In everyday life we are always being presented with imagery of perfect faces with perfect skin. Not a single blotch, line, blemish or dark circle peeking through. But that’s not reality or even remotely realistic. All of us have different skin textures, tones, colours and types which is exactly what makes each of us unique and beautiful.
But unfortunately, once we have become so used to seeing perfect skin flaunted everywhere from our favourite films to the pages of our magazines, skin confidence can become an issue.
What Is Skin Confidence?
At Evolve, we want to help you on your journey towards skin confidence. We believe that everyone’s skin is just as amazing as the next person’s and whilst that may be difficult to see for yourself, it is something that is super clear to everyone around you.
Skin confidence means feeling confident, beautiful and powerful in your own skin. This doesn’t mean loving your skin because it is perfect but because it belongs to you. We have all heard about having ‘good hair days’ but what about good skin days? We all have a different idea of what ‘good skin’ might look like, but whatever your version is you know that when you feel like your skin is at it’s best - you’re going to feel good. This is how we want you to feel every day!
How Can I Build Up Skin Confidence?
Building up confidence whether it is in regards to your skin, body or just yourself in general is a personal journey that can take a lot of time, work and self love. There are a few starting points that are popular ways of beginning your confidence journey, from slow beauty rituals to daily affirmations. No matter what journey you decide to take, it is important to remember that your skin is beautiful, no matter what your idea of beautiful skin is.
We got in touch with Shahroo Izadi, who is a Behavioural Change Specialist and bestselling Author of The Kindness Method and The Last Diet. Shahroo’s mission is to help people to make lasting changes in their behaviour by learning to be kinder to themselves - here is what words of wisdom she had when it comes to building skin confidence.
“When it comes to changing our habits, one of the greatest tools we have at our disposal is the way we speak to ourselves; and yet so few of us stop to simply listen-in to our default internal soundtrack. Learning to be your own cheerleader means potentially being able to motivate yourself 24 hours a day. The problem is of course, it's easier said than done.
Often; whether it's when we're judging our skin in the mirror or when we've sent an angry email in haste that we later regret, we speak to ourselves in ways we'd never dream of speaking to a stranger, let alone someone we care about, want to motivate and wish the best for. Not only do we not deserve this, it also doesn't help to build the resilience required to create new habits and it often lends itself to unhelpful 'all or nothing' thinking.
One exercise that can help a lot to combat negative self-talk requires only a pen and paper (or even just the 'notes' section on your phone). First, write down the name of the person you love most in the world. Next, imagine that they've come to you and said they were finding it hard to stay on track with changing a habit. Then, write down all the things you'd say to them to make them believe in themselves and feel worthy of achieving their most valued goals. Finally, cross out their name and replace it with your own. The next time you suspect you might be giving yourself a hard time, commit to glancing at those messages and ask yourself if you can start to practice closing the gap between what you deserve to hear and what others do.”
Here are some other ways that the Evolve team love using to build our own skin confidence!
Slow Beauty Rituals
Slow beauty rituals are great ways to spend more time getting to know your skin and enjoying the mindfulness aspect of skincare, as well as helping you to make sustainable choices. The best first step to take on any slow beauty journey is to look for products made with natural ingredients. For centuries our ancestors have been using natural ingredients on their skin, and there is one simple reason for it. It is because they work! Nature knows best when it comes to caring for your skin, rather than a short lived trend that uses mass produced products.
Slow beauty products focus on improving your skin’s own functions, like the rate of cell turnover, meaning that the results of the product can be seen long after you apply it. This means that it is important to stick to your routine so you can give your products time to work their magic. It’s recommended to try a new product for at least 28 days to really see the benefits, something you wouldn’t be able to dedicate to if you’re jumping on board with a short lived fad.
Affirmations
Affirmations are positive phrases that you can repeat to yourself to help you build confidence and overcome any negative thoughts and energy you may be feeling. When you repeat these statements to yourself, and begin to believe in what you are saying, then positive reinforcement can take place.
If you are feeling negative about how your skin looks, try looking at yourself in the mirror and picking out three things that you deem positive. It could be anything from how your freckles show up each time the sun shines, or how your soft laugh lines remind you of happy memories shared throughout your life, to how your eyes light up when you think about some of your favourite things. Turn these into your daily affirmations, and repeat to yourself each day - why not repeat when you indulge in a slow beauty routine?
If you want to discover more you can follow her on twitter and instagram, or check out her website! Buy her book The Kindness Method here.
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