Reframing how we think about makeup and skin care
“But wait, you dye your hair and wear makeup?!”
It’s the question we get sometimes as body image researchers and advocates. Part of going out there and telling the world they’re OK just as they are means that we get challenged at a personal level for our choices around how we present ourselves.
Now I LOVE makeup and skin care. As a kid, I would borrow books from the library to mix up my own face masks in the kitchen. My parents would ask whether I had packed my ‘lotions and potions’ on a family holiday. And even now, the thrill I get walking into Mecca or the beauty section of a department store is hard to put into words.
For a long time, I didn’t know how to reconcile this with the fact that the majority of beauty and skin care marketing does so much damage in terms of promoting completely unrealistic standards of beauty. Research has shown, over and over again, that exposure to images of thin, ‘idealised’ women makes us feel bad about ourselves. For a while, it was suggested that labeling images as edited or ‘photoshopped’ would help consumers recognise that what they were looking at was unrealistic and unattainable. However, research showed that labeling images as edited was not effective in reducing the damage. In fact, in some cases, it made things worse.
It’s great to see Priceline and Chemist Warehouse using unedited images, and more diverse models and ambassadors in some of their recent campaigns and magazine. They seem to have got the message that customers don’t want to be faced with image after image of perfection. Using more diverse models, with all of the imperfections that make us human, has been found to be good for the world and good for business. When people see images of people that look more like them, it doesn’t damage their body image, and they are more likely to buy the product.
There is still a way to go. Any beauty section in any store you walk into is still dominated by images of the ‘ideal’ that can make us feel bad about ourselves. Influencers promoting beauty products still use filters that alter the way they look, making it hard to see what effect the product has when the filter is already smoothing their skin. Cosmetics and skin care brands still use language that convinces us that perfectly normal parts of existing and aging in a body, like wrinkles, cellulite and ‘uneven’ skin tone, are problems to be solved.
But I’ve come to realise that, actually, skin care and makeup are an important part of self care. The daily rituals we go through, to take the time to care for our bodies, are not necessarily a sign of vanity or being ‘bad’ at body positivity… spending this time on yourself can actually be a way to tell yourself that you matter. It’s not about trying to make yourself look a certain way, or meet unattainable standards, it can be about nurturing and caring deeply for ourselves.
So, how can we make sure our experience is a positive one?
Reframe 1: Self care is something you ‘get’ to do rather than something you ‘have’ to do
Take your time. Develop a routine that includes some rituals you enjoy, like lighting a candle or smelling essential oils. Enjoy the sensations. Gift yourself pockets of time to spend in a bath, using a face mask or doing your nails, but not because of how it might change your appearance… do it because it makes you feel good! You don’t need a fancy spa treatment (but go for it if you want to) - the value here is in telling yourself that you’re worth spending time on, and worth pampering.
Reframe 2: Focus on functionality
Try actually saying thank you to your body or think about what the parts of your body do for you as you practice your self care. For example, as you rub in your lotion you can say, “Thanks for carrying me around in the world” to your legs instead of focusing on any ‘imperfections’ or what they look like. Bonus points for saying this out loud, but in your head is fine too!
Reframe 3: Express yourself
Rather than seeing makeup as a necessity to cover your ‘flaws’, try reframing to use it for expressing who you are. Love a sparkly eyeshadow? Experiment with colour! Not sure about a bright lip? Go for a more neutral shade. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be a whole lot of fun - especially if you get ‘made up’ with friends!
This month, you can use your love of makeup for a good cause! Liptember encourages people to don their favourite bright lipstick throughout September to raise funds for women’s mental health, and it’s not too late to get involved. Find out more here.
