A Study on Skincare Obsession in Malaysia

Skincare in Malaysia (Translation & Transmission)

Since the early weeks of Semester 4 this year, my classmates and I have been busy working on our Part A project for T&T. According to the brief, we were tasked to do research on a specific subject and communicate about it from an interesting angle to provoke discussion among an audience. Then, we would proceed to create an A2 size infographic that effectively explains the researched topic through design.

My initial choice of topics was either analysis on The Law of Assumption or Victoria's Secret's fantasy branding, but later on, I decided to do a project about skincare instead because it seemed like a wider and more relatable choice for the audience as compared to the former two. By textbook definition, skincare is the routine of applying skin-focused cosmetic products to support skin integrity, improve their appearance, and alleviate skin conditions. Skincare is an important practice for us all as it affects our external appearance, and in some cases may also impact our mental and emotional health. For many beauty enthusiasts, skincare has become an uprising trend due to its promotional message about good health and mindfulness. It proves that to look physically pleasant, all you need is clear, hydrated skin instead of being adorned in layers of makeup. However, if not handled properly, the application of skincare may become addictive and create a hyper fixation towards achieving a "perfect" complexion. This is the type of context I am approaching for my Part A project: skincare obsession. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jun/21/is-there-dark-side-to-growing-obsession-with-skincare Data Collection For this section of the project, I researched the topic on two different scales; the first is based on a wider circumstance, the generality of the subject matter, whereas the second is based on a more specific standpoint. After reading many articles about the rise of skincare, it is stated that the sudden surge sources from a few factors: beauty discussions on social media, the demand for organic ingredients in cosmetic products, and the influence of celebrities. The latter point happens to be very strong, in which many famous people/brands nowadays like to upload content of themselves doing skincare regimes on Instagram. This has caused many online to ride the wave of skincare obsessions. On a positive note, it has made lots of people more knowledgeable about skincare. They are more aware of what type of ingredients go into their cleansers and toners. They also have adopted the discipline to devote themselves to beauty routines to keep their skin looking healthy. On a negative note, skincare addiction may make one become hyper reliant upon their products to constantly look "flawless". For example, they become reluctant to go out unless they wear sunscreen, in fear of getting a sunburn.

External Research on a Mind Map https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lvzHjsw=/ Most of these statements I've seen are written by mainstream media, all western narratives. So, it made me wonder: does this apply to Malaysians as well? Are Malaysians obsessed with skincare as well? Is it acceptable to be obsessed with it? I went around asking a few of my relatives and friends those questions I wondered about. The answers I received by a majority in return did not conclusively lean towards any side of the skincare addiction spectrum. Some said that the obsession was fine, as good appearances can grant you opportunities like job employments, while some others said that it is better to focus on personality than looks. In order to find more qualitative answers, I created a survey to study fellow Malaysians relationship with skincare products and trends. These were among the questions outlined in the survey.

Survey Questions outline

Actual survey via Google Forms https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1N3pPhvQju8KAlyf7YHf28OHHLSn3c2COUq4MAYd9RY0/edit?chromeless=1 Research

At first, I only managed to obtain 26 respondents in a week. After about another two weeks, the number of respondents added up to 58. Then, I was able to analyze any data collected for the project. Below here is a summary of the data studied from the survey.

Experimentation Following the survey, I had to make up a design for the infographic based on the topic of skincare. I'll show you a few of my design references. The project brief instructed that the design should not look like a typical infographic but rather, an abstract art piece that attracts others into viewing it.

I'll be choosing one of these as the allusion to my infographic design draft. Since the subject matter is skincare, my lecturer suggested that it would look most authentic if I were to use actual skin cosmetics texture as part of the visuals. So, I took a number of my facial products and squeezed them onto a black sheet of paper to experiment with how they can be viewed later. After that, I edited and warped the textures on PhotoShop. The textures will be edited based on the data analysis from the survey. For example, the bigger the number of product consumers, the larger/darker the colour of the texture.

Next, I moved the textures onto Illustrator to group them and add words to the infographic. I got to do about three drafts modeled after the infographic references.

At last, I had to decide on one draft as the final outcome of the project. The one on the left was the most recent, hence it was incomplete due to time constraints. The middle poster as well I thought looked organized, but it was way too similar to its reference. The one on the right, though jumbled up, I thought was interesting enough to be seen as the finalized infographic, therefore, I chose the farthest right draft. Have a look at it below.

Finalized draft I've added text to the poster so that it would be easier for others to understand the context of the infographic. The textures as well, I tried to make it according to the question asked. For example, if it was about acne, I drew some spots and picked the colours that would best resemble acne. Voila~ How do you like my result? The PhotoShop and Illustrator work certainly took 3 weeks to finish, but I'm pleased with its final arrangements. This project has been quite a blast to work on, as I was able to study people's opinions on beauty and then create a poster out of it. I learned that information from researching can be studied through visuals and not the usual paragraph of texts. Feel free to comment on my posts! Thank you for reading. :)