How to practice skin positivity

Whether you have suffered with your skin throughout your life or not, the truth is we have all long been conscious – almost squeamish – about real skin.

Of course, not everyone has suffered with skin problems (in the sense that they are a diagnosed medical condition), but we are all self-conscious of it. Many people who have suffered with acne will recall the time they found it hard to relate to their naturally zit-free friend complaining about that rare“massive spot”on their forehead. Sometimes even people with the clearest skin want to cover up slightly darker circles under their eyes, rosy cheeks; contour to make their cheekbones more prominent, the list goes on...

This week, we're been inspired by individuals who are really making a difference in the skin positivity movement, people like @SpottyLittleThing, @isofiagrahn, @itsjustacne and @lounorthcote.

Public perception of what society deems to be “beautiful” is changing, as traditional notions of beauty are quickly becoming outdated.

Here's our tips for how to practice skin positivity

(I hope they help you as much as they helped me!)

Remember real skin is beautiful.

Don’t forget to ditch the filter every once and awhile.

Whether you have suffered with your skin throughout your life or not, the truth is we have all long been conscious – almost squeamish – about real skin.

Of course, not everyone has suffered with skin problems (in the sense that they are a diagnosed medical condition), but we are all self-conscious of it. Many people who have suffered with acne will recall the time they found it hard to relate to their naturally zit-free friend complaining about that rare“massive spot”on their forehead. Sometimes even people with the clearest skin want to cover up slightly darker circles under their eyes, rosy cheeks; contour to make their cheekbones more prominent, the list goes on...

But that’s just it – we are all conditioned to believe that spots, blemishes, irritation, pigmentation (i.e. natural skin) is unsightly, unhealthy, and something to be ashamed of – when that is just simply not the case. The truth is, much of the stigma around skin disease comes from lack of understanding of these conditions.

Having had eczema for all of my life, I know what it is like to be ashamed of your skin. We have all had those bad days where you just want to hide under the covers watching Netflix all day and not see anyone. It took myself some time to be comfortable in my dry, itchy, patchy, eczema-prone skin. Especially when it came to going out with friends as a young girl. I worried about showingany skin in a backless dress, at times even having my arms and legs out was uncomfortable, out of fear someone would see and think it was, well, gross. But self positivity, and therefore skin positivity, can go a long way.

This week, we're been inspired by individuals who are really making a difference in the skin positivity movement, people like @SpottyLittleThing, @isofiagrahn, @itsjustacne and @lounorthcote.

Public perception of what society deems to be “beautiful” is changing, as traditional notions of beauty are quickly becoming outdated.

Here's our tips for how to practice skin positivity

(I hope they help you as much as they helped me!)

Easier said than done, but choosing to be comfortable in your own skin is the first step.

When you accept that that is what a flare up looks like, it is easier to move on. For me, with my eczema being mainly stress-related (which can impact our skin in a multitude of ways), the more I stressed about the appearance of my skin, the worse it got. (Naturally.)

Realise that people don’t see or focus on your skin in the way that you do.

Think about it, how often do you dwell on the look of someone else’s spots or flare ups? Not often, if at all! It is easy to be critical when it is your face or body.

Don’t try and cover up your skin problem with fake-tan or makeup if you are having a particularly bad day, and it hurts.

We know that being comfortable without makeup is not always possible, depending where your flare up is and depending on what you have going on that day. But I learnt the hard way that caking fake-tan over my body to try and hide my eczema, not only made it worse (by irritating broken skin), it also made it look worse. Listen to your skin and give it the break it needs where possible.

If you are having a bad flare up because you are run down and busy, don’t just ignore it and hope it goes away.

My worst flare ups are during very busy weeks, balancing work, studying and a lot of social engagements. I know now that when I am run down, not eating properly and basically not looking after myself – it is at its worst. Find out your triggers and manage them.

Find ways to document and face your skin problems.

What this means for an individual is hard to pin down, but for the most part it is about facing those fears head on. Some people create acne positivity accounts to share their skin story, some keep a skin diary or their own photo diary. The fact is: skin conditions are normal. Personally, I decided to stop worrying and just wear whatever I wanted to during bad flare ups. Forcing myself to go out in public with my skin on show, forced me to accept it just as it was, helping me to mentally manage my skin condition in a healthy and positive way.

@psoriasis_thoughts

Can I rely on skincare to heal my skin condition?

Skincare can be an incredible tool for managing skin problems, but you have to be correctly informed as everyone’s skin is different. What works well for you might be a disaster for someone else.

While there are some products like retinol that can be used to manage some skin problems (like breakouts or ageing), we would always recommend seeing a trained dermatologist if you are really concerned about your skin.

Remember that brands are not professionals; brands can do their best to guide you on what their products are designed to do but we (and others!) can’t diagnose and treat medical skin conditions over a DM.

That said, if you have any questions about our products we’re always here to help, listen, and share some love if your skin is getting you down.

Remember real skin is beautiful.

Don’t forget to ditch the filter every once and awhile.