The Perfect Skin Myth

TO: YOU, the perfectionist who never feels done.

If I had the ability to say just one thing to every skin-conscious person and every clear-skin chaser, it would be this:

There is no such thing as perfect skin.

I know, I know. Perfect opportunity to ask for everyone’s wallet wasted.

Well…about perfect skin…

There might be an idea of what perfect skin should look like. But even then, your idea will look different to mine, and different to the next person’s, and the next.

Yet we are all pushed the same agenda and sold the same version of what perfect skin should look like online.

Poreless. Glassy. Airbrushed.

And we are made to believe that this is achievable naturally.

TL;DR for the lazy readers – it’s not.

This idea is conveniently always sold by people behind filters and perfect lighting.

And of course, it is always conveniently accompanied by how we can achieve said perfect skin, and what we should use (ahem buy) in order to achieve it.

There’s always a product, routine, holy grail that “you must use” (again, ahem buy).

Then, and only then will the gates to skin paradise be opened to you too.

What of a load of bulls….

As if that is the “best ROI” you’ll get on your skin.

Here’s the thing: the more you chase perfect skin, the further away it gets. Or so it feels.

“Perfect” is a moving target. The more you try to reach it, the more you end up overloading your routine, second guessing your progress, and feeling like your skin is never good enough.

This, as with most things in life, is where mistakes happen. And progress lost.

And this is where skinxiety [link] sets in, which pushes us even further away from our goals (i.e. stress = bad skin.)

In the following notes I will go over where this obsession started, why it’s (supposedly, for legal reasons) a lie , and how to shift your focus to skin that actually looks and feels its best.

Because at present, the notion of perfection is just a swipe of your card away.

Let’s set the ground rules so that we’re on the same page.

What even is perfect skin?

Is it Poreless? Glassy? Flawless? Have that pregnancy glow on your face 24/7, 12 months-a-year type of perfect? No acne, no texture, no redness – just smooth, even-toned, and glowing skin like an Instagram ad.

That’s what we’re constantly reminded online.

So by default this should be what constitutes perfect skin.

Except that it isn’t.

This idea says that “perfect” skin means looking like a filtered beauty campaign in real life. This is where the problem starts for most.

And this is the beginning of the Triple C loop – Comparison.

Because that description is the equivalent of an anorexic model at a fashion show. Beautiful to look at with expensive clothes on. Barely any signs of life, let alone health, underneath.

There’s a reason why fashion shows banned anorexia. The beauty industry just hasn’t caught up yet.

The skin is a living, breathing organ. It ebbs and flows. Has good days and bad. Acne breakouts and bad reactions to products and makeup.

We all know that. The beauty industry knows that. But we’re all too busy pretending like our skin should be in the same state of perfect stillness all of the time.

Might be a very hot take to some, but even the dead don’t have that privilege.

Your skin has pores. It produces oil. It sheds dead cells. It reacts to your hormones, stress levels, sleep, diet, and the environment.

It isn’t meant to look the same every single day.

Because it’s alive.

And alive = fucking awesome.

Trying to make your skin flawless, frozen, and unchanging goes against basic human biology.

And yet, we’ve been convinced that real skin isn’t supposed to look… real?

The idea of “perfect skin” is designed to be unachievable—it’s supposed to be a goal you always keep chasing.

A moving target = an endless cycle of spending.

Because what happens if you actually reach “perfect” skin?

1. You stop buying. Mission accomplished. No need for another serum.
2. You stick to what works. Less experimenting. Fewer impulsive purchases.
3. You stop questioning yourself. You trust your routine instead of looking for the next “game-changer.”

And that’s a problem. Just, not your problem.

It’s a problem for those trying to make money by packaging and selling insecurities to you.

Because the moment you feel secure in your skin, you become a terrible customer.

So what do they do?

• They create new “flaws” for us to chase (for the readers over 30 – remember skin “detoxing”?).
• They push unrealistic skin standards (that are then sold by generic-lottery models wearing foundation under perfect lighting).
• They make skincare confusing on purpose. More steps. More formulas. More “must-haves.”

Result: Consumers that want clear skin who are stuck in a cycle of overbuying, overusing, and overanalyzing your skin.

Even dermatologists and estheticians don’t have “perfect” skin.

If the experts don’t, what makes us think we should?

Perfect skin doesn’t exist.

There is no medical definition for perfect skin. Believe me, I spend way too much time on PubMed…

But the chase for it – that’s a whole different story. And that’s where the beauty industry cashes in.

Skin isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to be healthy, functional, and resilient.

That’s what we should be aiming for.

That’s what gives you the best bang for your longterm skin health.

And in the next section, we’re going to talk about what actually gets you there.

Not because they’re “doing it wrong.” Or because they haven’t found the right serum or magic exfoliant.

But because skin doesn’t work the way people chasing “perfection” think it does.

And the sooner we accept this, the sooner we stop obsessing over a goal that was an industry plant anyway.

Yes, you can have AMAZING skin. And yes, you even might have a chance to have that “unachievable” standard I just said was unachievable (I’ll get to that in a moment.)

Harsh truth numero dos:

Some people naturally have clearer skin. Just like some people are naturally taller, or have fuller hair, or don’t gain weight as easily. That’s genetics.

Note: and as of now, we do not have a way to successfully manipulate our genetic code to give us that perfect skin (nor make us a couple inches taller – smh). My very own, generally-skeptic take (for once) is that this actually might be possible within our lifetimes. If not as short as a couple decades. But, until that happens – we suffer the eternal goal of chasing “perfect” skin.

Side note out of the way – this doesn’t mean skincare is pointless. But it does mean that some things are out of our control.

