There’s a silent disease plaguing today’s selfie generation. It’s called DYSMORPHIA. It’s that addicting feeling of being obsessed with selfies that you’re already disconnected from reality. You’re no longer happy with the real you which is filled with pores and blemishes. You find consolation in a make-believe world, you only aspire to be what your filter shows you to be.
According to skincare brand Clear Start by Dermalogica, “the perfect skin depicted in filters does not exist, what we should just aspire to have is healthy skin.”
To celebrate the month of June as Acne Awareness Month and to announce its partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Clear Start recently held a Zoom forum discussing acne censorship and why there’s a need to normalize skin breakouts as part of the process. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed or afraid of.
The virtual event called In Your Face! Let’s Talk Acne with Clear Start by Dermalogica was hosted by Malaysian digital content creator Melissa Th’ng who pointed out that the culture of skin perfection portrayed in media often have a bearing on the mental status of the youth and how they view themselves physically.
Th’ng sat down with Filipino-American beauty content creator Kristina Rodulfo to dig deep
into her own universal journey of struggling with one’s skin while being a very visible figure
in beauty media. Joining them in the talk were brand representative Yvonne Teh, Clear Start by Dermalogica’s Business Development Manager in Asia. They then introduced skin specialist,
cosmetologist, and Dermalogica Master Instructor Sarah Miller to discuss the science
behind why skin even produces acne. For the Q&A portion, they were accompanied by
Gabby Sibaja and Sam Sargen, who also work at and appear in the social media posts of
Clear Start.
During the online event, the host and the speakers started out with
a beautifying filter, only to remove it and confidently reveal the true state of their
skin. They all agreed that it’s important to let people know that “it’s perfectly natural to have pores and
texture and cysts!”
On the matter of fighting acne, Miller said: “I’ve had clients come in and tell me of the most outrageous things that they’ve tried—toothpaste, cotton with alcohol, one instance was someone used tape to try and fix their acne!”
She added that “there needs to be a change in how we see acne for all
generations, most importantly for the Gen Z, since they’re in a time of their life where they
are most susceptible to it. Acne happens for various, even uncontrollable reasons, and that’s
perfectly normal.”
At the end of the event, the host and speakers led media guests through a pledge not only to love their own skin, but also not to give in to the subliminal, negative advertising that litters every social feed, and to encourage those around them to actively resist it as well.
With the pledges, the company will add to their donation of up to USD 15,000 to NAMI,
that will continue to provide support for research and resources for those suffering from
mental illness. You can contribute to Clear Start’s pledge against acne censorship by proudly showing your real skin and inspiring confidence in others, such as your own circle of influence.
Clear Start by Dermalogica is available through Sephora Philippines website.
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