In this episode of Why Meaning Matters, Erin, Jason and Ujwal explore what it means to have healthy skin in today’s society. MotivBase and folks in the skincare industry have been tracking and waiting for the meaning and importance of skin health to become mainstream and now it has! Our hosts make the connection between wellness and skin health through deep healing, achieving balance and embracing imperfection and why that’s important to the industry moving forward. Welcome to Why Meaning Matters. A Story Studio Network podcast hosted by Erin Trafford with MotivBase cultural anthropologist, Ujwal Arkalgud and MotivBase president, Jason Partridge. In a COVID world, we find ourselves under a microscope. The actions that we take are representative of how well we are and how well we are has become a status symbol. JASON [00:04:57] “So as people are going through this process where they're reassessing health, it is coming forward and presenting itself directly in relation to skin, because at the end of the day, that's really kind of one of the first things that people see when we come into contact with them.” The average level of knowledge of the consumer in various areas like food, skin health, and well-being has increased through the pandemic bringing key topics of skin health to light. UJWAL [00:05:58] “...I think this is very interesting because on one hand you've got things like deep healing, which is inside out. On the other hand, you've got this notion of balance, which is really how I look on the outside is a reflection of how I am on the inside.” What does the meaning of healthy skin look like through the lens of feminism and how women in particular are presenting themselves? It looks like juggling and weighing out the options, like wearing makeup versus showing up in workout gear on a business video call. UJWAL [00:6:49] “And so one of the areas that's also coming up in the mix here is this whole notion of embracing imperfection. So, in the middle of healing from the inside and achieving balance is also this notion that there is such a thing as imperfect balance.” JASON [00:09:36] “The balance is starting to shift a little bit. Because at the end of the day, there's something that is becoming a little bit more pertinent and important than some of the old triggers that may have been a way of showcasing one's value through how they look.” Embracing imperfection isn’t models with slightly different body types wearing your company’s clothes. Ujwal and Jason say embracing imperfection is next level and brands, particularly in skincare, need to take note. UJWAL [00:11:30] “What we're talking about is maybe if you know, I have a little bit of crow's feet under my eyes. I don't need to go crazy, hiding all of that to make myself somehow feel youthful.” JASON [00:13:11] “It's not enough just to think about these consumers as a canvas that has been painted upon to create a completely new image. There is more subtext to the consumer than there ever has been before.” Next week on Why Meaning Matters, we tackle the meaning of Wellness and Altruism by looking at a MotivBase case study. Why Meaning Matters is a podcast produced by Story Studio Network and iContact Productions for MotivBase- Decoding implicit meaning behind what people talk about. If you want to contribute to the conversation, make sure you drop us an email at hello [at] storystudionetwork [dot] com. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to SHARE it, RATE it, and SUBSCRIBE to the show!