How social media’s unrealistic beauty standards are causing you harm
“I notice everything I do not have and decide it is beautiful”
Rupi Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers
Do you ever feel insecure while looking at other people’s photos on social media? You’re not alone.
6 months ago, I did something not a lot of people are willing to do; I deleted all my social media accounts. I just felt so insecure and unhappy. So, I decided that something has to change.
I used to spend so much time looking at the photos of influencers, celebrities, and models, then hate the way I look afterward; And many others are experiencing the same thing.
In this article, I am going to show you how these unrealistic beauty standards are harming you and why you should fall back in love with natural beauty.
Be kind to yourself.
It Takes Away Your Love For Yourself
Filters, editing apps, and makeup. We know these exist but we still compare our natural beauties with the enhanced versions we see on social media.
With filters getting more and more popular, cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho noticed that more people are coming in to look like their filtered photos. It’s become so rampant that the terms ‘selfie dysmorphia’ and ‘Snapchat dysmorphia’ were coined.
Photoshop used to be a tool used for enhancing professionally taken photos for magazines. Now, anyone can easily edit their photos with apps on their phones.
Apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram have filters that can enhance your face in real-time. People are starting to like these altered versions of themselves better. But these aren’t real and we can’t pursue something that doesn’t really exist.
Don’t compare yourself with others.
It Takes Away Your Happiness
Makeup tutorials gain millions of views. It seems like the milder version of cosmetic surgery. There are even tutorials on how to look like your favorite celebrities through makeup.
A lot of women cannot go out without it. The ‘no-makeup makeup look’ tutorials are getting so many views. They want to look like they’re not wearing any makeup but they don’t feel good enough to go bare-faced.
We’re all buying into the illusion that we should look selfie-ready all the time and we fail to appreciate our natural beauties. Flaws don’t have a place, even the slightest discoloration can’t escape the wrath of the concealer.
“You don’t look anything like your photos” or “you look so different without makeup” are probably some of the scariest phrases for women these days. Waterproof and permanent makeups are there so they could look selfie-ready even underwater.
Social media effects can influence our mood.
It Takes Away Your Safety
According to research, the average woman uses 12 beauty products every day. These products contain hundreds of different chemicals which our skins absorb.
They are only evaluated to ensure they don’t cause short-term hazards but they aren’t tested for how safe they are for you in the long term. Due to this, complaints about cosmetic products are steadily increasing.
Intervention only happens when consumers complain about a product and believe it has harmed them. Yet, even with such claims, these products remain on the shelves because there aren’t enough regulations for the industry.
Unrealistic beauty standards may cause identity issues.
It Takes Away Your Money
What does it take to have flawless skin? When your favorite influencer says it’s a 10-step skincare routine, you believe it.
A survey discovered that 56% of customers say they are influenced to buy cosmetic items by the influencers they follow. This rises to 74% for the younger generation. I’m not even surprised that firms are investing more in influencer marketing.
These companies have to create a need so their products could sell. They target your biggest insecurities in their marketing efforts and promise you that their products are the solutions.
Diet and genetics play a major role in how our skin looks. Some people may have naturally better-looking skin than you, but you don’t need to fill your skin with chemicals just to look like them. Everything that our bodies need could be found in nature.
Do we spend money on certain things because we are influenced by social media?
Breaking Out Of The Illusion
When you’re constantly being bombarded with all those enhanced photos of people, that becomes your standard of beauty.
1 month without Social Media and I began to appreciate people’s natural beauties again, even my own. Good thing more and more people are starting to do something to remind us that flaws are normal.
Some Instagram-famous people are posting bare-faced pictures of themselves with acne and such, and there are accounts exposing internet-famous people for drastically editing their photos.
When you break out of this illusion, you will realize that you are already beautiful and you can stop using synthetic products that are only doing you more harm than good.
Social media usage could affect the self-perceived body image of young women.
An Ancient Healing Plant
Lo and behold, the skincare ingredient that our ancestors swore by, hemp. Hemp contains CBD or Cannabidiol, a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant. It has some substantial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can be effective in addressing skin conditions such as eczema.
CBD products made for women by CBDDONA.
Anti-Inflammatory
Researchers put topical CBD-enriched ointment on 20 patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. This 2019 study lasted for three months and the researchers saw an improvement in inflammatory and skin symptoms.
Anti-Acne
Another research published in 2014 discovered that CBD has the ability to help control acne outbreaks. It does so by regulating oil production inside the sebaceous glands.
While research on CBD’s effects is limited, it is generally safe for topical usage. If you have a negative reaction to it, it’s most likely due to another component.
Anti-Aging
CBD’s antioxidant effects were highlighted in a 2017 research. Oxidative stress can hasten the aging process but CBD’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may aid in the prevention of this.
The Natural Skin Care for Your Natural Beauty
CBD DONA manufactures skincare products made from Hemp. Aside from CBD, it also has anti-aging ingredients such as vitamins A and E, and Omegas 3, 6, and 9.
There’s no need to stress your skin out with multiple products filled with chemicals that shouldn’t even be in your body. These Hemp products from CBD Dona have everything you need to take care of your skin.
CBD DONA Day Cream– Enhances the look of the skin and delivers great hydration.
CBD DONA Night Cream– Hydrates and repairs the skin while reducing irritation and redness so you wake up looking rejuvenated.
CBD DONA Body Lotion and Body Butter– Ensures that your entire body is smooth and soft, no matter what.
Take care of yourself with natural CBD products by CBDDONA.
Conclusion
You’re not ugly or less beautiful than others, you just spend too much time on social media. Lots of people in these platforms use layers and layers of makeup, filters, and even go under surgery just to sell an idea of ‘perfection’.
They hide their flaws and then tell their followers that buying a bunch of products will make them look as perfect as they do. As a result, these women lose their love for themselves, their happiness, their skin’s safety, and their money.
Everything that our bodies need, nature provides for us. You don’t need to buy all those products with so many chemical ingredients listed in the back. Your skin will absorb those toxins that aren’t meant to be in your body.
Once you realize that these are just a bunch of companies trying to make money off you by capitalizing on your insecurities, you will break out of this illusion. When you break out of this illusion, you will fall back in love with your natural beauty, as well as others’.