Beauty Talk: Hyperpigmentation lets talk about it

Not my usual kind of beauty blog post today, but I’m in one of those reflective moods, you know those moods where you just have way too many thoughts going on in your head, so I thought why not do one of the best things possible and lay those thoughts to paper or internet in this case…

I strongly advice you grab a cup of tea and settle in for the read :-)

Unless you have been living under a rock recently, I’m sure most of you have heard about the pop singer Dencia and her infamous new cream called whitenecious! This was followed by the beautiful speech Lupita did at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards ceremony, which completely brought me to tears and more recently followed up with the cringe worthy interview Dencia did on Channel Four!

But just in case you have missed it, here is the image and both videos that have sparked off the world to discuss issues surrounding shadism, bleaching, body confidence and which prompted my reflections for this post

Something many of you will know is that I struggle with my skin, with adult breakouts on both my face and back and that I have scars that I am trying to deal with, but what many of you don’t know is that those said scars have also left emotional scars on my confidence. 

I was having a conversation with a friend recently, part of what sparked this reflective post and I mentioned to her that I had, had enough of the scars and once and for all, I was going to do something about it.

She asked me what I was thinking of and I said I was still at the research stage but I would be looking into both treatments and ingredients to help fade away my scars and even out my skin tone. To which she replied quite strongly with  “oh so you want to make yourself lighter!!”

I’m so sure I stared at her with equal measures of shock and horror and then later with complete sadness as I stared at her perfect, never really had a spot, flawless, no need to apply makeup face! I explained that no I wasn’t trying to lighten my skin; I love my skin tone and would actually love to proudly show it off but find it hard to because of my breakouts and scarring.

On reflection I realise that for people who have never suffered with skin issues, who can leave the house without makeup and not feel like everyone is staring at them and who can wear the sexiest open back tops/ outfits. I don’t believe I have worn anything that doesn’t have a full back in at least 10 years, simply because I am so conscious of the fact that my back is a canvas of uneven skin tone and scars and I don’t have the confidence to venture out without being covered up or with makeup, even when it’s summer time. For these very people they can never fully understand, they can sympathise but they don’t really know.

That is why it is so easy to judge others who are trying to sort out their skin. I actually remember a girl who posted her journey to lighten her scars on You Tube using good old “natural’ lemon juice. She received so many hate comments from people who told her that she clearly hated her skin tone and wanted to be lighter, that she eventually took down the video and I just felt so sorry for her. The whole thing is such a delicate issue and one that should you dare talk about it or mention anything close to the fact that you want to fade away your scars can open up a whole can of worms, with every opinion known to man, and we all know the internet is a place for people to hide behind their screens and sprout out words not to be repeated!

Now don’t get me wrong, I am completely against bleaching your skin tone or wanting to be lighter simply because you believe that is the ideal of beauty in the world, and if that is what you feel, I say this with complete kindness, this highlights some deep rooted issues that you really need to deal with and address.

And don’t even get me started on Dencia’s cream. The name alone is deplorable! You can clearly see she has completely changed the colour of her skin. Not to mention the fact that a cream that can make you 3 shades lighter in 7 days, cannot possibly be safe for you to use on your skin in any way, as it probably contains some dangerous ingredients (although they list the ingredients as being all natural). I say absolute bs* excuse the French; I just couldn’t put my feelings across in a better way.  So please don’t even consider using it.

However I am not at all shocked that the cream sold out in the first 24 hours and she has not only sold thousands but she also has a huge back order. It highlights that so many people out there (and I’m not talking about those looking to lighten their skin) but those who are looking for something that will help them with their skin issues, be it scarring, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone etc.

These are some of the major skin issues that affect all people of colour. And sadly especially in the EU where regulations are tighter it is difficult to know what to do or to find the right products that help to deal with the skin issues in a safe way. I also think because it’s not an issue that affects a large number of the population who live here, this means that for many of the big skincare companies, it isn’t a priority to focus on producing those products.

Well I’m here, and so are many other people and we really need those safe but effective products. 

This wasn’t easy to share, it never is because you end up feeling so open and vulnerable but I started my blog not just to blog about the fun side of beauty, which I love, but also to talk about the deeper issues that beauty brings, and to have a voice. So as I said to my friend, I am determined to sort out my skin once and for all and will be sharing what I find out, the SAFE products and ingredients and my journey with you.

I’m sure you guys have many thoughts about this subject. Please do share what you think, if you have suffered with similar issues? How you resolved your skin issues? If so what did you use and what worked for you? What you think of Dencia’s product and Lupita’s speech?

Please do let me know what you think in the comments below and thanks for reading, my thoughts feel so much lighter now

Xxx