Exploring Slow Beauty
Slow Beauty is a phrase we’re hearing more often in the beauty and skincare world, but what does it mean?
Slow Beauty is a philosophy that encourages people to focus not only on natural beauty but also on self care. I remember my grandma telling me, beauty comes from within and was about more than just how you looked, she was pioneering slow beauty 50 years ago!! Slow Beauty bears many similarities to the Slow Food movement, that grew out of a desire to champion local, seasonal food that was ethically produced, sustainable and with an emphasis on nutrition to support and nourish, care and consideration given to what is put inside the body.
Slow Beauty is a natural extension of that, it can cover so many aspects of our lifestyle, not just our beauty routine. Considering what ingredients are in skincare products, are they supporting and healing our skin, are they ethically and sustainably produced. Slow Beauty invites us to reconnect with ourself and the natural world around us, to find pleasure in a more gentle approach, to be kind to ourself. It means reshaping our ideas around beauty and the quick- fix or invasive options that may provide an immediate, but short lived result and instead embracing a natural, holistic approach to taking care, not just of our skin but our entire being, and developing practices that provide a lifetime of results.
Natural Skin Care
Taking notice of the ingredients in the products we use is so important, when much of what we apply is absorbed in to our bloodstream. Rather than using products containing synthetic chemicals and additives that increase the burden of toxicity, may contain hormone disruptors and carcinogenic ingredients, choose natural, organic products instead.When our skincare is made entirely of fresh plant produce, our body can recognise and utilise with ease, the natural vitamins and minerals much more readily than synthetic lab manufactured versions of these compounds.
Plants also contain a vast array of phyto-chemicals that support the structure of our cells, aid in the production of elastin and collagen and provide a whole host of antioxidants that prevent free radical damage. Organic products also mean not only do we avoid the presence of pesticides but organically grown plants are much stronger, healthier and more vital than their chemically sprayed counterparts. By choosing natural organic products we are choosing to avoid chemicals that have a negative impact on the environment.
Self Care
This is another aspect of Slow Beauty and is all about taking time to care for our wellbeing, looking after our mental, emotional and physical health.Daily life can present various stress factors and mindfulness is a positive way to help us combat this. Mindfulness is such a talked about topic but essentially it’s about being present in the moment, letting go of negative feelings and making time to do things that uplift us. It can be as simple as taking a relaxing bath, walking in nature and being aware of the smells, sounds and sights around us, getting lost in a good book.
Calming body and mind, reduces stress, let go of the pursuit of perfection (psst it doesn’t exist), instead adopt a gentler kinder approach, when you feel good, you look good, embrace the old adage ‘real beauty comes from within’.
By taking time to consciously apply our products, taking small moments to breathe deeply, enjoy the scents, to connect with what we are doing, creates a sense of calm and turns our daily cleansing routine in to a Slow Beauty Self Care Ritual
A Different Approach to Ageing
For too long glossy magazines, the beauty industry and society in general portray ageing not just as something to be ashamed of, but as something to be fought against. We are bombarded with images of models barely out of their teens, air-brushed celebrities and adverts for anti-ageing cosmetics and botox treatments. Yet ageing is an entirely natural and unavoidable, process. Nourishing and caring for our skin is surely better for it and our general wellbeing, than subjecting ourselves to a raft of toxins in the name of beauty.Slow Beauty is all about supporting our skin harmoniously, to achieve a more natural, softer, and in my opinion, better results over time. We should celebrate our face and body, not punish them.
Slow Beauty is all about being ourself, being content within our own skin, not trying to live up to some ridiculous ideal. We should celebrate individuality, embrace our own uniqueness and refuse to become a clone.