People often view natural aging as imperfections needing correction. Dermorexia reflects our obsessive skincare behavior, from teenagers’ fear-driven routines to adults’ costly treatments, all fueled by a fixation on maintaining youthful appearances.
But research shows that these behaviors and beliefs damage both skin health and mental wellbeing. They reflect an obsession with an unattainable standard of flawless, youthful skin. Aggressive marketing and constant social media presence blur the lines between medical needs and aesthetic desires in skincare.
What if we learned what our skin truly needs instead of chasing trends? My friend Magatte Wade taught me that anything we apply to our skin should be edible. Consuming processed foods and chemicals harms us, just as what we apply to our skin impacts our health.
Our skin is the largest organ. Products applied to the skin penetrate and enter the body. Ideally, do potions, lotions and deodorants that we apply to our skin have healthy sources? Awareness of the ingredients and chemicals we ingest determines our health.
Natural products and beliefs promote health. The spikes we see in disease correlate directly with what we feed our bodies. Understanding the source of everything is foundational.
Embracing our skin’s natural aging could help shift beauty standards towards authenticity and health. By questioning our skincare routines and ingredients, we make more health-oriented choices and perhaps define beauty in healthy ways. And accept aging and the cycles of life. Maybe we don’t divide around age and get to know our whole selves; not just the shells.
Can we value genuine skin health over appearance? People fear artificial intelligence, yet we often mask natural, human beauty. Diving deeper into our choices creates a new beauty and skincare reality in our youth-obsessed society. However, the industry, and health, will not change unless our choices and beliefs do.