Today’s baseline is instantaneous gratification. Our screens and devices have turned into an addictive and dizzying digital carousel of constant news, social media, celebrity and influencer alerts. We are saturated with buzz words, viral videos, fads, and movements. However, if beauty trends and popular topics have taught us anything, it’s that they come and go, and more often than not, they do more harm than good. When modern world weariness and fatigue sets in, our life’s real focus becomes clearer, and we are ready to pry away our gaze and address the marketing manipulation head on. 

trend
noun                                                   

1. a prevailing tendency or inclination, a general movement
2. a current style or preference

Body image, for example, is a concept that has noticeably evolved over time. In Ancient Greece, a plump female form was favoured, as weight was a sign of wealth. Today’s perception: a sign of laziness or an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. During China’s Han Dynasty, foot binding was a common custom, a status symbol and mark of beauty - a sign of demureness and dedication. Today’s perception: a brutal and self-mutilating beauty movement. In England, the ‘waspie’ or corset was used to accentuate curvature during the Victorian period. Women strived for a tightly cinched waist, a form of binding for an hourglass silhouette, never-mind the breathing difficulties, poor digestion and rib cage deformities in extreme cases. Beauty is pain after all.

As a society taught to chase the gaze of others, we’ve mainstreamed the full gamut of beauty types, from pale, runway model waifs, a la the Kate Moss heroin chic, to recent aspirations of a curvy, bronzed and buxom figure, thank you Kim Kardashian. However, beauty trends are a flash fire, quickly burning in relevance and authenticity. American University political science professor Bruce F. Norton says: "What is considered a beautiful face is often influenced by what is going on in society." Hollywood often dictates much of the copy-cat decisions made by women, from the ultra-thin pencilled eyebrows of silent film stars to thick, power brows, platinum blonde bombshells and root regrowth punks. One consistency, natural beauties with joie de vivre. 

On the more worrying side of the spectrum, is our constant obsession with the impossible pursuit of perfection and “flawless” complexions. Dangerous and irresponsible past practices in the beauty industry included using lead and arsenic in everyday creams and makeup, treating blemishes with mercury, using radium on wrinkles and sourcing deadly nightshade as an anti-inflammatory. Nowadays, it’s not just about jumping on the Botox bandwagon. With the insurgence of TikTok and similar social media platforms, new risky trends and so called beauty “hacks” are doing the rounds, including attempting to remove blackheads with household glue and sunscreen contouring. 

flaw·​less
adj.   

1. Having no defects or faults, especially none that diminish the value of something
2. No discernible blemishes or shortcomings; perfect

The current culture has seen a rise in “glowing” skin ideals and a push for a “less is more” or “you look better without makeup” narrative, with the latter often perpetuated by men. On the surface, it sounds like a good direction to go in. Encouraging women to embrace going au natural can only be a good thing, right? The downside is what going barefaced actually looks like - pressure, anxiety and in some cases, financial instability in the pursuit. Dubbed the Skintellectuals, Millennials and the younger demographic’s interest in skincare brands, spa and face treatments, and make-up free beauty means filling the cosmetic void with an array of magical skincare products instead. A trade off, one ‘evil’ for another. Now the hunt is on for the best acne, oily and dry skin condition fixes as we are pressured into looking good effortlessly #iwokeuplikethis

Going without make-up is a concept that fills just as many people with dread. Chasing after flawlessness is unachievable at the best of times, but now in the midst of a global pandemic in COVID-19, it has never felt more irrelevant and distracting. As seasonal creatures, bound to adapt to natural cycles, our skin is affected by these environmental changes around us. The recent (and in some cases, ongoing) lockdowns, have seen many of us confined next to our air-conditioners or heaters, exacerbating skin conditions like rosacea and eczema. Mask induced breakouts and acne (“Maskne”) is a very real problem since single-use and reusable face masks became an everyday fixture, and factoring in the general effect stress and anxiety has on our hormones, it’s no wonder our faces are showing signs of distress.

The skincare silver lining is being given an opportunity to re-evaluate what health and wellness means to us. Working from home and social distancing has given our skin a break. Makeup and fragrances aren’t as important in isolation, but an emphasis on “self-care” skincare is.

Here at LaGaia UNEDITED, our brand’s focus and philosophy is on re-introducing long-standing values, formulations, and ingredients backed by science. We want to cleanse our customers of bogus beauty industry archetypes and standards, that not only harm our physical health, but our mental and emotional health as well. We want to divert their attention away from baseless and toxic beauty trends and redirect them towards an approach that is more sustainable and substantial, holistic and enduring.

un·ed·it·ed
adj.   

1. Not edited or revised, unaltered from its original form
2. Not adapted for a special audience or purpose

Unedited is a term that embodies so much more than just being unfiltered or natural. The internet can be a very unreliable source of good and bad advice, with sales-driven marketing and misinformation constructing a very difficult digital environment for truth in beauty to stand strong. Filter free skin confidence is not just about aesthetics and waking up blemish, wrinkle or roll free. Unedited is about the skin, mind and body feeling nurtured, healthy, hydrated and functioning at its best. Youthfulness and beauty divides generations into haves and have-nots, sought-after by individuals in their 30s-60s, where standards are set by those in their teens and 20s. Real beauty is about ageing gracefully, and is a concept that deserves to last a lifetime.

LaGaia UNEDITED is a timeless motto made up of three parts, a trinity that blends holistic and scientific practices: 1) Skin – being photo ready without touch-ups and layers of makeup 2) Formulations – investing in healthy bio-essential ingredients, clinically tested actives and pH balancing applications, and 3) Personality & Lifestyle – being your most authentic self and striving to maintain kindness to your body, embracing imperfections. This flawless ideal - while blindingly glossy and shiny like the cosmetic department’s shelves - is dull, superficial and let’s be honest, boring and unfulfilling.

The past 12-14 months have forced us to slow down, make room and time for ourselves and our needs. As consumers, we actively seek out products and promises to fill our lives with in an attempt to overhaul our bad habits and better ourselves. The Unedited truth? Skincare simplicity and self-care isn’t about quick-fix comforts, treatments and indulgences. Skincare and wellness go hand-in-hand, looking after your skin is as important as looking after your mind, body and mental health. While the benefits of a healthy lifestyle (clean eating, sleeping and exercise) are well known, the benefits of a good self-care and skincare regime is more subjective.

But herein lies the LaGaia UNEDITED difference. We understand that everyone’s skin and sensitivities are personal, so our brand is dedicated to complimenting internal health and healing as much as external topicals. We identify the underlying factors and root causes of a problem to treat it at the origin, not the symptom. Being upfront, and scientifically honest manages expectations so the measurement of a skincare regime’s success is genuine. Helping people achieve healthy skin is about under promising and over delivering. Applying products that balance and regenerate the skin, encourage resilience. Collaboratively curating a skincare routine that suits the customer’s individual aspirations.

Unedited’s gravitational pull, rotates around health and clean beauty consciousness. Everyone needs a routine that suits them – their face, their lifestyle – which is impossible to achieve if we are striving to emulate the faces we see online. Self-care centred with an emphasis on the “care”. Beauty trends will come and go, but our faces are forever. Start an anti-trend. Be Unedited. “Live with filter free skin confidence.”