How These Women Learned to Care For & Accept Their Skin

With the advent of skinfluencers and marketing campaigns that target our innermost vulnerabilities, learning how to embrace and care for your skin can be a journey. For some, it can take years to treat complex medical skin conditions properly, and for others, overcoming discrimination is a milestone on the way to completely accepting and loving their skin. 

To get some perspective on what the skincare journey can entail, we spoke to Swarnaa Rajalingam, a content creator (who you may have seen pop up on your TikTok FYP), and Eloise Jones, a filmmaker and photographer, to share their stories. 

Eloise: I love it — my skin is a combination of sexy, soft, scaly and hairy. 

Refinery29 Australia: Can you tell us about the journey you’ve had in embracing your skin over the years?

Eloise: Growing up, I had super oily skin and got stretch marks when I was pretty young, which freaked me out. But with maturity came perspective, and I decided to focus on more important things in life.

Eloise: My idea of good skin is when it feels good, and it’s not irritating me. A good skin day is better than a bad skin day, but I just learned to live with both. A bad skin day usually involves my skin flaring up and getting super itchy, which is frustrating, but it’s manageable with the right creams. 

Eloise: When I worked in hospitality after school, it became super irritated and sensitive, and it hasn’t gone away. I didn’t do anything about it for a while because I thought it would just eventually subside. A few of my friends had the same issue, and I would just borrow their creams. 

Eloise: In the morning, I wash my face and put on a moisturiser with SPF in it. In the evening, I cleanse my face and put on a serum and sensitive skin-friendly face moisturiser. I also put a hypoallergenic cream on my hands like Cetaphil. 

I mostly shoot on film and focus on portraits, which I love because it captures people in their truest form. I think the rawness of skin on film is quite beautifully flawed, and I like that there isn’t as much movement for edits.

Swarnaa: Growing up, I loathed my skin, neglected it and as a result, damaged it. Fast forward to now, I am on a self-love journey of loving my skin, embracing my skin and doing everything in my power to love it, nurture it and give it the TLC it had been missing for so many years.

Swarnaa: It’s been quite a journey for me. I experienced colourism (i.e. discrimination by my own community for being on the darker spectrum) and also racism from society overall. This led me to grow up loathing my skin, whereby I fell into the trap of using skin lightening and severely damaging bleaching creams. A combination of a lack of love for myself and my skin, coupled with the lack of representation in the beauty industry, felt defeating. 

It hindered me from envisioning the possibilities for my skin and the ways to take care of it. As a teenager, I never prioritised the health of my skin as I was not equipped with the proper knowledge and resources, and I didn’t recognise the importance of taking care of it. As a result, I experienced high levels of skin damage from not wearing sunscreen, and hyperpigmentation due to being a melanated woman. I also suffered from dryness, flaky skin and an oily T-zone as I wasn’t keeping hydrated and following a skincare routine catered to me and my needs. Over the years, I have had to do a lot of inner and external work to embrace my skin and heal it from all the physical damage and emotional trauma I had faced. 

Swarnaa: Having skin that is hydrated, plump and forever glowing is what I consider to be ‘good skin’. Good skin for me is skin that is being taken care of, embraced wholeheartedly with all its flaws and imperfections. With more real bodies and skin being showcased through the media, more people embracing real skin, flaws and imperfections, I am less worried about a ‘bad skin day’ these days and feel empowered to rock the skin I have been blessed with. 

Swarnaa: I never classified myself as having sensitive skin because I was oblivious to what skin should look and feel like, what my skin was lacking and where my skin stood on a spectrum. When I started to have really chaotic days, and I had moments where I neglected my routine, wasn't using the right products, and had a social presence where I needed to be on camera, I became more conscious of my skin. 

Swarnaa: I started out with homemade remedies and progressively tested out different products on the market. As I saw more women of colour influencers and beauty experts share what’s been working for them, my journey really started with treating my skin. 

Remember, your skin is your largest organ, and it’s important to take a holistic approach to treating it. It requires a combination of a healthy diet, a good lifestyle, using sun protection and following a skincare routine using good quality skincare products. 

Swarnaa: In my morning routine, I use a double cleanser to wash off any grime, dirt, and bacteria built up on my face. I follow up with a vitamin C serum to help tackle my hyperpigmentation. I then apply a hydrating eye cream and a hydrating moisturiser. I finish my routine off with physical sunscreen and sometimes a face oil to lock in all the moisture. 

As for my nighttime routine, I cleanse and follow up with a serum. I then apply my eye cream, night cream, face oil and a lip sleeping mask. 

Swarnaa: Over the lockdown, I have learnt to harness the power of writing. I love to journal my thoughts as it allows me self-reflect, look inward and guide myself on the days that I feel directionless or not my best. I also have specifically curated music playlists where the messaging is all about self-love and empowerment, which helps boost my energy. I also keep in touch with a close group of loved ones who have my best interests at heart, and that I can lean on when I’m not feeling my best. 

Swarnaa: I find it easiest to stay true to myself rather than be someone I’m not. My online community has grown over the years because of my vulnerability and the relatable content I have created. However, my superpower will always be my authentic voice. Conversations around self-love and empowerment are so important to me, and I have been able to connect with so many individuals worldwide through these authentic conversations. 

Swarnaa: We are all more similar than we think. We have many shared experiences, and we aren’t alone in this journey. I have learnt so much about the most appropriate woman of colour-friendly sunscreens. I have learned about the best ingredients to look for in skincare for our complexion and incredible product recommendations through my audience and community, which I am very grateful for.