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#PINNED: Everyone deserves to be comfortable in their own skin this pandemic
#Pinned makes it easier for young Filipinos to discover meaningful and enriching content and stories that will help them separate music from the noise, wheat from the chaff, and flowers from the weeds.
All our stories are written by young creatives who made it their life mission to know everything there is to know about how fellow young adults can make the most out of their limited downtime every day, every week.
When it comes to us women, there is more than meets the eye. We normally gain (or lose) weight, develop undereye circles, acne, and grow body hair during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, these transformations are not just because of the recurring quarantines. Some changes are by choice, others are not. And the society comes in, shaping a “Filipina.”
In a viral video of The Belo Medical Group #PandemicEffect campaign, it showed how a woman’s appearance changes sequentially as a barrage of COVID-19 related news appears on the television. The company led by Dra. Vicky Belo immediately apologized and took down their controversial advertisement. The cosmetic surgery group thanked social media users who voiced out their opinion on the Belo ad controversy through their official Instagram account:
Do tough times really call for beauty measures?
The stress of losing work and worrying about how to feed a family, the fear of catching the COVID-19 virus for essential workers who need to go out, the anxiety of being quarantined at home, and the loss of income due to the unstable economy can all lead to increased cortisol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that can increase appetite, resulting in stress eating. The Harvard Medical School reported that the elevated cortisol levels are the body’s response to stress, creating physiological changes that can contribute to weight gain.
According to dermatologist Jean Marquez, eye bags are usually genetic, while allergies can cause dark under-eye circles. Some medical conditions like PCOS and Hirsutism cause women to grow thicker body hair on the upper lip or chin area naturally.
Then, there is “maskne” or acne caused by using face masks. Face masks are essential to protect us from the virus. However, it causes the skin to break out – a norm under the new normal.
Tough times, tougher beauty standards
Toxic Filipino beauty standards are deeply rooted within the society.
- There is nothing wrong with being morena, but colorism, or the prejudice to darker skin tone, is.
- Children with curly hair are often bullied with the “kulot salot” label, but on what grounds? There is also the expression “Huli ka balbon!” which turned into a Pinoy joke (and a movie title).
- The road to achieving Korean glass skin led most people to take a five to 10-step skincare routine.
And how can we skip the talk about aiming for a well-bridged nose and slender body figure when our genetics dictate a different identity for unique Filipino features? For many of these beauty standards in the Philippines, insecurities remain, even when a person reaches maturity.
In this pandemic, the majority have no choice but to stay at home and improvise with affordable DIY makeovers and easy-to-do home remedies to keep up with beauty standards. There is nothing wrong if you want to make the extra effort to achieve the look you want, after all, it is your body.
But more than investing in good looks, what matters most is how you feel good from within.
“Beauty” and coping with it in the time of the pandemic
How can we find the motivation to look and feel good during these stressful times? The initial step is to acknowledge the situation you are in. Accept the changes that we experience, and work around them.
1. Healthy food, healthy mood
In times like these when the delta variant is just around the corner, it is best to be mindful of healthy eating. Aside from supporting the immune system, the right food can help you get glowing skin, and manage mental stress. What Filipinos get from the usual “ayuda” packs and community pantries is something people cannot choose. But healthy meals do not need to be fancy; the key is to balance the nutrition from a little meat, fruits, and vegetables.
2. Take it from Sleeping Beauty
Getting short, poor-quality sleep can cause blood vessels to leak and mix with fluids, causing dark circles. So, please. Be a little kinder to yourself by not depriving your mind of a 7 to 8-hour deep sleep. Also, poor sleep habits can place you at a higher risk for COVID-19.
3. We like to move it, move it!
With less time commuting and less access to the gyms, try to make time for home exercises. Lucky for those who have stairs at home, you can go up and down several times to go beyond 10,000 steps. For bungalow dwellers, even housework can be a way to be physically active. Yoga and meditation can help, while online fitness tutorials can guide you to move further.
4. Self-love is the key
Take your time throughout your day to stop, breathe, and try to relax. Notice what is happening within and around you; see the other side of things with whatever shows up. While staying connected is good, some issues can be overwhelming, and some stressors may not be worthy of your attention, so better check in with yourself -- unplug and pause for you to radiate that inner beauty.
As a bonus tip, now is the time to reactivate your support group. Reconnect with your BFFs as they might be wondering how to reach out to you, too. Real friends won’t ask you cruel things such as “anong nangyari?” Laugh out with them, seek emotional support, and spend “chikahan” bonding when you need to release your exhaustion because everyone deserves to be comfortable in their own skin during this pandemic.
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Jeddah Legaspi is a communicator who loves to share the places, faces, and her learning experiences from grad school and life outside work. She is also a co-founder of ISDApp, a NASA-awarded app, and a marketing creative who uses the new media to bring valuable information to Filipinos.
