Are You Happy In Your Own Skin?
By Nykkee
@Nykkee (2522)
Canada
August 14, 2007 2:49pm CST
Are you happy with your skin? Are you content with it's color? I have seen so many posts here on mylot about skin lightening. This is a concept that is new to me. I live in Canada, and here all I have ever heard of is people trying to darken thier skin. We have tanning beds, and tinted moistureizers, and self tanners, there are even special vitamins avaiable to try to help you maintain a tanned look all year long. Then I come on mylot and I read about all of these women, who naturally have that tanned exotic skin tone, talking about ways to bleach and lighten thier skin. So it makes me wonder, is there really any true ideal? Or are we all just always going to want what we don't have?
Do you do anything to change, enhance, or alter the color or tone of your skin? I have gone to tanning beds before (I stopped because I can't get to one since we moves), spent hours laying out in the sun, used self-tanners, and most recently have been considering the new Jergen's Natural Glow lotion that is supposed to gradually give you a tanned look. What do you do, or have you done to change you skin?
4 people like this
10 responses
@mayenskie (1307)
• Philippines
15 Aug 07
My people are naturally tanned. Our skin ranged from dark brown to fair complexion. There are girls here who are obsessed on getting their skin lighter because society sort of dictates that to be have a white skin is beautiful. Celebrities and models here are mostly meztiza and fair skinned. Sometimes society is cruel, those who got darker skin are being taunted.
I agree that the natural sun-kissed skin is more beautiful as long as it is healthy. I am not saying i never used bleaching powder or cream to lighten my skin, although i did used it ( to lighten my feet) i am not vain and obsess on skin whiteners because i am scared of adverse effect any chemicals would possibly do to my skin.
Funny, how white people wants to get tan skin while those who have a natural tan wants to get whiter.
2 people like this
@Nardz13 (5055)
• New Zealand
15 Aug 07
Hi there. I am very happy with my skin, I dont use product or chemical on my skin... Being native means, tanned skin naturally, I dont have to go out and spend money on tanning beds, pills or any fake chemicals, just to look a little tan... I do use skin cream though, this being "Johnson & Johnson Baby Lotion" lol, and I dont have no signs of wrinkles or blemishes... Im content and greatful with the skin and colouring I have... Have a good one...
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
20 Aug 07
I guess, outside of trying to lose some weight, I'm comfortable in my own skin. I think that comes with age, at least with me it did. I've always been unable to tan, so have just gotten used to my fair skin and it doesn't bother me. You just have to go with what God gave you and make the best of it. I think there is nothing wrong with tanning, but using chemicals to lighten your skin? Sounds drastic...remember Michael Jackson?
1 person likes this
@wisedragon (2325)
• Philippines
15 Aug 07
It's a case of wanting what you don't have. Caucasians want to have their white skin tanned, while Filipinas want their brown skin whitened.
I can't speak for other races, but for us Filipinos it's because we have been brainwashed by the Spaniards to admire white people.
I'm a Filipino and I'm happy with the color of my skin, but I must admit I am more attracted to lighter-skinned women.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
14 Aug 07
To be honest, no, and I believe to has to do with some self esteem issues.. I could never understand why anyone who has dark skin would want to bleach it lighter when I take chances of skin cancer to make my skin darker.. I feel thinner and prettier when I am tanned, which is why I know it is a self esteem issue, because there are plenty of both light and dark skinned women that are beautiful..Of course this is a womens perspective on why most women would do this, as for men, I am clueless...
2 people like this
@Nykkee (2522)
• Canada
15 Aug 07
I feel the same way as you, I don't understand why anyone would want to bleach thier skin, expecially considering how damageing it can be. Sun can cause skin cancer but alot of people make the excuse for themselves of the fact that the sun also give you vitamin D and that tanning is a natural process, but bleaching just sounds so harmful.
@thefortunes (2367)
• Netherlands
15 Aug 07
Hi Nykkee
Yes, I am happy with my skin color, which is called olive, and is the usual color of complexion Italy, France, Spain, and some Eastern European countries. When taking some sun bathing it get's a very nice tan, and I have never wanted to have the very white skin, which is getting red under the sun, and can burn easily.
I can understand people trying to bleach their skin while born with dark complexion. In some countries one gets discriminated because of it, or one doesn't get the job because their skin is too dark. It is such a pity actually that we are conditioned to be as we are expected to be by the society we live in. It simply isn't fair.
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
15 Aug 07
Well, my skin is very hard to maintain. I wish that I had less marks on it.
@anetteh (3590)
• Sweden
15 Aug 07
God morning Nykkee,
the human nature are never contemt with them self, how they look. They seems to want to change how they look, how they really are etc. There are people making money on that every day. My thinking is why can not people be contemt with what they have and got. That is what make us individually, uniq. Why should we all look the same? If we go deep in those people we will in the end find that we do not think the same, we do not like the same things, we do not like the same food etc....why should we than look the same?
1 person likes this
@jcj_111776 (3216)
• Philippines
24 Aug 07
Hi Nykkee. I am happy with my own skin now. But I have to be honest though that I was one of those people who have tried using whitening products. It's the trend and I was curious. But eventually, I got tired from using these products and decided to leave my skin alone. I was born though with a lighter complexion so I wasn't into whitening products those days. But 4 years ago, when my husband and I moved to the province, my skin turned darker. That's why I decided to try a whitening soap.
It's really ironic because most Asian women, mostly here in the Philippines are so into whitening products. When the truth is it's a blessing that we were born with darker skin compared to Caucasians. And having a lighter skin means more susceptible to skin cancers due to harmful UV rays.
@tinagao (5)
• China
15 Aug 07
we are born with our skin ,no matter what colour it is,wocannot change.sb may do sth to turn theirs to other kinks,for example take sunshine,they have the thought that dark made them seems healthy,stronger,
others think light color looks more beautiful adn clean.they have spar and so on to light the color.
