The era of body shaming and the spread of unattainable beauty standards is over: we have finally understood that the world is beautiful because it is varied!

Aesthetic standards are the result of the human need to feel part of a group. An innate and physiological tendency that has become obsolete and out of place at a time when our society, made up of interconnected ethnic groups, has generated 7.674 billion human beings, all different from each other. The media have accentuated the classification based on the personal image everyone has of themselves, going from being instruments of information and discovery to the status of a level of aesthetic canons capable of cancelling out human heterogeneity.

The age of collective awakening

In recent years we have witnessed a new approach and awareness of everyone's physicality in the Western media. Gradually, this process has led to the normalisation of skin imperfections by condemning the use of Photoshop. An example? Norway recently decided to fine influencers who do not report photo editing. And that's not all: before/afters are no longer exclusively linked to miracle treatments and diets, but also to wearing control leggings or the effects of a well-thought-out pose, reminding us that we are not condemnable when we look thinner thanks to a girdle, or look more natural and unposed: it is simply a matter of personal choice. Do you want to hide your body by deforming your shape with clothes and tricks? OK. Do you want to proudly display your specificities? That's fine too, your beauty is always there.

The term 'curvy' has little novelty about it, having entered our vocabulary years ago: it is now part of the fashion industry, but not only. On catwalks and in magazines we find models in this category, promoters of style and an integral part of corporate marketing strategies. It is worth reflecting on all this: curvy images are in any case glossy, as fashion shoots have always been, in order to make certain body characteristics and the products that surround them more appreciable, giving very different results from what a person of any size sees in the mirror.

We have to admit, however, that more and more brands are choosing models with a wide range of physiques: we have stopped seeing exclusively mandolin-shaped bums and sculpted abs, but it is undeniable that this trend is not yet the dominant one on the market, as demonstrated by the squadrons of influencers we find on social networks, fortunately increasingly surrounded by personalities who create and promote their own personal standards of beauty.

Do we all agree? Not really

Despite everything, body positivity has not remained immune to criticism and discouragement for long. This trend was soon accused of justifying obesity, giving overweight people the opportunity to identify with a group of their peers who accept and live with a less than ideal state of health. It simply seems to be the other side of the coin of the exasperation and exhibition of unhealthy thinness, still carried on by the most common mass aesthetic canon.

It is important to remember that body positivity does not only affect overweight people, but extends to any body that has differences and imperfections compared to socially imposed standards: Excessive hair, frizzy hair, irregular skin colour and pigmentation, lack of symmetry, stretch marks, cellulite, moles and skin spots, acne, psoriasis, alopecia... in short, anything that comes to mind among the characteristics commonly considered embarrassing and to be hidden, has started to have room to exist in recent years even in the light of day through those processes of normalisation that we hear about today.

A new awareness

Body positivity, if well communicated, does not lead people to take responsibility for their own health, so it should not be exploited. It is important to remember to pay active attention to the messages we receive: we are often the victims of misleading communications that are the result of marketing strategies aimed purely at selling. The mission is different: to eradicate the shaming that physical imperfections have always carried, allowing everyone to build a new vision of themselves and their bodies, allowing them to accept themselves and live at ease with their uniqueness.

For decades we have been accustomed to seeing our bathrooms populated by bottles and jars containing liquid cosmetics. However, in recent years the emergence of a new mentality has led us all to make more conscious purchasing choices and attentive to sustainability. This is why, after getting used to carrying reusable water bottles with us all the time, we have started to choose solid soaps, composed of natural and ecological ingredients.

How much water can be saved?

Water has always been one of the basic components of the beauty industry, being a filler and a solvent that improves the consistency and performance of products. We all appreciate creams that spread easily over the body and without greasiness, not to mention shampoos that wrap up even the thickest hair in an instant. And yet, getting used to cosmetics that take a few extra moments to use corresponds to a change that requires minimal effort for maximum yield.

This trend is particularly appealing to those who want to reduce their water consumption. In fact, normal detergents (shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, household soaps, toothpastes, makeup removers, etc.) are composed of almost 80% water. This percentage is even higher if we consider the resources needed to produce their packaging: just think that two liters of water are needed to produce a one-liter bottle. As a result, the total water consumption for a normal detergent is 280%.

The solution is simple

The rise of solid soaps seems critical for an industry that aims to become more sustainable. For this to happen, it is necessary to educate manufacturers and consumers a little at a time. This is exactly what is happening all around us: even the largest companies have expanded their lines, taking their cue from artisanal production around the world, and a vast choice of alternative cosmetics has appeared on the market.

On the other hand, this innovation is not only sustainable, but brings with it other advantages. Concentrated cosmetics are:

• Convenient to carry: they take up very little space and weigh much less.
• Composed of natural ingredients that are more respectful of the skin and hair: they allow you to reduce the amount of products because our body will produce on its own what it needs to stay healthy.
• Long lasting: a normal bar of soap can be used many times more than a liquid soap, since only the quantity necessary to guarantee its effectiveness remains on the treated surface.

