#SkinPositivity: Embracing your acne in this Instagram movement
In recent months, there has been much discussion surrounding the use of heavy makeup and photoshop by celebrities and online influencers to disguise their skin.
First, YouTuber Em Ford uploaded a video exposing the nasty comments she receives when she shows her bare skin on social media compared to when she posts snaps in perfect makeup.
Then, Irish influencer Rosie Connolly offered solace to her followers who suffer from acne by sharing her own bare faced selfie, and discussing how she felt about her skin.
'My skin issues do not define me, they do not make me "ugly", they are nothing to be ashamed of and for that reason, I'm sharing with you all,' she wrote at the time.
Only last week, Kendall Jenner was shamed for photoshopping, after snaps of her from the Golden Globes of her appeared online showing her acne, which were then compared to flawless images of her uploaded my makeup artists on social media.
Her response? Well, check it out for yourself:
never let that shit stop you! https://t.co/uXlqwJxTPf
— Kendall (@KendallJenner) January 8, 2018
Model Belle Lucia, who has over one million followers on Instagram, also shared a side by side snap of her skin in the past week.
'I'm posting this to hopefully help those out there suffering with acne or anyone worrying about the way they look because when I was young I wish someone would have told me that your looks don't define you and even the "models" you see on advertisements aren't perfect,' she wrote.
She also told fans that her acne impacted her self esteem so badly that it was the catalyst which stopped her pursuing modelling when she was younger.
Now, audiences of these strong women are are refusing to buy into the idea that for skin to be acceptable, it must be blemish free.
A new movement is happening on Instagram, under the hashtag #SkinPositivity.
Here, men and women are sharing snaps of themselves makeup free in a bid to embrace the skin they are in.
Much like the body positivity community, skin positivity is sending the message that whether your skin is dry, oily or acne speckled, it's beautiful and worthy of being seen by the world.
The aim is to encourage people to feel that they don't have to cover up their skin, and to help people realise that often times, images online can be airbrushed, shot under perfect lighting, and generally not representative of the majority.
It's definitely a movement we can get behind.
