Keke Palmer’s Not So Pretty Docuseries Exposes The Beauty Industry’s Ugly Secrets

We’re all a bit obsessed with our appearances from adopting intensive skincare regimes to intricate nail art designs. And there are hundreds of beauty treatments and products out there to make us feel our absolute best. The beauty industry has made billionaires out of superstars like Rihanna with Fenty Beauty and Kylie Jenner with Kylie Cosmetics, which is exactly why the cosmetics and personal care industry is valued at 500 billion dollars in 2022. But everything that glitters isn’t gold and now a new series is about to unveil the ugly truth about the beauty industry.

Not So Pretty is a new HBO docuseries from groundbreaking filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, the duo behind award-winning The Invisible War and Allen v Farrow. The four-part series, which will be released on HBO Max and Now TV on Apr. 14, is narrated by actress and internet fave Keke Palmer, and each 30 minute episode will reveal the hidden dangers of the beauty industry from the ingredients found in our favourite products to the shocking impact they can have on our bodies.

In one scene from the trailer, one expert states that one of the biggest buyers of petrochemicals (the chemicals used to manufacture materials such as synthetic rubber, fibres, and plastics) is the beauty industry. In another scene, a scientist analyses several beauty samples to find that all of them contain asbestos, a harmful ingredient which may increase the risk of several serious diseases, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.

There's definitely a lot to learn and that is exactly why narrator Keke Palmer became a part of the project. “I'm big on self-help and in order to best help yourself, you need information,” Palmer shared in a statement. “I can't tell you how much I learned from working on Not So Pretty. Each session inspired an 'OMG I HAD NO IDEA!' moment and then I became relieved to be a part of something that can help break these myths and encourage personal autonomy within the beauty industry which can only come with knowledge. You can't choose wisely when you don't know what to look for! This show will illuminate that and it's really empowering.”

Not So Pretty Release Date

Not So Pretty will be available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S from Apr. 14. For UK viewers, the docuseries will be available to stream on Now TV on the same day.

Not So Pretty Trailer

The first official trailer for Not So Pretty dropped on Apr. 7, giving the beauty-obsessed a peek into how unregulated the beauty industry truly is. This four-part series is going to be eye-opening and possibly stomach-churning, so maybe relax with a soothing face mask (and check the ingredients first).