We are comfortable in our skin

Marcus Garvey once said the black skin is not a badge of shame but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness. Ever since I had a phone, I tried to convince myself that I do not take selfies because I simply do not like them. The purpose of taking a selfie is to display a mood or expression while you are doing an activity or asked to do something.

People take selfies in front of mirrors, in their bedrooms, or in their cars. You can take a selfie anywhere at any time but if ever looked at my old account which was hacked and someone stole all my photos, there were not that many selfies.

I have always had this delusion that a selfie is not how you are feeling but how you look. I never liked to take a selfie because I do not like my face. My parents would always tell me that I was a pretty girl. It is not that I do not feel like I am pretty but there is something on my face that takes away from my beauty. Those dark little spots that spread across my cheeks. Do not let my profile picture fool you!

Makeup is like magic for women. I use the same photos whenever I create an account for a website. Those photos are the best versions of me. I was never bullied in school for my acne because they did not notice enough to care. I must blame myself for why those dark little spots keep coming back.

I drink a bottle of water whenever I can, but I would only drink it if it were nice and cold. I apply Panxoyl on my face in the morning, but I have not been consistent with the product this year. Sometimes I am afraid of using the cream because I do not want people to think that I am lightning my skin.

It is different for a white person to use a product that helps with their skin problems than it is for a black person. Anytime that a black woman is using something that helps with her skin, she is accused of not loving herself.

It is the same phrase:

she does not want to be a black woman!

When I see a video of a darker or brown skinned woman showing the before and after, some of the comments disappointed me. Black women who want to take care of their skin should not be frowned upon.

It is important that we have proper skincare because our skin is the largest barrier against infections. I never knew that there were a lot of things that affected your skin other than sugary foods and drinks such as pillowcases, hard water, and your keyboard.

I understand that our skin is not desired in society, and I have accepted that harsh truth but allow us to take care of ourselves without criticism. You must give us the right to self-care without judging our appearances because you feel that if something changes about ourselves, then we are insecure and do not get me wrong!

I can be insecure sometimes, but it is not just about my skin. I get jealous of someone who has published their novel before me. I get jealous of those who have accomplished their writing goals.

At the end, I am happy for those people, and I wish the best for them because I do not have that much hate in my heart to tear down the success of others. I want people to win in life, and I feel like people should want what is best for us.