In the modern world powered by social media, it is hard not to come by edited photos that show perfect skin. Flawless skin, without blemishes, marks, dark spots, or acne, is a standard everyone is eager and expected to follow. While having a skincare routine is great for self-care and maintaining healthy skin, nobody should be striving for an unattainable level of perfection. Celebrating and appreciating one’s natural human skin is what the new skin positivity movement is all about.
Advertisements and the beauty industry at large are promoting bright, tight, and impeccably clear skin. Refuting that, skin positivity encompasses the idea of embracing your skin and its shine, no matter if it is affected by some skin condition. An offshoot of the larger body positivity movement, skin positivity is gaining traction and shows a raw, natural side of beauty.
What is skin positivity?
Skin positivity is a social movement that seeks to normalize the perception and definition of what normal skin is and what it should look like. It challenges traditional beauty standards and encourages people to appreciate their real skin. Real skin can include anything from acne and discoloration to more serious skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, vitiligo, etc. Being part of the skin positivity movement means loving your skin no matter what it looks like, and motivating and inspiring others to do the same.
Common myths about acne
As one of the most common skin conditions, acne is commonly regarded as a reflection of bad hygiene or poor dietary habits. Besides this, there are several other myths, such as acne only affects teenagers, popping pimples helps them heal faster, acne-prone skin does not need to be moisturized, and so on. All these myths set wrong beauty standards, and the skin positivity movement is here to set the record straight.
Although a great skincare routine can help treat acne, healthy skin is not always blemish free. Also, keep in mind that healthy skin looks different from person to person. History has shown that some beauty brands wrongly portray certain skin conditions as an example of "bad" skin. Targeting these insecurities has led to setting high and unreachable beauty standards. We promote self-care and self-acceptance through diverse, sustainable and ethical practices.