Beauty comes from the inside, right? I’m not going to lie: It took me a long time to figure out what that meant. It also took me a long-time to figure out how to love my skin, and I want to share what I learned along the way. In short, it wasn’t easy. Loving your body is never easy, and loving your skin is part of that challenge.
Also read this interesting article: Katy Perry No Makeup
I stopped wearing makeup 5 years ago.
When I was in high school and early college, I wore a lot of makeup. I never felt confident enough to go bare-faced, so I used foundation and concealer to cover up my acne scars and even out my skin tone. By the time that phase ended, though, I was tired of feeling like I was wearing a mask every day—and it didn’t help that every time I looked at myself in the mirror without makeup on, all those feelings intensified because my skin just looked worse than usual.
This is one of those situations where something good came out of something bad: when you’ve been wearing makeup so long that your skin looks terrible without it…well…you can either keep wearing the same products under different circumstances or do what’s best for your skin by letting go altogether!
In 2014 (wow…that seems like forever ago!), after years of struggling with breakouts and acne scarring on my face as well as some cystic acne bumps on my chin area that wouldn’t go away no matter how many different products/techniques/routines etcetera etcetera etcetera……..I decided enough was enough!
Enough covering up or trying new things or spending money on trendy new skincare routines only for them not work either because they weren’t addressing underlying issues (like hormonal imbalances) OR were just plain ineffective despite being expensive products sold by supposedly reputable brands (such as Proactive).
I rethought beauty products and ingredients.
But first, I had to ditch the toxic skin care products. I needed to find products that were good for my skin and wouldn’t harm it in any way. I started using ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and avocado oil. These are all natural ingredients that have been used since ancient times by people around the world as a beauty product. They’re also easily accessible at most health food stores or online if you’re interested in making your own beauty products!
I figured out what my skin really needed.
I learned that my skin didn’t need any of the ingredients that most people thought it did. I cut out all fragrances, parabens, and sulfates from my routine. This was a bit scary because I used to use a lot of products that had these in them. But once I started using natural products like coconut oil and shea butter on my face instead of cleansers, toners and moisturizers full of harsh chemicals, I got used to it quickly.
I also found out what types of ingredients worked best for me. For example:
Coconut oil is great for dry patches or redness but not so good when you’re oily or have acne-prone skin;
Shea butter is better at controlling oil production than coconut oil;
Tea tree oil can help fight off blemishes if you have oily skin (it has antibacterial properties).
I learned that loving your skin is a daily practice.
When I started to really love my skin, it wasn’t because I was perfect or had all the answers. It was because I started doing what worked for me on a daily basis.
I began by taking a step back from the “rules” and looking at my own skin with a fresh perspective. What were my issues? What did I want from myself? What did my body need to feel its best?
The answer was different for me than it will be for you, but once we find what works for us, we build confidence as well as self-love by practicing every day—and that’s why loving your skin is so important: it’s an ongoing practice of learning and growing with yourself.
