The Beauty of Going Makeup-Free [Video]

From berries to color lips to and burnt ash to highlight eyes, to makeup made of lead ore and copper, makeup has been used to enhance women’s, and sometimes men’s, appearance for thousands of years. Some love makeup, and some hate it. If you are a makeup wearer, can you imagine not wearing it?

Lately, I find myself wearing less and less makeup on a regular basis. And it’s not because I am anti-makeup. In fact, I really like makeup. But by going without makeup, I’ve learned more than I expected about myself. While I’ll forever be on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick, I’m learning how to just be myself without it.

With celebrities like Alicia Keyes embracing the no-makeup look, this trend is going strong. Here are a few things I’ve learned by not wearing makeup on the regular.

My Skin Is Happy

Makeup is often used to make you look better, but sometimes it has the opposite effect. While there are many clean beauty products these days, a lot of makeup is toxic and not that great for your skin. Keep in mind that your body absorbs anything you put on your skin.

Many makeup brands use ingredients that your body treats as toxins. How much, and which chemicals vary from person to person and product to product. Dryness, irritation, and acne can all be caused by the chemicals in makeup. Giving your skin a break every once in a while can help clear up acne and get rid of any rashes caused by irritating ingredients.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about ditching skincare. And you’ll notice that most who embrace the no-makeup look on the regular have a pretty intense skincare routine. Upping my skincare game and not wearing makeup has made it much easier to get a glowing a complexion. The longer I go makeup-free, the happier my skin is.

My Authentic Self Shines

My mom has a subtle way about her. I knew I was “old enough” to wear makeup when the first thing she would say about my appearance was, “Don’t you want to put some lipstick on?” To this day, I get “the look” when I show up sans lipstick or any other makeup.

As I got used to my no-makeup look, I embraced my willingness to be my authentic self, which led me to embrace my authentic self. By learning to love yourself without makeup, you can be more authentic in your interactions and relationship with yourself. This authenticity carries over into all your relationships.

My Individuality Suits Me

To be honest, going without makeup felt weird at first. I was super self-conscious. I thought everyone was staring at my un-made-up face. However, I began to realize that people saw my individuality. And I kind of liked that. I got used to my bare face in the mirror. I realized I didn’t need to cover anything up.

Just as makeup can be a form of self-expression, so can not wearing makeup. Rather than covering up my natural-born differences to become some ideal, I am shedding my made-up skin to flaunt my individuality.

I Am Empowered to Face the World

In the beginning, I felt very vulnerable without makeup. But I started to realize something else. There’s a strength and power in showing that vulnerability that made me start to feel more self-confident. While getting back all the time I’d normally spend on making up my face is GR8, it’s learning to source my sense of self from within that is truly empowering.

I’m not suggesting you have to cut makeup out of your life completely. We can be inclusive enough to make room for makeup, and no makeup without considering is a binary choice. I’m suggesting that rather than thinking of makeup as something necessary, consider thinking of it as something to play with when you want to. There’s nothing wrong with leaving the house without putting makeup on. It’s okay to be happy with yourself as you are, your face as it is. It’s also just fine to put on makeup whenever you feel like it.