There’s a common misconception on the acceptable aesthetics for what a good skin should look like, which has been shoved down our throats mostly by misleading images and edited or filtered social media posts, but know this; a good skin is a healthy skin.
This idea of a healthy skin looking a certain way has been perpetuated by the current skincare craze taking over in recent times, and now have majority of us whose skin do not look like THAT, wondering if our skin really is healthy or if our battalions of expensive skincare products are really working.
So, really, what is a healthy skin to you?
Don’t let filters and social media deceive you. Let’s discus what an actual healthy skin is all about.
Firstly, A healthy skin has a functioning skin barrier – This means the moisture lipid barrier, and acid mantle – which helps keep the skin moisturized & protected always. Stop over-stripping the skin or over-exfoliating and use the right cleansers for your skin type based on the current needs of tour skin. Do not use exfoliating toners daily, use them 2/3 times a week at most.
Color is evenly distributed – Which means minimal discolorations or hyperpigmentation so that the skin tone is even. Use a sunscreen religiously & use skin brightening actives such as Vitamin C, Alpha-arbutin, Licorice, Niacinamide, etc to treat and prevent any form of hyperpigmentation.
Feels supple, smooth, no surface blemishes – A skin that’s comfortable, warm and soft to touch. Also, it’s calm, hydrated and with no breaks on the surface. Use antioxidants like Retinol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, CoenzymeQ10, Resveratrol, etc. Pay attention to your diet & lifestyle – Exercise, get enough sleep, reduce on the stress & limit junk food, diary, alcohol & smoking – it shows on your skin.
And for some of the false ideas and narratives of what a good skin is, it;
•Doesn’t have to be completely flawless, blemish-free or pore-less (this is definitely unrealistic and not possible). Stop poking and over-analyzing your skin.
•Is not a picture perfect, an always glowy, or a porcelain skin. Use a mirror, not a magnifying glass, when looking at your face. Quite probing your face because if you keep looking for faults, you’ll continue finding them
•The skin is hardly ever completely smooth. Up close, the surface of the skin appears irregular. A bit of texture is fine. As long as it’s not glaring. If someone standing next to you can’t see it, it’s not visible enough to be worried about. Leave it alone.
Do not compare your skin to that of others, or filtered images on social media.
You don’t need tons of expensive products to get a healthy skin. The beauty and skincare industry heavily capitalizes off claims of “fixing that skin issue”, and most of the time, there’s no issue/nothing to fix. So you should know when your skin is already fine and let it be.
As long as you feel good & confident in your skin, you’re fine. Your skin is healthy if you’re taking care of it and focusing on the present needs of your skin (which changes with time, weather, etc).
Be realistic.
Progress, not perfection.
Practice patience and consistency, results won’t happen overnight.
Remember, it’s a lifestyle.
