Beauty

Telling unrealistic standards and curated images on social media to buzz off

#FkAcneCensorship: Clear Start campaign actively aims to change the beauty game to become more inclusive with recent event

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 16 Jun 2022 1:00PM

Telling unrealistic standards and curated images on social media to buzz off — The skincare industry, incidentally, has had to reflect the same problematic point of view but Clear Start by Dermalogica wants society to break free of it. – Pic courtesy of Dermalogica, June 16, 2022

by Amalina Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR – Breaking away from unrealistic beauty standards set for decades, Dermalogica introduced the #FkAcneCensorship: Clear Start campaign to normalise the conversations surrounding acne.

The skincare company hosted a virtual event recently hosted by Malaysian digital content creator Melissa Th’ng to discuss the role that media messaging has on the youths' mental health.

This comes with the announcement of the brand partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (Nami).

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A post shared by Melissa Th'ng (@melissathng)

The session revealed that beauty filters are one of the go-to ways to hide behind any skin imperfections. This reality drives the campaign message further that healthy skin is the goal, because perfect skin does not exist.

“Being mindful about words, whether you are an editor or a reporter, can really shape our opinions of ourselves,” said Filipino-American beauty content creator Kristina Rodulfo.

“[Not doing so can] inadvertently make people feel bad about the skin they have, when it’s perfectly natural to have pores, texture and cysts.

Between unachievable flawlessness and varying ideals of skin tones, the entertainment and advertising industries do not hesitate to latch on to unrealistic indicators, dictating what people should look like – especially the feminine-presenting. – Pic courtesy of Dermalogica

Dermalogica master instructor Sarah Miller shared: “I have had clients come in and tell me of the most outrageous things that they have tried – toothpaste, cotton with alcohol, one instance was someone who used tape to try and fix their acne.”

“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.

According to Miller, acne happens for various, even uncontrollable reasons where it is a normal occurrence.

#FkAcneCensorship: Clear Start campaign is introduced by Dermalogica to normalise the conversations surrounding acne. – Pic courtesy of Dermalogica

The event concluded with a pledge for guests and the audience to not only love their own skin but also break free from the subliminal, negative advertising that litters social feed. The message was also extended to encourage those around them to actively resist it as well.

A total of US$ 15,000 (RM66289.50) was also donated to Nami by Dermalogica to provide support for research and resources for those suffering from mental illness. – The Vibes, June 16, 2022