Healthy skin is in. There is no such thing as perfect skin. Perfect skin is an illusion perpetuated by everyone. I don’t think we can blame the media alone or magazines or publishers or brand owners or image retouchers or camera/app filters or social media or influencers.
Before setting up my skincare company, I worked (and still do sometimes) in advertising, where imperfections are polished away to create perfection, at the behest of clients, brands, creative directors, and anyone who is trying to create a piece of art to be televised or published in a magazine, and they will polish and retouch until they create something they think resembles perfection. And sometimes that means retouching skin so that it looks ‘perfect’.
THERE IS A MOVEMENT HAPPENING
We are starting to see a movement from those in the public eye, asking for their photos not to be retouched, asking that their photos are left alone, so that the ‘real’ them can be seen – whatever shape, size, or style they are. This movement is extending into the ‘beauty’ industry, so that we are seeing more images of real people, authentic and un-retouched.
What is perfect skin anyway? Smooth skin? Unlined skin? No visible pores? Dry skin? Oily skin? Mature skin? Young skin? It’s none of these. Healthy skin is what everyone should be striving for… skin which glows and radiates health. It is your definition.
WHAT CAN BRAND OWNERS DO?
We have a long way to go, but I feel it is the responsibility of brand owners to help show more of reality, but also to resist marketing to people’s fears. It is hard to do because people search for anti-ageing products or ones that fade lines and wrinkles or ones which help with open pores (I know because I have done so in the past). And as a new brand, you cannot afford to miss out on sales, but I think we need to tip the scales somewhat, and market to the positives, which is why I have deleted all mention of anti-ageing on our website.
I want to encourage people to search for healthy skin or hydrated skin or glowing skin, and will use these terms when speaking about our brand. We are on a journey too, and a commitment has been made to help dispel the myth of perfect skin. Will you help us spread the word? Healthy skin is in.
