Self Care or Self Harm?
While being locked out of the work home I usually spend many hours in and being separated from the wonderful visitors chatting about all things skin, skincare and absolute indulgence, I find myself scrolling more and more on social media to remain in the loop about what is going on in the skincare and beauty industry, BUT rather than feel like I’ve caught up with the news in an ever changing sector I feel more and more distanced from an industry that now seems so out of touch with human emotion and appears to prey more on our vulnerabilities to encourage us to OVER CONSUME and invoke feelings of frustration
Example - the self care “movement”
Type self care into the search function on Instagram and you will find 42.8 million posts with that exact hashtag and 1.4 million with the hashtag selfcaresunday attached to images of models in face masks, baths filled with bubbles, shelves full of products, tips on dry skin brushing, hair masks, at home pedicures, IPL hair removal handsets, body creams, skincare routines and so the list goes on. Please note that every single item listed above will cost you and take note, it may be costing you in more ways than one
Lets explore the term “self care” - first used in the 1950’s to describe activities undertaken by patients in institutes to give them a sense of independence such as exercising and taking care of themselves by showering and brushing their own teeth. Fast forward to the 1960’s and self care is a description of recommendations to people in traumatic jobs to make sure they address their physical needs such as, eat well, sleep well, get the medical care you need. What about the 1970’s? Well, that was when the Black Panther Party started promoting self care in relation to health to all black citizens as a means of remaining strong through the traumas of racism - in essence self care is about SURVIVAL
In this day of #selfcare we have to open our eyes to the dangers of using this term to describe waxing our legs or having a facial or lighting an expensive candle because the message here is that you only care about yourself if you can afford it. The World Health Organisation defines self care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider” and you ain’t getting that in a beauty box
I read this definition and think how dare the beauty industry hijack a term that is essential to human survival and use it as a means to sell products and indulgences that many cannot afford to buy. How dare an influencer post a #selfcaresunday posing in a face mask causing many viewers of the perfection in this image to feel self doubt and self critical because they don’t have the means to care for themselves in this way. As if #selfcare is reserved only for those who can afford tubs of cream and a yoga retreat or the luxury of a bath with bubbles. It is not the act of the treat that is harmful but at least call it what it is - self indulgence, grooming, treating yourself, spoiling yourself and maybe we can change the story to one where people understand the difference between luxury and the more meaningful ways of taking care of your deeper needs
The self care dream sold to you by the big industry leaders is that all your troubles, anxieties, depression, feelings of worthlessness and desperation will be gone with a skoosh of this and a whiff of that and pop some of this whipped delight all over you, dust yourself down and off you pop with a newly found lust for life. NOOOOO. This is not the way. All the delights in the spa and skincare world are wonderful when you are not distracted by the belief that they will “fix” you - you may feel momentarily better when you buy a new moisturiser or wax your legs or scrub your bod but if you are not working at a deeper level to really practice true and meaningful self care the chances are you will fall short of your own expectations feel like a failure which leads back to anxieties, depressive thoughts and feelings of worthlessness
The skincare industry is one that I am fully immersed in and where I understand and see first hand the incredible benefits of the treatments, the rituals, the routines and the caring for your physical image please, please, please be more aware of the strategies in place to make you feel bad about yourself and work hard to develop a true understanding of the real meaning of self care
Self care is not what you can afford, it is not to be forced on you by the “wellness” industry (oh gawwddd don’t get me started on this one) it is, of course, paying attention to your needs, it is deep, it makes you strong, it makes you understand others needs more, have connections on deeper levels and fight for the change you want to see in this ever increasingly self-obsessed world and that will never be found in a handheld hair remover
The 42.8 million hashtags make me fully aware I may be polarised in my opinion and how very strange coming from one who makes a living in the skincare industry, quite funny really BUT if this opinion resonates with one other person who has been feeling overwhelmed by #selfcareroutine and they are now free from the illusion that you need to over consume to be taking care of yourself then that will be ok with me
Over and Out
Kezia XxX