Happy To Be Brown - Because Skin Colour Doesn’t Matter, Loving Your Skin Does

By NSP Way Of Life
Happy To Be Brown - Because Skin Colour Doesn’t Matter, Loving Your Skin Does

“Eat enough beetroot. Your baby will be born with a fair complexion.” 

“Baby girl? Congratulations. She must be milky white!”

The world’s obsession with skin colour roots from the womb. 

Thanks to the rigid social perception that we openly correlate a fairer skin tone with one’s beauty and personal success. For decades, a dusky girl has been portrayed to live a sorrowful life until she finds a way to brighten her skin and then soars high because of her changed appearance. Right from medication to women clothing collection and from daily essentials to luxury products, colourism has played a vital role in storytelling in society. 

With the evolution in technology, gastronomy, fashion and overall standard of living, isn’t it time to change the mindset too?

Healthy Skin > Fair Skin

Colourism is a grave issue and it’s time we put an end to it. The quantity of melanin has been altering not only the skin colour but also the mindsets of many. In the quest to lighten the skin colour, people are forgetting about how important skin health is over skin colour. Expensive facial treatments, medication and cosmetic surgeries are becoming increasingly popular that promise a lighter and brighter skin tone. However, most women pay little to no attention to the health of the skin. A clear, acne-free, rash-free skin is the real goal and not just its tone.

Healthy Skin

Love Yourself, in Any and All Ways

No matter what skin colour you are on the outside, it’s all about what you are like on the inside

– Norman Sykes

A tiny revolution against the bias of skin colour is building up eventually. More and more people are speaking up about its absurdity through poems, art, illustrations, social media and films. Large corporations are re-branding their products keeping human sentiments in mind. Many multinational companies dealing in daily products such as hair and skin care, bath and body products, dresses for women, etc. are breaking the stigmas of society around clean and fair skin. 

Love Yourself, in Any and All Ways

An individual’s perception of self is all that matters. Victimisation is possible when you allow yourself to feel inferior. Do not let yourself fall prey to the world’s standards of beauty. True attractiveness comes from being a good human being, being compassionate and being kind. 

If you have brown skin, so be it. Accept it. Embrace it. And be proud of it.

How to be Comfortable in Your Own Skin?

1. Stop Seeking Validation

While constructive criticism can help put things in perspective, validating your worth based on others’ opinions of you will only dig a deeper hole of self-doubt in your mind. Being a people-pleaser may prohibit you from being comfortable in your own skin. 

Stop Seeking Validation

2. Remind Yourself of Your Worth

Take it as a ritual where you wake up and remind yourself of why this world needs you. Tell yourself that you make a big difference in this world with your love & kindness. Grow out of your self-consciousness. As uncomfortable as it may seem, sometimes pushing ourselves beyond our liking helps us discover our real strength. Once you know your worth and unconditionally adore yourself, no one can point fingers at you to bring you down.  

Remind Yourself of Your Worth

3. Build Your Self-esteem 

Drive your focus on all your strengths. Use your skillset to build your self-esteem. Everyone is gifted and talented in their own unique way and you must find a way to use it for overcoming all those feelings of insecurity. 

Build Your Self-esteem

4. Practice Self-love

You cannot expect the world to shower you with love if you don’t extend that courtesy to yourself. Your looks don’t define you and it’s only a matter of time till it all fades away. What will always stay though is your compassion and love for yourself and others around you. 

 Self-love

5. Surround Yourself with Positive People

Surround yourself with close friends and family that stand by you thick and thin. They will not encourage unhealthy eating habits and body shame you, and will as a matter of fact help you reverse these harmful ideologies. 

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Beauty comes from within is an age-old saying. However, truer words have never been spoken. Real change must take place in our mindset where the qualities of a person matter over their appearance.

We at Not So Pink believe that while race is genetic, racism does not have to be. No matter the colour, size, height or shape, we are all beautiful. We are all the same. Humans!