Are you one of the 85% of Australians who have experienced acne, or one of the 95% of young people surveyed who are self-conscious about their skin? Skin B5 is campaigning for faces to lead the way and Be Real. To ditch the online filters and replace your skin concerns with the nourishing healing benefits of holistic Skin B5. Without even changing your routine, you can effortlessly add the Skin B5 daily superfood and supplements and watch your skin begin to naturally glow. Let your face shine with the true confidence that can only come with being authentic and loving the skin you’re in – filter or no filter
The Rise of Online filters
With all the screentime we’re spending, it seems like some people have almost developed a second persona. One being the natural face and in-person interactor, then there is a made-up face and persona presented to the digital world. Online chats have become dependent on pictures, videos and reels, with filters that are embedded in every social app. Some of these newer filters, such as the glamour filter, are so extreme that our own faces can become almost unidentifiable even to our own friends who have to do a double take. This is because we’ve been synthetically manufactured and reshaped into a false image AI has created using our own features. It is designed – apparently – to make us look more beautiful and “supermodel-like”.
Online Filters started out as funny and cute when got to have bunny ears for Easter, and a quick tone for meetings on tired days, but we just had not considered the darker side or the extend of rapid uptake of this new technology. Our young people are so vulnerable– and their features aren’t even fully developed yet. They innocently share their own image with the AI and it’s puffing up lips, adding fake structure to cheekbones, fluffing out lashes and brows, and mattifying our skin tone with extravagant make up – all in a split second. The audience sees it; the user sees it. And they expect to continue seeing it. Then, when real life calls us offline, or even to the bathroom, in another split second the fancied-up face and associated identity (and false confidence) is gone.
If we look at our conscious self-esteem, and our willingness to “be real” as well as the subconscious impact on our mental health, what happens when we’ve created this false image that is an idealized version we present to the public, but then at the end of the day we go to brush our teeth and see our real face in the mirror? How can we possibly love that bland thing that looks like a different person, not matter how beautiful it really is? We feel confused. Is there a distortion of reality and a psychological deflation of joy when our fake cheeks, bushy brows and bee stung lips have literally just disappeared? Are we then automatically prone to being disappointed with our actual true appearance? How far do we then go to get closer to the ideal?
The dangers
Trends spread faster than a society can make an informed choice, because there is so little information early on. These filters are changing expectations of appearance and even encouraging cosmetic procedures - especially in women and youth. The thing is – the information on how some of these AI filters even work is not entirely transparent from the social media companies themselves who are embedding them. In a time of soaring online crime, identity theft and deepfakes, the ethics of this lack of awareness and public information are deeply concerning. But, that’s another story altogether.
It is so easy to get carried away with the temptation of a bit of novelty fun and instantly looking perfect. But, whose version of perfect are we aspiring to exactly? Of course, we think it’s ours – but is it? And what do we need to actually enhance our true beauty? Do filters leave any lasting positive effect, besides a polished profile photo? We’re following the leader and everyone who is partaking in the “fun” is setting this example. But do we ever think, who are we following, exactly? Is it AI?
Boston University School of Medicine published a study in 2019, which states that a person’s selfie may not correspond to the person’s reflection in the mirror and thus “may lead to an unrealistic and unattainable perfect beauty sought through cosmetic surgery and procedures.” Since that study, we as a global community, have been exposed to far more screen time through lockdowns, and have also experienced far more technological advancements.
What is Beauty?
On beauty itself: Studies have been conducted for decades on beauty and its benefits, and what measurables actually make beauty. It isn’t puffy lips or mammoth lashes that top the list – those are merely recent trends. Psychology Today states that while there are a few things many but not all people seem to generally admire, it changes by culture, by time, and other factors. Some of the more stable and surprising elements people find attractive are “being confident, positive and engaged with life”. “Feeling good about who you are”, which changes the “the way you move your body, and relate to others” (Psychology Today 2023).
It is universally agreed that beauty is subjective to each observer – like art. A large number of those beauty measures rely on good genetics, health, confidence, the way your express yourself with your style, your spinal posture, and expression, because we read emotions on people’s faces. A smile is an actual listed attractive feature.
Sleep is listed as making a noticeable difference in how attractive someone is. Swedish and Dutch researchers photographed subjects when they were sleep deprived and then again when well rested. The study resulted in the rested photos as being rated higher in beauty (Psychological Science Org 2011).
It is normal to have dry skin days, glowing days, flat hair days and all of these are signs that our bodies give us about our whole state of wellbeing.
Aiming for Real Beauty
Studies consistently suggest that beauty is linked to outcomes of wellbeing. Good skin, relaxed features, fitness, personality. None of these are ever holistically created by filters, make up or cosmetic surgery.
Two good questions to ask ourselves with regard to beauty investment are:
1. How much time, money, effort and emotion am I investing in my appearance?
2. Is that investment actually genuinely improving my appearance, wellbeing and self-esteem?
Our body has its own filters, lungs, kidneys, liver, skin, etc. Your skin in one of the first places you’ll visually detect if your body’s systems are under strain or needing support.
A camera filter is an online shield and can’t help your inherent radiance and vibrance in reality so ask why you’re needing it. If we don’t like the way we look, we are either comparing ourselves to a fake ideal, or we feel we could genuinely look more radiant, healthy, stylish, etc. There are a few things that can actually help with that. We typically want to look our best so that we are confident and successful. Remember -confidence is attractive in itself.
Four things proven to actually genuinely be able to enhance the way we look and feel, both physically and psychologically, on and off camera, are:
- Sleep
- Hydration, including on the skin barrier
- nutrition – higher amounts of specific skin health nutrients may be needed for those with problematic skin
- exercise
These all work enhance beauty holistically, filter or no filter.
References
Boston University School of Medicine. Science Daily. 2019. What constitutes beauty and how is it perceived. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190605133549.htm
Psychology Today. Beauty: Attractiveness. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/beauty accessed May 9th, 2023Wargo, E. Association for Psychological Science, 2011 Beauty is in the Mind of the Beholder https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/beauty-is-in-the-mind-of-the-behold
