Breaking the Bias on Beauty

Women are constantly compared to impossible standards of beauty, and it isn’t fair.

Many of us feel compelled to wear make-up and that our worth in society is too measured on our looks, and more so than men.

It can affect not just our confidence, but our mental health and perceptions of our own self worth.

Today, we are standing up to prejudice against women and the pressure society puts on us to look a certain way.

Social Media has long been the centre of unrealistic beauty standards and unhealthy comparison.

But underneath what you might expect from the platform, there is a movement lead by inspirational young women, who want to show what real beauty looks like, and what it really means to uplift women.

Influencers who are helping to break the bias

It's a tough challenge to solve, and there's no magic answer to decades of conditioning.

But there are some inspiring women who are helping to lead the way in breaking the bias on beauty, by advocating skin positivity.

It's thanks to these positive accounts that Instagram has the potential to positively impact your confidence, and we think it's most definitely worth following these profiles if you're looking to overhaul your Instagram feed with feel-good, confidence-boosting content.

Izzie Rodgers

@izzierodgers

Izzie is known for her acne-positive content, encouraging the discovery and embrace of self-love across her community. She is all about going against the grain, empowering her audience, and expressing her individuality through makeup artistry and honest lifestyle content.

Sofia Grahn

@sofiagrahn

Sofia started suffering with acne as a teenager, which developed into cyctic acne in her early twenties. When she found acne positivity, she decided to start her own page a couple of years ago. Her content centres around skin and body positivity, as she posts beauty shots of her acne scars and blemishes.

Constanza Concha

@cottyconcha

Constanza is a skin positive influencer who embraces her real skin and body. She posts content and photos questioning conditioned beauty norms around skin, body hair and body image.

What can you do?

It's hard to know how you can help, and there’s no right or wrong answer.

But here are some suggestions for small changes you can make:

When it comes to your beauty routine, your body or whatever else it might be, ask yourself: Who are you doing this for? Is it for you and to help you feel more confident? Or is it for someone else? Question why it’s important to you and do what feels right for you.

If you see anyone being treated differently or spoken about unfairly for their looks, speak up!

Challenge your own opinions. Are you guilty of judging someone for their appearance unfairly? Think about how you can change this.

Next time you find yourself criticising your appearance and planning how to solve it. Think about what else you could do for yourself. Instead of focusing on your next diet plan, is there a creative project you want to start, or a skill you’d like to learn?

Do what makes YOU feel good. Wear the clothes you love, do the make-up (or don’t do the make-up) that you think is beautiful and focus on skin care that makes you feel confident.

Post on your socials. You don't need to have thousands of followers to speak out. Share your thoughts about breaking the bias on beauty, and help spread the word.