Embrace Your Skin

“I searched for perfect skin online and therefore the results made me disappointed. Because my skin was not fitting the criteria. So, I decided to try some remedies they were suggesting. But I ended up disappointing myself even more. As none of the ‘tricks’ to get a perfect skin was working. It was depressing to me. “

– A Teenager.

Perfect, flawless, clear, fair skin has always been the center of attraction. Similarly, the obsession has now become so rigid that we are running after it. Meanwhile, it has become so necessary to normalize all types of skin. Additionally, social media, fashion magazines also have unrealistic beauty standards. Our beauty standards are so high that we end up being insecure about our scars or acne, pimples, or the way we look, or the way our skin color is. So just like body positivity, we need skin positivity too. Day by day, the ongoing fashion trends are influencing our lives. Meanwhile running after those ‘perfect skin’, we are building a kind of insecurity among us.

Embrace Your Skin – The skin types that should be normalized today and every day

Uneven texture

Acne

Wrinkles on face

Birthmarks

Stretch marks

Blackhead

Bumpy texture

Patchy skin

Dark underarm

Unshaved body hair

Moles

Redness

Discoloration

Larger pores

Pigmentation

Scars

Dark eye circles

Why it is necessary to normalize all types of skin

All the time, social media or makeup companies might make it look like it is not normal to have skin with all those mentioned issues. But in reality, uneven textures, acne, stretch marks, or blackhead; any type of skin you have is normal and beautiful. We must start to normalize all types of skin texture and appreciate it. Because of all your scars and moles, the stretch mark or birthmark is natural.

Normalize being a girl and yet having body hair

Nowhere it is mentioned that a girl should always have shaved clear skin. Body hair is natural and if someone chooses not to shave them, that is normal too. Shave whenever you want to, but make sure you are choosing for yourself – says Laura Jackson. According to Laura, growing back her body hair made her feel liberated and she wanted to embrace it. Meanwhile, we all are aware that body hair is normal, but we do not normalize it.

Acnes are nothing but a part of your skin, normalize it

Our skin texture can be uneven. Along with pores, acne, it can be sensitive to certain products. As a result, it can break out during times. And for many, acne is one of the prime sources of insecurities. Meanwhile, we all know all those perfect skins that we see on TVs are not real. Additionally, having acne on your skin does not make your skin not normal. And here is this truth about your skin that the acne may never go away which is completely okay.

Your scars make you more powerful

People with acne or pimple scars on their bodies suffer from low self-esteem. It is high time that we normalize the scars and do not hide them anymore. Your scars are proof of how strong you are and there is no reason to be ashamed about it. Acne scars are a conversation that needs to be talked about more.

Dark armpits are no shame

Our skin is not meant to be one tone only. But even today our standards of normal are dictated by clear skin. Dark underarms, cellulite skin is normal, and we need to change our way of looking at them. Furthermore, student Lane Manlapaz says that she used to feel insecure about her dark underarms. Later on, she goes on to say that – I realized that when you love yourself, no one can tell you how you should look like.

Those stretch marks are not a matter of concern because they are normal

At times, learning to accept your stretch marks can be tough, especially when we grow up believing that they are not normal. Meanwhile, your stretch marks are natural and normal. They are a sign of your growth. Accept and appreciate all your stretch marks.

It is time to normalize skin texture 

What is normal skin? Well, normal skin can be dry, oily, and full of acne. Your normal skin can contain bumpy skin, neck texture, moles, red spots. Moreover, these are not problems that we need to solve. Meanwhile, beauty brands or TV ads may try to make you solve problems you never had. But confident and normal skin does not look pore less or acne-free. You need to normalize all your bumps, blemishes, and nooks because they are normal in reality.

Skin shaming has been a real thing that we do like to talk about. But little by little we are adding more fuel to it by running after “perfect skin”. Moreover, there are thousands of teenagers facing bullies daily for having skin issues. Acceptance is the real key. Meanwhile, the more you fight with your flaws the more depressed it can make you. Although, applying make-up is not harmful, what is not okay is that you do not accept your skin and try to hide it. Makeup and those Instagram filters should not become a part of your security. You got to love your skin with or without makeup. Accordingly, you should be confident about your beauty even when you are not applying those filters. That is when we have achieved a baby step towards normalizing all skin textures.

Your skin texture does not define you. Instead of defining perfect skin let us normalize all the skin textures. To put it another way, it is normal if your skin is dry, oily, and full of acne, pores, moles, or stretch marks. Your unshaved body hair and dark underarm make you as normal as the rest of the world. Similarly, you should never feel bad about the greasy patches, large pores, or redness. It is high time that we break all those beauty standards that make us insecure about our skin. Thereupon, replace your insecurity and low self-esteem with self-love and confidence.