A few days ago, I listened to a TEDx talk by Robert Hoge called “Own Your Face.” His story has stayed with me ever since. Born with a facial difference, he was offered surgery at 14 years old to make him look “more normal.” Instead, he made the courageous choice to accept himself as he was.

One line in particular struck me:
“What use is it looking pretty if he can’t even see himself?”

That question goes beyond Robert’s personal story—it speaks to something much larger. In a world filled with filters, photo edits, and unrealistic beauty ideals, it forces us to ask: At what point do we stop seeing ourselves?

The Weight of Unrealistic Standards

Everywhere we turn, we’re told our natural skin isn’t enough. Cover this. Smooth that. Brighten, lighten, tighten. It’s endless—and exhausting.

But skin isn’t meant to be flawless. It’s meant to be lived in. Our faces carry our laughter, our resilience, our challenges, and our growth. They are the maps of our lives.

When we chase perfection, we risk losing the very things that make us unique. Robert Hoge’s message is a reminder that beauty standards are fleeting, but self-acceptance is enduring.

Why This Matters to Me — and to Sláinte Sea Moss

From the very beginning, my mission with Sláinte Sea Moss has been bigger than creating skincare. It has always been about challenging unrealistic beauty standards and focusing instead on skin health and authenticity.

For me, skincare is not about covering up or erasing—it’s about nourishment. It’s about supporting skin so it feels resilient and comfortable. It’s about helping people feel at home in their own skin.

Every product at Sláinte has been created with this philosophy in mind—rooted in health, minerals, and well-being, not in chasing airbrushed ideals.

Choosing to Own Our Faces

Robert Hoge’s decision at 14 years old to own his face—scars and all—was radical. It went against every message society tries to give us about fitting in.

And yet, that choice is available to all of us. To own our freckles. Our scars. Our laugh lines. To own the skin we’re in—just as it is.

At Sláinte Sea Moss, that’s the story we want to support. Not by promising perfection, but by creating products that respect and nourish your skin’s natural strength.

Because when you own your face, you own your story. And that’s something no beauty standard can define.