It is normal to be wary of novelties, but trying them out involves nothing but the risk of being surprised.

Hair removal has been at the center of the Body Positivity debates in recent years: some accuse it of being a practice imposed by patriarchy and those who respond by appealing to personal tastes and freedom. In a nutshell: we've watched people of all genders regain the freedom to choose what to do with their hair, without necessarily having to respond to stereotypical gender canons or cultural movements.

Let's start at the beginning

It’s natural for us to wonder where this practice came from and what its developments have been. We know that in each of its phases, this habit has gone hand in hand with fashions: each period has its clothes, which leave more or less skin insight. That's why some important turning points in the history of epilation are reported.

It seems that the first people to worry about their hair were the Egyptians: Egyptian women used tweezers made from shells, pumice stones, beeswax, or sugar wax to remove unwanted hair.

In Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, it was fashionable among the nobles of both sexes to eliminate the hair even in the intimate areas (as evidenced by the statues of the time, as realistic as possible and completely hairless). It was in that period that the first razors appeared.

At the same time, in Asia, women epilated themselves by rubbing the skin with the skin of a dried shark.

In Arabia, the practice of epilation using twisted threads spread, which through a strong manual dexterity allowed to remove with extreme precision the hair from the face (and not only). This technique is still used in a traditional way today and it is not difficult to find it in Arabian neighborhoods all over the world.

In the Middle Ages Queen Elizabeth I of England imposed the standard among women: eyebrows and the first line of hair of the forehead had to be removed, often by very painful methods! It seems that the habit of removing hair in other parts of the body was also linked to hygienic needs.

In the 18th century, a French barber invented the first male razor, which became popular among women as well because of its convenience.

In 800 appeared in France the first instant depilatory creams. In 1880 the first modern razor for men was invented, while women had to wait until 1910! The spread of these techniques was simultaneous with the spread of short skirts and bikinis.

The first waxing strips and a first rudimentary laser (soon abandoned) arrived in the 1960s.

What about now?

Since the 1980s, we have seen the proliferation and renewal of countless hair removal techniques: tools like the Colibry threading epilator, prove traditions can be continually renewed and improved.

In the last decades, the feminist movement has claimed women's ability to choose how to behave in this regard. Hence the reverse trend has exploded: hair is not always unwanted, everyone can do what they want with it, show it off proudly, or remove it completely. These are personal choices that should never be imposed from above!

Colibry was born spontaneously, just like a creative solution to a trivial problem: how to make epilation with Arabian thread simpler and more effective, making it within everyone's reach?

Threading is an ancient manual technique for hair removal that originated in oriental countries, it has been practiced for thousands of years and is based on the use of a cotton thread woven on itself, passed repeatedly on the part to be epilated. It is not easy to learn, but it guarantees a complete epilation by extirpating the hair at the root with speed and precision, while remaining effective on all skin types. Since it is a gentle method, it comes to the aid of all those people to whom normal hair removal methods cause discomfort and unwanted effects, while also giving a viable alternative to those who wish to embrace a sustainable lifestyle.

An unusual start

Our founder, Cristina Melagrana, discovered this epilation technique 15 years ago and began using it in the salon with her clients, who initially reacted incredulously. Over time, she perfected the technique and decided to make it available to everyone. To do this, she enlisted the help of talented people who believed in the project, and the team expanded over time until the launch of our Kickstarter campaign four years ago.

Colibry was immediately successful, giving the possibility to many to use this delicate technique on the whole body and in total autonomy, as an adjunct to traditional hair removal treatments on large areas such as arms, back or legs, but also suitable for total hair removal of small and delicate areas such as the face. From that moment on, we decided not to stop, continuing to grow constantly to bring this innovation to more and more people.

Today Colibry is a money-saving innovative product aimed at all women and men who want to revolutionize hair removal by making it a beauty treatment in all respects, effective and environmentally sustainable.

Broadening horizons

About a year ago, the demand from our public was so strong that the need arose to open a branch abroad in order to handle a growing number of orders. After several researches, we decided to open a second production site in China: this choice immediately turned out to be the best solution to guarantee our customers an optimal and efficient service while allowing us to maintain a high product quality. We are lucky to have our collaborator Giovanni there, who helps us every day to follow the production process and to maintain contacts with local realities, carrying out our company mission: to create and promote sustainable alternatives for body care.

Want to stop? Never!

All this, combined with the enthusiasm of you, our customers, continues to stimulate us every day. We are always attentive to your requests, which is why the Colibry line continues to expand with products that are best suited to you. We have recently introduced a line of solid cosmetics for body and hair handcrafted in Italy: another effective solution to make your beauty routine more sustainable, thanks to the 100% natural ingredients from organic farming.

And we don't want to stop yet: we are sure that the best is yet to come!

We are accustomed to considering the focus of Body Positivity very common aesthetic characteristics: overweight, excessive thinness, and hair. These components are usually modifiable and subject to important and effective normalization processes that lead to increasing inclusivity. What happens, however, when one's body is affected by pathologies that influence one's appearance, self-esteem, and others perception?

