We all see the TV commercials and advertisements, where some of the most beautiful people we’ve ever seen — who “supposedly” have skin problems — have radiant, glowing skin. Where are the breakouts, uneven skin tones and even chronic problems like eczema or rosacea? This is a perfect example of why we’ve been taught to hate our skin. Even the people talking about their skin challenges have nearly perfect skin! It makes it a little difficult to look in the mirror, doesn’t it?
The simple truth is that everyone can learn how to love the skin they’re in. But first, it’s both helpful and important to understand why it’s been pounded into our heads for so long that our skin just isn’t good enough. Let’s try to understand why.
Your Face Is Your First Impression
If you grew up in a normal, everyday household, you may have heard a time or two that a clean, smiling face can help you make your best first impression. Sure, everyone responds to a big smile at a meeting, a high-school reunion or when having lunch with friends. But, what does a “clean” face actually mean?
Of course, to overcome the most common skincare challenges, we all know that we have to observe the rule of the big three:
- Clean
- Tone
- Moisturize
But unfortunately, many people have confused the idea of cleanliness with a perfect, blemish-free complexion. Yet, we all know that if we’re suffering from some skin problems, no amount of scrubbing and exfoliating can help — at least, not consistently.
So, when you look into the mirror and see a couple of pimples or a patch of dry skin, you may automatically feel ashamed. Will people think I’m dirty? Does it look like I haven’t washed my face all week? What will people think?
These thoughts happen at any age. It’s not just teenagers who experience these skin-related challenges and feelings of self-doubt. As we start to grow older and our bodies and skin both begin to change, that doesn’t mean that we say goodbye to pimples and blackheads forever. In fact, it often means that we learn to cope with a series of other skincare challenges, starting with fine lines and wrinkles.
The bottom line is that, due to years of negative thoughts, our skin can cause us to feel ashamed. However, we’re all dealing with challenges — even those models in the magazines.
And while keeping your face “clean” is definitely an important ritual, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll never have the occasional breakout or even more significant challenges. After all, we’re all human.
Your Skin Is What Makes You Beautiful
It looks like we have a whole lot of reprogramming to do here, doesn’t it? Well, so many people — primarily women — feel as if the foundation of their beauty relies on their skin. If you haven’t figure this out already, that type of outlook can be exhausting!
No one’s skin is blemish-free every day, so you can’t ride this emotional roller coaster, especially when stress can actually make your skin conditions worse! Many women judge whether or not they’ll have a good day by their skin when they wake up in the morning. Not only is this unhealthy, but it’s definitely no way to live.
Instead, you need to have a revolution from within! To turn around the relationship that you have with your skin, you can’t constantly judge it, or even be angry with it. After all, it’s not “turning against you,” and it’s not a punishment for eating too much chocolate.
While your skin reacts negatively to numerous harmful lifestyle factors, and can definitely “act up” when you aren’t washing your face every morning and night, this isn’t in retribution. Create a balance with your skin — one that doesn’t affect how you feel the entire day, or make you angry when you look in the mirror. You are NOT your skincare challenges.
Your Face Is the First Thing to Go
As we grow older, we know that eventually we’re going to begin to show some signs of aging. And while we’d all like to keep our bodies from our 20s, a study shows that women really worry about their faces and how they may begin to wrinkle or shoe fine lines. In fact, these percentages of women regularly worry about their faces and skin aging:
- Under 25 – 28%
- 25-34 – 42%
- 35-45 – 54%
But, when women hit 55, the percentage begins to decrease. So, what does that tell us?
With the sage transformation also comes wisdom, and women grow to understand that growing older is a natural process, but they can still have healthy, beautiful skin — as long as they care for it. It isn’t “the end.”
Turn the Tables
Once you can begin to understand why we’ve been taught to hate our skin, then the faster you can begin to provide a healthier balance, filled with nurturing skincare and image-positive thoughts. It’s never too late to turn the tables on your skin, and to appreciate it for the all-important organ that it is.
