What I mean by make-up is everything. And I cannot list the names of the products because frankly, I do not know their names. As a female of 26 years young I have never worn make-up in any shape or form. Not because I am against it but because it was never something I grew up seeing or felt that I needed.
At times I have felt like I missed that learning curve- where as a teenager or young woman you start trying makeup, getting your hair and nails done. Failure to launch, maybe. In truth, I do not see it as essential step to womanhood. Don't get me wrong, knowing how to take care of yourself is vital. Learning and practicing healthy choices, habits, behaviors and presenting your best self is something we should all be capable of doing.
Growing Up Bare
You must understand, I grew up in the Caribbean where it's extremely hot and sunny most of the year. So hot that you begin to sweat right after a shower some days. More importantly, I've never had the experience of watching anyone in my home get all "dolled up." My mother never wore make-up and neither did my older sister. I interpreted that as normal and to this day it still feels very normal. Their skin care routine was simply "wash and go" in every literal sense of those words.
Mind you, their skin was and still is flawless. Clear without scars or marks, just an unfading sunkiss. And when I say flawless, I do not mean perfect by your standards or what the media compels us to believe. Flawless for me is what looks good on them. What is healthy, natural and even. I saw them as beautiful and on occasion when I saw others in make-up, my 15 year old self would wonder why they were wearing it. I always imagined that it must feel uncomfortable, like sweat sluggishly running down their face or like a piece of hair that the wind just kept allowing to taunt their face.
As I continued to grow I still never tried it until I discovered chapstick which eventually led me to lipstick. Then one day I painted my lips red and took pictures. It was a nice pop of color to my usual lack of bright lip color but a minute in and I wanted to take it off. I decided that it was too much to maintain. Not only that but it felt uncomfortable, I couldn't tolerate the smell on me and my lips felt like they had just curled up and died. For some, it is a matter of getting used to the concept and feel of makeup. By now there must be lightweight products available but as health conscious I have become, I just don't see how it could be for me.
When I go to work, I go bare, just like everywhere else. I use chapstick but it has to be unscented with zero flavor, otherwise I simply cannot wear it. If it feels too greasy then forget about it. Some might call it Plane Jane but I find other ways to spruce up my look. One thing that concerns me and is somewhat disturbing is that without makeup, in some workplaces you are seen as unkept or unpolished. The fact that that we have to transform ourselves or put on a filter is still to this day, unacceptable for me. We should have a choice, if you wear makeup or not, no one should question your appearance, your worth or your competence. Maybe as more women we need to learn how to groom our authentic selves better. This might be the learning curve some of us missed out on.
The no make-up look is still a look. Let's normalize looking like ourselves, wherever we go.
To this day I still practice the same skin care routine, which I do not even consider to be a routine, just healthy habits and it has yet to steer me wrong.
It is simple. I wash my face with water every day and towel or paper towel dry, then add some natural whipped raw shea butter with extra virgin coconut oil. That is literally it. If I feel the need to exfoliate or my face feels greasy then this is what I do:
Exfoliate using some soap on a clean wash cloth and gently scrub my face until the dead skin cells are gone and the texture is smooth. I always moisturize after.
If I am greasy I will use organic ACV on a cotton pad to remove the grease and dirt then moisturize right after.
Simple Healthy Habits For Clear Skin;
Change your wash cloth and body towel at least twice per week.
Change your bed sheets and pillow cases once per week.
Keep your hands out of your face and the hands of others as well. Personally, this can be tricky especially if you are married but you can always tell your partner, clean hands only.
Moisturize daily. For me, once per day is enough with a dime size amount of my whipped shea butter.
Get some sun.
Drink a lot of water. Eat healthy. Exercise.
The other thing that helps is that I eat well and there are guides available to help you do this.. By this I do not mean green smoothies everyday but often enough. Growing up, the word "organic" was never a term used because instinctively I knew that whatever I was eating was natural, except for anything processed, of course. I never had to second guess if a fruit was grown organically or not. It just was. Point is, whatever skin you are in, enjoy it and take care of it, whether you choose to wear make-up or not. Find a healthy routine that works for you and embrace what you do or don't do.
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