Promoting a broader, more inclusive idea of beauty is something close to my heart. Growing up in London in the 90s and 00s, the faces on the street were every shade, age and shape. The beauty world I saw in print looked nothing like them. The covers, the campaigns and the counters all sold one narrow look. For a long time, this then also became what everyone considered as beautiful. Social media is the thing that finally cracked it open. In this article, we explore how that shift happened, why it matters and where skincare still has work to do.
What did beauty look like before social media?
For most of the twentieth century, a small number of magazines, brands and agencies decided what beauty was. They chose who appeared and the choice was remarkably consistent. Models were very young, thin, able-bodied and mainly white. Anyone outside that template barely featured. That had a knock on effect. It shaped what billions of people grew up believing was attractive, normal or aspirational. If you never saw your skin tone, your age or your body shown as beautiful, the message landed all the same. The narrowness was very intentional as a single ideal is much easier to market and make sales off.
How did social media change it?
The shift came from handing the camera to everyone. Platforms removed the gatekeepers. Suddenly it was not a handful of editors deciding what beauty looked like. It was millions of ordinary users, creators and small brands posting from their own lives.
That changed the picture in a literal sense. Feeds filled with people of every skin tone, age, gender, body shape and ability. They were shown as normal and not rare. Movements grew up around that visibility. Body-positive creators pushed back on a single acceptable size. Older women built audiences around the idea that beauty does not expire at thirty. Men in makeup made the case that cosmetics have no gender. None of these were instigated by industry. They were built from the ground up and the industry followed.
The commercial effect was real too. Once audiences could see how narrow the old advertising had been, brands that kept leaving them out looked dated. Wider shade ranges, more varied casting and more honest imagery came next. Partly out of principle but mainly because the market had moved.
Why does representation in beauty actually matter?
It is tempting to treat this as a question of feelings, and feelings are a fair part of it. Seeing yourself reflected as beautiful matters, especially when you are young and still working out where you fit.
There is a harder edge to it though. Representation also shapes what gets made. When an industry only pictures one kind of customer, it tends to formulate, test and sell for that customer. Foundation ranges that stopped at a handful of pale shades are the obvious example. The same logic ran through skincare and the science behind it.
What does diversity mean for skincare?
This is where it stops being only about images and starts being about skin health. Skin is not uniform across the population, and the differences are clinically meaningful.
Richly pigmented skin behaves differently in ways that matter for treatment. It is more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. A spot, an injury or a patch of inflammation can leave a lasting dark mark long after the original problem has healed. Conditions like melasma are more common and more stubborn. Some inflammatory conditions look different on darker skin. They are very easy to miss when the doctors assessing them have only trained on one skin type.
The evidence base has a gap here too. Dermatology research and teaching have long over-represented lighter skin. The imbalance shows up in everything from textbook photographs to clinical trials. A 2021 review of widely used dermatology textbooks found that only a fifth to a third of clinical images showed darker skin tones. That is slowly being corrected but it is a real reason inclusive beauty is not a marketing slogan. This is important because it shapes who gets a correct diagnosis and adequate treatment.
What does inclusive skincare look like in practice?
Good skincare starts from the skin in front of you rather than a default. That means knowing how a given skin tone responds to actives, how it scars and how it pigments.
It is the reason a treatment that suits one person can be wrong for another. Push a strong exfoliating acid or retinoid too hard and it can trigger the very inflammation that leaves lasting marks on pigment-prone skin. Brightening concerns like uneven tone and dark patches need ingredients chosen and dosed for the individual, not a one-size protocol. Inclusive skincare is really just personalised skincare taken seriously. Skin type and tone form the basis of the plan from the start.
Social media widened the picture of who beauty is for. The work that follows is making sure the science and the treatments are just as inclusive as the images.
At City Skin Clinic, we are passionate about personalised skincare. We offer safe and effective custom treatments using ingredients like tretinoin, hydroquinone and azelaic acid where appropriate through our online clinic. Our doctors treat concerns like acne, hyperpigmentation and melasma. To start, book a virtual video consultation or use our online consultation form. The journey towards great skin and hair starts here.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified medical provider for any medical concerns or questions you might have.