And yet, we’re all fed the same marketing message: “If you just find the right routine, you’ll get perfect skin too!”

That’s not how it works. That’s not how biology works.

And social media has made this even worse.

Lastly –

Except for a very (very, very, very, very) few individuals I have personally worked with – most of what we idolize as “perfect skin” online isn’t real.

We’re talking filters, professional lighting, flattering angles that hide imperfections.

And even ultra-few select individuals with “actual” perfect skin usually had an advantage before they ever touched a product. (see point #2)

Having naturally great skin is what made many skinfluencers (+ actors, idols, celebrities) successful – not the products they use.

They might have a solid routine. They might be super engaging and energetic. But so are tens of thousands of creators online. And it’s a sad reality that the big difference maker was winning the genetic lottery.

And again – that’s not a bad thing.

Which leads me to the next point –

The More You Chase Perfection, the Worse Your Skin Gets

Have you ever over-exfoliated, over-treated, or jumped from one product to another trying to “fix” your skin?

If so, congratulations – you’re not alone.

Skincare perfectionism leads to doing too much.

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of any of the following

• Too many actives.
• Too many new products at once.
• Too much greed for trying everything
• Too little patience

If you’re guilty of at least one of the above you know very well how that story ended – Your skin barrier gets wrecked. Your breakouts get worse. Your skin gets sensitive, irritated, and inflamed.

Basically, you end up further from perfect skin than when you started.

If you’re guilty, but haven’t expereinced any of these – congratulations, you have very resilient skin. Another point to be made for genetic lottery.

It’s not just about what happens to your skin.

It’s about what happens to you.

Chasing this idea of perfection turns skincare into an obsession.

I’ve met so many people – one of the many reasons I started writing these notes – that developed this unhealthy relationship with their skin.

• start seeing “flaws” that aren’t even there.
• feel like they need a product for every tiny imperfection.
• start comparing your skin to filtered influencers and strangers online.
• feel anxious, self-conscious, or even jealous over something that was never real to begin with.

This isn’t skincare anymore. It’s self-inflicted stress. And ironically, stress itself makes your skin worse. It’s a negative-enforcing loop that gets worse and worse with time, and harder and harder to break from.

So to reiterate my initial point: Most people will never have TikTok’s version of “perfect” skin.

And that’s okay.

You just read through me rambling about what perfect skin isn’t.

Now let me tell you what perfect skin is.

Syke. It doesn’t exist, remember?

Again, there is no medical definition for perfect skin.

Not a single attempt at defining it.

If the world’s most renowned scientists can’t put a definition on it, why are you letting people on TikTok define it for you?

And yet, somehow, this loose, vague, made-up term has been thrown around so much that we’ve all accepted it as something real.

Here’s a proposal: if perfection is this subjective – why not define it for ourselves?

And here’s my take on perfect skin (note how this is the only time throughout the whole note I didn’t put the word perfect in quotations)

Perfect Skin = Healthy, Functional Skin

Not flawless. Functional.

Your skin’s job isn’t to look perfect. It’s to protect you.

So, perfect skin:

• defends against bacteria, pollution, and environmental damage.
• heals itself when injured.
• is not constantly inflamed or fighting off internal stress.

If your skin can’t do those things, it’s not perfect skin. And if you keep chasing TikTok’s version of “perfection” at the cost of your skin barrier, it will go from good to crap real fast.

Your Best Skin Isn’t Someone Else’s Best Skin.

Skincare isn’t one-size-fits-all. Ok, we all know that, but it bears repeating over and over.

• Some people naturally have more even-toned skin.
• Some people have bigger pores, more oil production, or a tendency for redness.
• Some people live in humid climates where hydration is effortless, while others live in dry environments where their barrier cracks more easily

Every skin tells a different story.

This is not an over exaggeration.

Climate, stress levels, diet, genetics, past product damage… all of it matters.

Without knowing your skin context down to a T – in a society drowning in artificial food, pollution, stress, and lab-made nonsense your skin didn’t evolve to handle – you can’t even begin to chase that TikTok version of “perfect” skin.

That’s why my clarity consult is now (in my humble opinion) semi-viral. Because it builds your routine around that full context – not around trends, not around influencer guesses.

Around you.

And that’s why trying to copy a skinfluencer’s routine is not how this works.

Your skin isn’t theirs.

The sooner you stop treating it like it should be, the faster you’ll find what actually works.

I’m guessing most of you waited for this bit.

Perfect skin is a myth. A dystopian,made-up, 1984-esque myth.

But that doesn’t mean better skin is.

The beauty industry tells you that your skin can only improve if you buy their latest holy grail product. Which is bullsh*t.

Skin improves when you:

Reduce inflammation (diet, stress, and habits matter way more than they tell you).

Build a routine that actually suits your skin.

Stick with it instead of switching products every week.

I don’t believe in pushing product lists. I believe in building a system that supports your main internal system.

It needs to work without the noise. That’s how it was always meant to be.

I ONLY recommend products after knowing your full skin context.

Clarity > clutter.

Ultimately, perfection isn’t the goal. Healthy, resilient skin is.

So rather than perfection, chase Consistency.

The people with the best skin are not chasing perfection. They’re consistent.

• They don’t drown their face in 12 different actives.
• They don’t switch their routine every time a new trend goes viral.
• They don’t panic over one bad skin day.
• They keep it simple, stay patient, and let their skin do its job.

That’s the real “secret.”

Not perfection. Balance.

And if you focus on that? Your best skin will come naturally.

This is what perfect skin constitutes for me.

You may agree, or you may still chase social media’s version of “perfect”.

That said, I will repeat my initial statement – perfect skin does not exist.

Your ability to shape it into perfection does.