When you look at yourself closely in the mirror what do you see? What do you focus on? How does that little voice in your head speak within you?
In our crazed social media-driven world that projects what’s deemed ‘perfect’ across our devices, many of us can’t help to compare and stress over our skins ‘imperfections’ against a stranger’s highly edited appearance on the internet.
And, if you’re someone that suffers from skin concerns like acne, perioral dermatitis, eczema, rosacea or psoriasis this can dramatically affect your mental state and leave little room for a strong sense of self-worth.
Not enough importance is placed on the psychological and emotional effects dealing with skin concerns has on an individual. Nor, how to better improve the relationship you have between yourself and your reflection.
"When I was sick and suffering with my mental health, I had my husband cover all the mirrors in our house because I had pustule acne and I couldn’t bear to look at myself" – Kiri, AMPERNA® founder and owner.
"It makes me so incredibly sad looking back at this time in my life that I was so ashamed and hard on myself, that I knew one day I needed to advocate and encourage people to feel confident and happy in their skin", (Kiri says) "No one has perfect skin. Everyone will suffer from some kind of skin concern throughout their lifetime. Everyone has texture, its normal. Let us normalise and be comfortable in the best version our skin can be."
#skinpositivity - The Change We All Needed
There is currently 255K #skinpositivity posts on Instagram. Increasingly more beautiful people are showing up bare faced and filter free to tackle the stigma around skin issues like acne, eczema, and dermatitis.
However, it is more than just a hashtag. It is a growing movement of a community of supportive people who understand the emotional struggles and insecurities these skin concerns can create for individuals. A community throwing the middle finger up to the unattainable perfectionism social media platforms have brainwashed consumers to believe and try to conform to.
The #skinpositivity hashtag is not about achieving an aesthetically pleasing complexion but more about embracing the skin you are in. No matter what skin concern you are battling.
A true transparent hashtag of relatable people on real skin concern journeys.
Which brings me to my next point:
De-influencing The Skincare Industry
Over the past few weeks this trend of creators ‘de-influencing’ over-hyped and over-shared beauty and skincare products has flooded my For You page on TikTok. And I could not think of a more refreshing approach when it comes to the consumerist culture inherent to the app.
Big brands saturate their products out to influences to promote across their platforms. In an overwhelming fashion. However, with trends such as this it is becoming more evident that consumers want a genuine review by someone to which they can relate.
AMPERNA® is an ethical skincare brand dedicated to helping people with their skin concerns. We do not throw our products out in a blanket approach to influences to endorse.
We proudly align with influencers and people who carry the same skincare ethos as us or who in fact need help with their skin. People that are skin positive and genuinely love our products. This is how we have started our business, and this is how we will continue to do so.
Our takeaway:
We encourage you to take what you see on social media with a pinch of salt. If you find it is affecting your self-confidence and self-esteem unfollow accounts or brands that are affecting your mental health. Your self-worth should never be at the mercy of what you consume on your device. And the beauty is you have the power to make a positive change for yourself.
We want you to be able to look in the mirror and feel beautiful no matter how your skin is currently looking.
How to Become more ‘Skin Positive’
- First and foremost, it is recognising your self-talk. Acknowledging how that little voice in your head perceives your reflection is the first step in having a more positive mind frame on your appearance.
- For any negative thought you have find two positives.
- By redirecting your thoughts on having more positive things to say about yourself you will automatically boost your confidence. Practising this ongoing will immensely help your self-esteem.
- Follow like-minded people. Social media can be an uplifting and supportive place. If you are mindful about who you follow.
- Acceptance. Accept and love yourself. You are so much more than what you look like on the outside.
- Speak with Kiri. Kiri is always here to help. She offers tailored one on one holistic skin health coaching calls and supports you from the start of your skin journey through to as long as you need her support for. She understands the impact skin health has on mental health after suffering from her own experience, so she can guide you on your way to feeling more comfortable and confident in your own skin.
