The Acne Positivity Movement

Instagram Acne

Instagram acne is totally a thing. 

You can find 8.8 million posts using the hashtag #acne and they aren't just about generic acne treatment before and afters.

From make-up artists to models, men and women of all ages are sharing their real-life skin for the world to see.

And why?

Because looking after your skin is important but loving it is just as important. 

There are even celebrities jumping on the trend, with stars such as Lili Reinhart and

Selena Gomez opening up about their experiences with imperfections on their skin. 

And if you're more of a TikTok kinda girl, you will be pleased to know that #acne is trending with over 14.5 billion views. Crazy, right?

Acne Positivity

Imagine a world where images were not photoshopped. 

Now picture how comfortable you would feel if you never had perfect, flawless skin to compare your skin with.

It is easy to fall into the trap of comparing your skin with that of an airbrushed image, we have all done it, and we will continue to do it for generations to come. 

But.. 

Acne is normal. 

Scars are normal. 

Large pores are normal. 

Your skin is your skin, and besides the congestion or texture, you may be experiencing, skin positivity is about loving your skin the way it is. 

Sure, you need to care for your skin using the right products, which our skin quiz can help you to find, but you also need to embrace it, because beauty comes from within.

Skin Shaming is not cool. It never was!

Acne can sometimes be painful and uncomfortable, but it should never be distressing or embarrassing for anyone. 

It's cool to be kind, and gone are the days of shaming someone for their imperfections. And why was that even a thing?

Back in the day, it used to be a matter of who was featured in campaigns and who wasn't! Fast forward to 2021, and the mainstream beauty industry still uses language to create a stigma around pimples and acne by using words such as “imperfections” or “blemishes”, as well as packaging and marketing to create a sense of shame and insecurity. 

Isn’t it better to love your skin and embrace your natural beauty rather than spending all your time hating it?

On the other hand, there are a few reasons why getting rid of acne or pimples could be considered important for someone beyond aesthetics. For example, for some people, they might find acne to be uncomfortable or they may also have to deal with potentially painful cysts. 

So whether you can happily leave the house with textured skin or you prefer to spend time treating the imperfections, you shouldn't feel any shame in either.

Skin positivity vs skin neutrality

Like all things, trends evolve.

So where does skin positivity go from here?

We are now starting to see a shift in social media which will see the acne positivity movement phase into acne neutrality. 

The shift embraces skin and body neutrality in the form of acceptance rather than strong encouragement to be positive. Positivity often comes after the neutral stage of accepting your skin for what it is.

Neutrality doesn't just stop there. This change in the way we see social media includes more than just your skin type, now also highlighting the changes we need to see when it comes to body image, mental health and disability.

It’s not just a problem for the girls

Skin care is often heavily targeted towards women but it's not just the leading ladies that are experiencing acne or texture. 

The same skin concerns are all too common for the guys as well. And when it comes to social media, whilst we are loving all the pictures of ‘skinfluencers’ posting their shame-free selfies, we often tend to see a majority of these being female.

Celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Brad Pitt are among Hollywood heartthrobs speaking out about their experiences with acne. 

So with all the hush-hush when it comes to men and their skin, are they really that different?

The answer is no!

Regardless of your gender, having a skincare routine is beneficial.

Embracing vs treating

Whilst we believe it is important to do both, there are some cases of severe acne which may require further medical intervention.

A doctor or dermatologist can provide medical advice when it comes to severe acne and determine if prescriptive treatment is required.

After being medically reviewed by a doctor or dermatologist, you can choose the appropriate skin care for your skin according to their professional, medical recommendations.