Not wanting to talk about it from the outside, we chose to meet and ask a few questions to Lorena Bolanos. This Mexican girl suffers from Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevus Syndrome, which makes her skin dotted with large moles. Lorena has been active on social networks, pursuing a personal journey that has raised her self-esteem in recent years. During this period, she accepted her body and helped many people with similar problems to hers, often victims of body shaming. That's why she seemed perfect for us to discuss and broaden our point of view.

Hi Lorena, would you like to tell us about the changes in your life in recent years?
A turning point in my life came when in Spain I was approached by a lady who told me how her daughter had the same skin condition as me. This gave rise to the desire to learn more about it and I soon discovered that in Europe, unlike in South America, there are associations that support those who have this type of problem, especially from a psychological point of view.

Shortly after, through social networks, I met an Australian photographer who was working on her book Underneath We Are Women. This project was designed to highlight and thus normalize physical peculiarities often ignored by Body Positivity. We met up in the United States to do a photoshoot with other women with special physical conditions. From that moment on I continued to use social networks, and I did it only for myself: they helped me to stop being afraid to show my body to avoid prying eyes and criticism. My posts immediately received positive comments and many from people with similar conditions to mine, but who still didn't feel safe showing themselves in public. These reactions simply made me feel better and my self-esteem gradually improved.

Now I live in Australia, where I am collaborating with the university for a research project on moles: they had never seen a case like mine.

Do you think there is a more open mindset in Australia than in Mexico?
I've been living in Australia for two years. People here are much less concerned about their outward appearance and the way they dress. Here you can go out dressed simply and comfortably. Getting used to this has been a liberation: now I can worry about other things like health, which are not so trivial.

Did your physical condition affect your childhood and adolescence?
It affected me much more during my adolescence: when you are a child you don't realize your appearance and you don't know malice. As you grow up you start noticing things and, more importantly, people start pointing them out to you: that's when the bullying came, the other kids soon started making fun of me. We all observe and are curious when we see something new. The problem comes when you don't have a culture of respect and you're not aware that not everyone is the same and diversity should be respected. It depends a lot on the culture: in Australia people almost don't notice me. In Mexico, on the other hand, the "culture of rejection" is very strong. I think that thanks to social media people are starting to be more open, but less so than in Australia, especially in terms of mutual respect.

Have you ever thought of using surgery to remove your moles
When I was a child they tried to remove my moles through laser, here is why I have a scar on my chest. A doctor convinced my parents to try this method as they didn't know my condition well and put a lot of trust in doctors. I am grateful to them for deciding not to continue: that operation was painful, and they preferred to leave this decision to me so that I could choose in the future and in an informed way. I once met a girl who had moles like mine all over her arm and tried to remove it with surgery: she immediately regretted it because now she is ashamed of a scar. In any case, the solution is to accept yourself and be happy with how you are because there will always be something about you that you don't like.

Is there anything you want to say to those who still feel insecure?
Mostly this: you have to accept yourself. Some things can be changed, but others simply have to be accepted. Some characteristics can be changed to like yourself more and feel better: for example, I now exercise to keep my body healthy. However, we cannot expect someone to praise us all the time. I realized that in the past I was always looking for people's compassion because it's something you can take refuge in. So, you have to stop being a victim because only if you act like one will you be one. For example, now when I look at myself I feel good: I know that people are looking at me on the street just because my body is different and they are simply observing me, but that doesn't hurt me anymore. I could have continued to feel insecure from all these looks, the only thing that would have happened is that I would never be happy. It all depends on the power of being comfortable with yourself and understanding that not everyone is looking at you and that it's not possible to please everyone.

What do you think about the criticism of the body positivity movement?
It's complicated: I guess body positivity is misinterpreted. I think it's not fair to justify weight issues like obesity. However, it's always about mediating and not imposing. In my opinion, we're going back to the same vicious cycle: only now the idea of "Yes, I'm overweight and that's okay" is being imposed. That's fine, if you want to let your hair grow is fine, that's respected. But this isn't about criticizing someone for what they choose to do with their body. Now it seems that the people to be targeted are those who are thin and who exercise: probably they simply like to work out and stay healthy. At the same time, many people cannot lose weight due to health issues. It's simply a matter of respecting and stopping judging.

Do you think the beauty industry is changing its attitude? Is the situation getting better?
A little bit, yes. However, I think the stereotype of the perfect woman is still being imposed. It's probably still the same, but trying to make it look better. I think there is a lack of consciousness and a need to reflect on how the problem is not just about weight and hair. I feel that not enough importance is being given to the infinite number of problems and situations that cannot be changed: weight and hairs are not the only elements from which self-acceptance passes.

Did you like Colibry?
Yes, very much. Especially the Konjac Sponges won me over: my skin is super sensitive, and these sponges are super gentle and perfect in my case. Plus, I appreciated the attention to packaging and eco-sustainability.

Want to know more? Buy the book here.