Frugal Tip: Flaunt Your Real Skin Color

Summer here is in full swing and I would like to tackle a sensitive topic about skin color and skin whitening.

Okay, I admit I was once obsessed with whitening my skin. I grew up in a country where fairer skin is valued.  When I was little, while playing outside, my mom would call me to go in before I'd get too dark. Growing up, the media tells you that fair skin is beautiful. Filipinos are bombarded with commercials about whitening. We watch teleseryes with actors and actresses who have whiter than white skin. We are basically surrounded with reminders that our natural skin should be altered or else..... Even Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere has fair skin as fine as an onion skin.

When I came and live abroad, the idea of what color of skin is beautiful completely shifted.  I realized that it depends on the culture. Most people here love and worship the sun , while Filipinos hate the sun. Most people here would strip in their backyards when the sun is out , while Filipinos would use umbrella when outside. When I see someone using umbrella  during summer, I would therefore conclude that is Asian :)

 I still use lotion but with no added whitening . I noticed that my skin tone changes. I go from light brown with prominent yellow undertone to deep brown depending on the season. My employer once came up to me and said  "I'd love to have that golden tan skin of yours". What?!?!?!   

Why do we love to alter our skin tone? The reason dates back to when the Philippines had been colonized by Spaniards, Japanese and American. Those 3 races have fair skin ,and in those colonization days, fair skin meant authority and superiority. Fair skin also meant that you were a very important person who don't work in the farm. This is what we call colonial mentality.   That, I think,started it all and to this day, whitening industry is a booming business in the Philippines.

Let's talk finance and whitening products. Regular soaps and lotions are less expensive than those soaps and lotions with added whitening stuffs sorcery.  I heard from a good friend that a regular lotion he usually buy cost PHP 130 with 532 ML whereas lotion with whitening products are much more expensive. The soap with added whitening stuffs are more expensive than those regular soaps.

Since I love Cocoa Butter, these would be my go-to lotions when I get home
These are cheap lotions I'd like to use!

 When you are trying to save money and you are looking for an area in your life where you can cut back, you should take a serious look at your beauty regimen. Maybe you can forgo that glutathione pills you are taking and what not. I even read that a woman spends PHP 94,000 a year on all the beauty regimen that includes glutathione injectables and all. MY GOSH, that's some serious dough!

Again, I'm not looking down at people who use whitening stuffs coz I came from that. Skin should be enhanced, not altered.  

Embrace your real you.

Accepting that I am beautiful with my natural skin color was not an overnight thing.  Habits are hard to change and it took a huge will-power to let go of all the whitening stuffs I was used to. Surround yourself with tv shows and programs that has actors who have natural brown skin. Look at local celebrities who has morena skin and idolize them.  Those were the steps I took so I can let go of my whitening skin obsession.

Again, skin should be enhanced, not altered.. Embrace your real you.