My name is Jinu, and I grew up in a city called Kandy, Sri Lanka. I would say it’s a more traditional area. In Sri Lanka, most of the beauty standards are not okay. Most Sri Lankans believe that lighter skin color is more beautiful than dark skin color. So, they try to change themselves and become someone else. It is like this with both men and women, but nowadays, it’s becoming better. People are learning about skincare, and they are educating themselves.

For instance, on social media, I see people embracing their skin color and also acne. Even though they have hyperpigmentation and other skin concerns, they embrace themselves and believe that their skin is beautiful and worthy. Rather than trying to fix themselves, I’m beginning to see people focus on their health. And to me, that is skin positivity. Skin positivity means that you don’t view perfection as a part of taking care of yourself. 

My mentality around this has changed a lot. I remember when I was 15, and I started seeing pimples all over my face.  When this first happened, I  actually was not worried about it. For two years, I didn’t do anything. I thought to myself, “I have acne, and I don’t care.” But when peers and strangers started calling me out and saying “you have acne. You should do something about it,” I started changing my opinion. All of a sudden, I was really nervous to face people. I hated to hear people say “what happened to your skin?” and that kind of stuff. 

I remember another time when I used too many products on my face, and it started to burn very badly. I even had to get a metal spoon to cool down my face. I was really frustrated about it, and every time I looked in the mirror, a lot of my insecurities came out. Looking at my reflection used to really frustrate me, but things have changed a lot for me because of skin positivity. As I grew more into it,  I actually started going to my reflection and saying “You are beautiful. You are worthy.” That has helped me a lot. Another thing that helped me was watching every single video from Cassandra Bankson. She was such an inspiration, and when she talked about acne, I started embracing my skin more. 

Nowadays, I don’t care about what people say. I know what I am doing. I have the knowledge of skincare, and I no longer care about their opinions. Because no matter how you look, you are a worthy human being. Don’t let yourself down because of skin concerns

It’s not worth it.

You are such an amazing human being. 

I want to continue sharing this message with others, and in the future, I want to create even more content. I would love to help people and to continue sharing my journey with others. Over time, I’ve changed so much, but I’ve also stayed the same. As usual, I’m still very bubbly. But, I don’t take everything so seriously. In the early days, I remember when I had acne or a bad skin day, I would isolate myself, go to my room, lock my door, stay in my bed, and avoid going outside. Nowadays, I actually embrace my skin. 

I see the positive sides of myself, and for me, that’s a major change. 

@selfcare_with_yourboy