Have you ever paid attention to all of the masks you place on each day? I spent an entire day writing down ways in which I act or things I do to cover the insecurities I'm carrying. For most (females), we wake up, (check our phones) get "ready" for the day and rush out the door. The amount of things that "getting ready entails" is actually quite insane. We'll put on our makeup because that one time so and so told us we look tired without mascara. We'll spend a half hour obsessing about how our hair looks, but we make sure to style it in a way that makes it look like we didn't try too hard. We tweeze our perfectly shaped eyebrows, maybe add some tint because the sun has really lighted the shade lately. We put deodorant on our freshly shaved armpits then add a couple squirts of perfume because God-forbid we sweat and our one layer of deodorant isn't enough to cover the natural smell our body is excreting (formerly known as B.O.). Have I nailed down your exact morning routine yet?
What I found halfway through the first year in chiropractic school was that over time the coat of foundation I was applying got thicker and thicker. Since high school I had become less okay with the skin I had been granted. I could always use more bronzer, darker eyes, better shaped eyebrows or pinker cheeks. These layers pile on. The worse I felt about myself, the more coats of mascara I applied. The more engrossed in social media I became, the more I obsessed about editing out the zit that couldn't be covered up. Recently, I remembered something that I had long forgotten - being 12 years old wanting to wear makeup and my mom gently saying "you're too beautiful for makeup." Thankfully, years later, insert the intervention of ideas on holistic living and the above, down, inside, out principle. And with help of a few people that have been major influences in the creation of the human I am today, I started questioning my reasons for "putting on the mask" each morning. When I looked in the mirror, why did I think I had to cover anything up? Why did I think I had to "make myself presentable" for anyone? And what did "being presentable" even mean? Was it for me or was it for what I wanted people to think of me?
The thing I often hear girls say, "Well you look good without makeup, I could never do that." YES YOU CAN. Or my favorite "you have freckles to cover everything up." Well here it is ladies, you would look "good" without it too if you gave it a try. "Good" is literally a matter of perception. It changes based on the persons reality - their past experiences and current belief systems. As a reminder, a few things that only matter to you: the tone of your skin, the amount of freckles you have, the lightness of your eyebrows, the shape of your face, the amount of blemishes. My question for you; if you're in love with the way you look, why cover it up? What does it mean to "put on your face?" Why can't the unbelievably gorgeous face God intricately designed for you be enough? Go two days to work without makeup. Do it. Own it. And start loving yourself - all of yourself.
Have to mention, there are some practical reasons I stopped wearing make up too.. Honestly, all of the questioning and falling back in love with "my natural look" happened upon uncovering the truth about the health products we're sold in America. Fun fact: our skin is our largest organ!!! Until I read this statistic in relation to the amount of toxins in normal care products - it didn't sink in. But now I pay attention to what goes on my skin, the quality of clothes I'm buying, the soap in public restrooms, the type of dish soap I use etc. every ounce of what we put in our body and on every inch of our skin is absorbed. Did y'all know the US only has bans on 11 cosmetic ingredients? In places like Europe they ban over 1,300 ingredients. The manufacturers are required to uphold higher safety and efficacy standards.
My first few months I spent diving into this, I utilized the "Think Dirty" app. It rates products on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 having the lowest toxicity rating and 10 being the highest, all while listing ingredients and reasoning for the rating. While I have almost completely used and replaced my products with non-toxic alternatives, I have found myself just simply using less. We are sold a lie that to be this or be that we NEED this facewash, or we NEED this foundation or the (insert whatever). No, no, no you don't. (This is a reminder for myself too). Most of us could actually get away with eating clean, exfoliating our faces a couple times a week, washing with water, removing any natural makeup with coconut oil and a gentle wash cloth. It's a paradigm shift, but a healthier less expensive route. All this to suggest simply paying attention to the ingredients listed in the products you consume daily - if you can't pronounce the word, it can generally be categorized as a synthesized chemical compound of some sort. Find products with words you can pronounce, with plants you've heard of, with companies that create, manufacture and market with ALL OF YOU in mind.
None of this means you can't live. Yes, I find myself washing my hands with the soap provided in public places or using normal shampoo when I've forgotten to plan ahead or wanting to put on make up for a special event. But being a conscious consumer, we can decrease the toxic load our bodies and environment process on a daily basis. This is no different than anything, too much can consume you. Too much can actually change the way you see yourself. Too much can make you lose sight of the meaning behind it. Choosing to drop the masks is a daily decision. It is a path. Dedicate yourself to identifying where you put on masks and then choose one. Begin there. Then celebrate the freedom that lies beyond this change.