Perfect Skin Doesn’t Exist – Inclusive Beauty Does

I’ve been a big fan of JUNOCO ever since I discovered their plant-based squalene, which delivers a shark-friendly, vegan and natural twist on one of skincare’s favorite ingredients. But their recent #ToBeHuman campaign — which recently popped up on a San Francisco street to prove that perfect skin doesn’t exist (but inclusive beauty does) — made me a fan for life.

Campaigns like these aren’t exactly new. In 2016, Dove released a study that found 50% of American women had low self-esteem and 85% of women stay home because they’re uncomfortable with the way they look. Two years later, Gillette released a report that showed 25% of British women don’t feel that they meet typical beauty standards and 63% would feel more confident if advertisements depicted “real” women, rather than photoshopped models. 

But these studies were both commissioned by massive, multinational companies — Procter & Gamble owns Gillette and Unilever own Dove — that haven’t embraced this ethos across their beauty and personal care brands. Procter & Gamble’s Olay announced that it would stop retouching ads in 2020 but their celebrity spokespeople seem far from “real,” and Unilever’s Hourglass brand depends on highly photoshopped models touting products like “airbrush concealer” that will “vanish” imperfections.

Inclusive Beauty Should Be Real Sustainable

Not to mention the fact that these brands formulate many of their products with potentially toxic chemicals and package them in unrecyclable plastic. For me, these campaigns seem to be more about selling products than really making change.  

That’s not the case at JUNOCO. As I initially reported, the minimalist beauty company is focused on producing superior, vegan skincare made from a short list of sustainable ingredients. And they’re thinking about packaging, too — all oils are dispensed in recyclable glass and any plastic used is highly recyclable PET. 

Inclusive Beauty is #ToBeHuman

So when JUNOCO shared details of their recent #ToBeHuman campaign, I was intrigued. The company photographed a group of skin-positive thought leaders with different skin tones, backgrounds, and perspectives to represent the campaign. There was no professional lighting, stylists, or retouching — the only caveat was that they had all used the JUNOCO cleansing balm for a month before the shoot.

The models joined 300 others in San Francisco to talk about inclusion, self-awareness, and beauty’s expansive range. All attendees were asked, “What insecurity are you most proud of?” The resulting video is truly revealing.

Cleansing Balm + Powder = (Im)perfectly Clean + 10% Off!

About that cleansing balm… I recently discovered cleansing with oil and found it to be a total game changer. Now, I’ve upped my game with JUNOCO’s Clean 10 Cleansing Balm, which dissolves even waterproof makeup and doesn’t strip my skin’s natural oils. It’s made with 10 clean ingredients, all ranked three or less (one being best) on EWG’s Skin Deep Database. I follow with the Clarifying Cleansing Powder, which magically turns into a foamy cleanser when you add water. Perfect for travel, the powder is made with antioxidant-rich rice wine lees extract, exfoliating papaya, and hydrating hyaluronic acid. My skin drinks it up — fine lines, wrinkles, sunspots, and all.

Get 10% off with MOMMYGREENEST10 at checkout!

Thanks to JUNOSKIN, which sponsored this post. For more about my editorial standards, please click here.