.
Structure and Delivery
The article, Beat the Microbead is structured in a very professional and simple
way. By the author being brief and objective about the issue, the reading becomes easy
for the audience to process and understand the topic. The organization of it is another
key concept that serves as an aid to understand what is being presented. This article
begins by describing the problems with the microbeads and explaining what they are,
then it shifts into describing what they cause, and then finalizes by describing how they
can be replaced. The article has the freedom of expressing its message to the
audience by having a layout of columns that make the reading easy to follow. However,
in some instances, the use of some specialized vocabulary can make the reading
difficult for someone who is not strongly familiarized with the subject. Lush Cosmetics

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COSMETICS

present: Our Environmental Policy is structured as a chain that is connecting one

concept after the other. The concepts are broken into different categories such as
packaging, energy, waste and recycling, transport, and communications. The video has
one very noticeable limitation that is caused by moving at a quite a fast pace from one
category to the other, which can become difficult for the audience to keep up with the
concepts and follow along with what is being presented. Not only that, but also the use
of some specialized vocabulary can also become hard for the viewer to understand.
However, the drawings made by the illustrator can be used as aids to understand the
concepts, and it also contributes to the message since it uses different colors and fonts
that catch the audiences attention during the entire video. Depending on the genre, the
author has to make decisions in order to keep the audience engaged. The directness
and shortness of each genre is what allows the audience to stay focus and not become
distracted.
Audience and Purpose
Each genre is targeted to a different audience as well as it has its own different
purpose. For example, the article was created by engineers for engineers, so the main
audience of Beat the Microbead is most likely to be engineers. However, people
interested in environmental science can also be considered a part of the audience. Its
main purpose is to inform the audience about the issues that microbeads are creating in
the environment in places like the oceans and how organizations are trying to band its
use in different countries. Besides informing the audience, the article is trying to raise
awareness in the audience by explaining that, unconsciously, they could be using daily
products containing microbeads. As for the video, the authors target audience is mostly

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COSMETICS

Lush Cosmetic consumers, but also people that are considering the purchase of the
cosmetics, or that simply are environmentalists and want to know the effects of
cosmetics. The purpose of the video is informative. It is informing the audience about
the methods used by the company in order to have a good impact in the environment.
What the video does is that it tries to bring people into understanding the companys
procedures and maybe even serve as an example of an ecofriendly company.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos and Logos
In the article, the good structure along with the use of citations from experts in
the topic, such as quotes from the research manager from the University of Eastern
Finland elevate the level of ethos on it. Logos is present in the article by the use of
percentages that help the genre gain its credibility and professionalism since it presents
real and precise information about the issue. The content of pathos in the article can
also lead the reader to become surprised or shocked by the statistics presented and
also by the description of some of the daily products containing microbeads like body or
face washes and industrial hand soap. The YouTube video mostly conveys its message
by the high use of pathos. The use of different colors, images and words used express
the videos message since it shows the importance of those elements. They also serve
to evoke a feeling of respect and appreciation towards the company for its efforts in
trying to preserve the environment by practicing different ecofriendly actions. Logos is
achieved by the use of percentages, numbers and dates, which are what bring
credibility into the video. However, as far as ethos goes, the only source of credibility
that we have in this genre is the person that is speaking over the images, since there
are no citations or interviews from any other person that has knowledge in the material

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COSMETICS

to back-up the evidence presented. Even though the creator of the video made a good
use of the other rhetorical strategies, the way logos is applied can create doubts about
the given information.
Conclusion
Based on the previous observations, it can be concluded that both genres, the
article and the video, achieved their message in their own way. Depending on what type
of learned and observer the audience is, will determine which genre was the most
successful at conveying its message. The article demonstrates that the use of some
cosmetics can become harmful to the environment while the video demonstrates that
some cosmetics can have a good impact in the environment through various ways. The
video might be more effective than the other genre since the images backup what the
narrator is telling the audience, which make more sense when reviewing the information
since there is a connection between both types of disclosure. In contrast, the article can
be tricky if the reader wants to go back and review the information one more time
because there is mostly writing on it, than any other thing. However, when looking at
both genres from an environmental perspective, both express the idea that it is
important for the consumers to be aware of the content or of the process of the products
they buy in order to understand their impact in the environment and if there is any action
they can take in order to prevent any harm they mightt cause.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COSMETICS

References
Dalton, H. (Producer), & . (2012). LUSH cosmetics presents: Our environmental
policy. [Video/DVD] TDF Films. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=lI8ao4jlzXc
Ferrara, R. (2016). Beat the microbead. Environmental Engineering,
29(4), 56-56. Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=117936887&site=ehost-live&scope=site