Opinion | A relaxing realization
Skincare is an art form; one that I’m still working on, but I’ve come a long way from the first time I can recall washing my face in middle school. I stood in the bathroom and, without waiting for the faucet to warm up, haphazardly splashed a few handfuls of water on my face, scrubbed it with hand soap, rinsed, dried off and went on my way.
Nowadays, I pay more attention to what products I’m using and what the ingredients are. My regimen is more precise now than in sixth grade, when I first hopped aboard the skincare rollercoaster.
Since sophomore year of high school, I’ve had acne of varying intensity. Though it’s only been four years, it feels like forever since I’ve had clear skin. It’s a perplexing issue that I’d like to solve, but I don’t know how. Over winter break I was offered the opportunity to get a facial from an aesthetician in my hometown. I’d gotten my first one the year before, but it was something I hadn’t given much thought to. It was a novel experience then, but now with my second go around, I paid more attention to the offer and what it meant in the larger context of my familiarity with skincare.
By and large, skincare seems to be historically marketed to women. The skincare products at my house all belong to my mom or my sister and I’m not aware of many men in my life who take a deep interest in the topic. Moreover, a facial is similar to a massage and I don’t know many men who get massages. Based on my preconceptions of what the experience was going to be, I thought of it as inherently feminine and initially inclined to turn the opportunity down.
However, the experience offered me a chance to reflect on my idea of masculinity. The idea of vulnerability came into play as well, as I’d essentially be giving myself up to someone whose job it was to help adjust my physical appearance. Although the circumstances weren’t dire, it was a different thought process than I was used to.
On the day of, I went in with an open mind, and the experience was much better than I’d anticipated it would be. I was treated with a variety of scrubs and creams to exfoliate and lighten my skin and was able to talk to the woman who was helping me, which made me feel like part of a team rather than a follower. We collaborated on a way to help me improve my complexion and the experience on the whole was empowering. Since then, I’ve learned more about how to help myself, and it’s an experience I’d readily repeat and recommend.