The impossible beauty standard imposed on women strikes in pretty much every tiny area of physical appearance. From the texture and style of our hair to the pedicures on our feet, there are seemingly endless guidelines on how we should present ourselves in order to be “beautiful” – which is, as makeup and fashion companies all agree, the highest achievement a woman can earn. 

In terms of skin care? Here’s a quick review:

1. Your skin has to be porcelain smooth. See, women are not meant to have pores. None that are visible, at least. 

2. The entirety of your skin should be even-coloured. It should be fair but not too fair, tan but not too tan.  

3. No wrinkles. Age is not an excuse…unless you’re 80 and your wrinkles are perfectly curated. 

4. Stretch marks are prohibited at all times. 

5. Freckles are permissible, but only if they are stylish and currently in vogue. 

6. Acne and pimples? Shame on you.

This list is in no way exhaustive, as I’m sure I’ve forgotten some other rule that goes completely against biology and can only be achieved via Photoshop or makeup. 

What a load of bull. 

One of the most amazing things that has happened in the modern age is the increasing pushback against these ridiculous rules. People are beginning to acknowledge that natural beauty does not conform to arbitrary standards formed by patriarchal societies, but that our beauty will grow and develop the way it is meant to be. 

Over the years, my skin care routine has changed quite a bit, as my sense of identity and social awareness has grown and developed. I have tried out my fair share of sketchy methods and products while chasing after unattainable beauty “goals.” I still cringe about when I tried to make the skin on my knees and elbows look as fair and smooth as the rest of my body. Nowadays, however, I frequently review and update my skincare philosophy. I do my research and listen to what my skin tells me. I have tried my best to reject marketing ploys and instead truly focus on my skin’s needs. 

After a long day of work, studying and socialising, I enjoy the few minutes it takes for me to complete my skincare routine. It’s almost meditative, in a way – a moment to be alone with myself. Not to mention that the physical act of cleansing and taking care of yourself can feel very reassuring in itself.

As I cleanse my skin, I think about what kind of day I have had. Was it good or bad? Why? I check out my skin in the mirror – is it looking normal? If it looks tired or I have dark circles, it’s a reminder that I need to readjust my schedule to get more or better sleep. If I have a pimple or two, I think about and try to recognise how stressed I feel. Have I been eating well? Should I delegate some of my responsibilities? Do I need to talk to a friend, family or a therapist? Then, as I moisturise, I relax and slowly detach myself from the hustle and bustle of the day. 

Everyone has their own routine and philosophy, so here’s some tried and true advice that I have incorporated into my own.

1. A simple routine done daily > a ten-step routine done every week.

Consistency is the absolute key. Your skin needs taking care of every single day. Doing a ten-step skin care routine every weekend isn’t going to atone for the times you went to bed with makeup on during the week. The absolute essential skin care steps are cleansing, moisturising and makeup removal if you wear any makeup. Of course, it’ll probably be great if you can follow an elaborate daily skin care routine, but realistically, with all the daily fabulousness we engage in, most of us don’t have that much energy left when it is time to actually do the routine and collapse into bed. And that is completely fine. The simple two step skin care routine of cleaning and moisturising takes less than five minutes to complete and is easy to do even on the most exhaustive of days. 

2. Rethinking your relationship with makeup. 

Personally, I’m not a big fan of makeup. I’m lazy, and the task of applying makeup every day is just too troublesome to me – I’d rather sleep in for another ten minutes. And, heck, makeup is expensive. I’d much rather invest my money on quality skincare products that actually keep my skin healthy instead of buying makeup products only to make it appear so. 

Do you wear makeup? If so, why do you wear it? If you simply love makeup or find makeup empowering, that’s awesome. I often find myself staring at people strutting around with incredible makeup. For makeup-lovers, it might be good to consider stop using makeup remover wipes so frequently and invest in a good makeup remover product instead. Makeup remover wipes are great for the occasional sleepover or short trip, but it is a lot of friction and the quality of the built-in makeup remover isn’t as good as what you’d get in a separate makeup removing product. 

If you don’t love makeup for the sake of makeup, but rather feel like it’s something you “need” to do in order to appear attractive or professional, perhaps it’s time to rethink your relationship with it. It’s a great addition and a lot of fun in your life, but absolutely not a necessity. I talked with a lot of friends who used to wear a full face of makeup every day. They confessed that it’s actually extremely liberating once you realise you really don’t need to do that. I guarantee you that you look gorgeous with or without makeup, so make sure it’s actually your choice to wear it. 

3. The sun is not your friend.

How often do you wear SPF? The correct answer should be every single day. I know, it sounds crazy. To be honest, I struggle with this as well, so I settle for wearing it as often as possible. But my older female relatives taught me this and it’s the key to keeping your skin young and healthy. You should just see the lengths my mother and my cousins go to in order to avoid the sun. The threat of skin cancer is very real! If you love your tanning or doing outdoor activities, you really need to protect your skin properly. It’s worth taking out the time and energy to do your research and find a product that is effective and enjoyable. Also, don’t forget to buy an ocean friendly sunscreen if you plan on getting in the water!

4. You do not need that many products.

The skincare industry is an extremely large and profitable one. Large pharmaceutical companies, models, Youtubers and Insta influencers are all trying to sell you something. Try to keep a level head and not fall into these traps. Beautifully designed products are truly hard to resist, but really, we don’t need five different products that do the exact same thing! Not only is it an unnecessary expense, it is also quite wasteful since products only last so long and if we buy too much, we can’t really finish using them. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to only buy products of the same function when the current one is running low. If I don’t like a product, I try to trade or gift it to a friend before I buy something new. By doing this, I am encouraged to choose my products more carefully and I end up avoiding clutter in my bathroom. Truly a win-win!

In the end, I encourage you to think of skincare as a form of self-care. It’s not about looking pretty to others – it’s about feeling beautiful in your own skin (pun intended). More importantly, it’s about being healthy and staying in tune with your own body. And the good thing about it is that, despite what social media wants us to believe, there is no golden standard or perfection about this. All that matters is that you feel the best that you can.  

By Aria Zhang

A panda in the Middle-Earth.