02/05/2023

Skin shaming in the beauty world

Initially started as a game a few years ago on Snapchat, filters to be applied on our face through our cell phone's camera have become a tool to amuse us online: dog or bunny ears, funny grimaces, wigs etc.

Today, however, the use of filters on social networking sites such as TikTok and Instagram has evolved, giving users the ability to change eye color, add makeup on eyes or lips, making skin look tanner and brighter, going as far as masking pimples, dark circles, and wrinkles, to changing facial features such as cheekbones, lips, and nose.

While these filters help us to always look neat in front of our communities and boost our self-esteem, we also go on to give an unreal view of ourselves to others and get used to seeing a better version of ourselves through the filters, making it harder and harder to accept ourselves as we really are.

Moreover, online it happens all too often to see even well-known people "masking" their physiognomy and imperfections by hiding behind filters. Doing so spreads an ideal of beauty and perfection that does not exist and sends negative messages to new generations.

Behind the innocent ability of filters to make us gain more self-esteem and feel more confident, several pitfalls lurk, especially for those who are going through adolescence or are more fragile.

At this stage, figures such as influencers and creators are very relevant, who increasingly play the role of idols for younger people, who take them as an example, follow them, and try to look like them in the way they dress, apply makeup, and pose.

With the use of beauty filters on social media, these public figures tend to communicate a distorted version of themselves that is far removed from reality. Being surrounded by perfect, manicured, made-up and flawless faces, users browsing online begin to fantasize and even feel a sense of shame at showing themselves au natural on social.

The beauty world, starting with cosmetic companies, plays a key role in raising awareness of social issues such as this among its consumers. Starting with communication, brands should shift the focus from using a product for the purpose of solving a skin blemish, to using the same product to pamper one's skin, accepting every facet of it. What companies should convey, then, is the positive aspect of diversity, which makes each of us unique.

In recent years, we have often heard of body shaming, which involves offending a person by judging him or her for the appearance of their body-a phenomenon that targets skinny physiques or those with a few extra pounds, who have blemishes such as cellulite and stretch marks, spots etc.

The object of these judgments is, of course, also the skin of the face. Oily skin, dry skin, skin with blackheads or pimples, showing wrinkles, scars or acne marks, all those flaws that are nothing more than skin characteristics that distinguish us and make us unique.

Not only acne, redness and spots are targeted by haters, but also wrinkles and signs of skin aging. Even the signs of the passage of time, which should be a sign of wisdom and lived life experiences, are mocked and judged instead.

Therefore, it becomes crucial on the one hand to spread awareness about the art of embracing aging, and on the other hand, it is necessary to dispel false myths related to aging especially in women. In fact, it is precisely the female world that is most affected by the passage of time and social beliefs that getting older means losing charm. Aging should be understood more as an evolution and not a decay, so that we can more easily accept the passing of time and the marks it leaves on our skin. This approach helps create the correct mindset to start taking care of oneself as an act of self-love and not as an attempt to hide one's years to please others.

We like to imagine the act of taking care of one's appearance as a way to feel good, to give oneself the right attention to love oneself. This aspect is even more important than the result we want to achieve through the use of skincare products.

Indeed, taking care of oneself and one's skin triggers feelings of well-being, which are fundamental in the process of listening to oneself, one's needs and wants.

At yoUBe, we love taking care of your skin not to hide its features, but to enhance its uniqueness, making it shine. Discover yoUBe products to give your skin the attention and love it deserves.