A 'good' or 'bad' skin day can look very different from person to person, but the impact your skin can have on confidence is universal.

We all know that feeling when we wake up in the morning, glance in the mirror, and discover that our skin has declared war on us. Yes, we're talking about those dreaded "bad" skin days. But fear not, because you're not alone!

Ahead of Acne Awareness Month, we launched our Skin Deep: The Confidence Survey by Hey Bud, where we delved deep into the connection between having a "bad" skin day and its impact on your confidence. Buckle up as we take you on a all-too-familiar roller coaster ride filled with emotions, comparisons, canceled plans, and unsolicited advice. This is your skin story, and we've already made some CHANGES based on your powerful answers.

The Confidence Killer:

Hold on to your hats, because the results of the survey are in, and they paint a vivid picture of how bad skin days can truly rock our confidence. An astounding 96% of participants admitted that a "bad" skin day takes a serious toll on their self-confidence. It's like a pesky pimple can transform into a giant confidence crater, especially if you’re receiving comments like ‘Your skin looks sad’ or ‘You need to look after yourself more’! But fear not, we're all in this together.

Comparisons That Sting:

When our skin isn't cooperating, it's hard not to look at others and wish we had their flawless complexions. Four out of five individuals confessed to comparing their skin to others, and guess what? It only makes us feel worse about ourselves.

The positive part here is there was an overwhelming sentiment that we are all asking for shift away from only seeing these ‘perfect’ images on social media or in advertising to something more ‘real’ to compare our skin to - but more about that later. You’ve said it’s time we embrace the uniqueness of our own skin and recognise that beauty comes in all forms, bumps and all!

The Date Dilemma:

Picture this: You've been eagerly anticipating a romantic evening, but a "bad" skin day decides to crash the party. Sound familiar? Well, you're not alone! Nearly 50% of respondents have canceled a date or a social event because of their skin woes. Although the secret is that the right person is going to love you for who you are, ‘bad’ skin days and all, sometimes it’s a little tough to get past the worry in the moment.

Unsolicited Comments and Unsavoury Advice:

Ah, the joy of unsolicited comments and advice about our skin... It seems like everyone becomes a skincare expert when they see a pimple. In fact, half of the survey participants admitted to receiving uninvited remarks and suggestions. From comments like "Your skin looks TERRIBLE today" to the oh-so-helpful "You should put more makeup on," these comments can be downright hurtful.

Your feedback on how helpful these comments can be? Well, that varied in quotes we can include (’I know I have a pimple, I don’t need anyone to point it out and make me feel worse’) to some quite passionate responses that we’re going to politely summarise as ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’.

The Myth of Perfection:

Are you tired of the constant pressure to have "clear" and "flawless" skin? Well, you're not alone! Over 93% of survey participants agreed that there is too much emphasis on these unattainable standards. We're bombarded with trends like "glass skin" making us feel like our natural skin isn't good enough.

It's time to challenge these unrealistic expectations and celebrate the real beauty in our individuality… We think this individual said it best - "We need to embrace a few more ‘flaws’! Show real people! Flaws and all.”

Real Skin for Real Confidence:

In a refreshing twist, a whopping 98% of respondents expressed their desire to see "real" skin in images from their favourite skincare brands. This means embracing texture, breakouts, signs of aging, and dry patches. We know it’s not the ‘norm’ in the skincare business to show anything other than perfect, airbrushed skin, but we decided it time to do something about that.

So, we decided to make a change…

So we booked in a billboard in advance for Acne Awareness Month, which we thought we would use to share some fun images of our best selling Hey Bud Hemp Clay Mask. However, when the results from our Skin Deep survey were finalised, we couldn't ignore the overwhelming results about what the community around us wanted to see from their favourite skincare brand.

So, we decided to connect with the 98% of people who agree that they wanted to see 'real' skin.

We wanted to let everyone know were here for real skin, and for good skin.

Actually, we're just here for real good skin...

We know that a 'good' or 'bad' skin day can look very different from person to person, but the impact your skin can have on confidence is universal.