What is Skin Positivity and How Can You Jump on Board?
28th Feb 2018
Have you taken your make up free selfie this week?
If you haven't, you may be missing out on the hottest beauty trend overtaking social media this year. More importantly, you may be robbing yourself of a vital experience that will boost your self esteem as well as educate your friends.
Skin positivity is the new buzzword, and the movement is all about showcasing the full acceptance of the beautiful weaknesses that make you unique. The trend in all likelihood, is a direct response to the Instagram culture of airbrushed, Photoshopped, impossible perfection that "models" are using to sell themselves for product placement opportunities, brand building and simple egotism.
However, skin positivity is about far more than posting a selfie with acne every now and then. Skin positivity is about a full rethinking of what makes you confident, how you love yourself and reprogramming yourself to feel that love instead of shame when you take note of your imperfections. What's more, this trend is an active part of the green beauty movement.
How?
How can a movement that is all about being natural coincide with a movement that has anything to do with makeup?
Simple.
Green beauty is not only about covering flaws, but enhancing strengths in the skin. Because the ingredients in green beauty products are all natural, users are not taking any disproportionate health risks for the sake of surface level presentation. In many cases, the makeup is actively helping to cure problems with the skin.
In a way, skin positivity practitioners are actually sharing their treatment plans with the world while they say to the world, "I am beautiful at all stages of my treatment, whether or not I apply my treatment perfectly every day, and no matter how my treatment makes me look."
The upside, of course, is that the treatment helps the skin positive person look her best every single day.
Many medical professionals, dermatologists especially, are getting behind the skin positivity movement full force. This is especially true as they learn the connection with green beauty. They are doing it for reasons other than confidence - they have a professional incentive to support the movement.
Many of the "imperfections" that are so aggrandizing to many people are actually caused by the traditional makeup industry. Scarring, acne and other negative skin conditions are initiated and made worse partially by an ignorance of how the skin actually works. When people believe they are applying an innocuous cover up in the form of traditional makeup, they are actually exacerbating their skin issue.
So skin positivity is a health education issue as well. What an advantage you have by simply sharing a few early morning shots of yourself with the world! If you are a proponent of green beauty, you may want to look into the new trend of skin positivity. There are many articles to read and social media groups to join. You will be baptized into a new world of information, self love and community, all with the undertone of being healthy and looking your best at all times. What is the downside to that?