For women like me Kim Kardashian's new body make-up isn't problematic – it's a lifeline

We live in an infuriating society that demands women look a certain way but shames them and calls them vain or high-maintenance when they do try to conform

Kim Kardashian-West has released a new range of body make-up. For many people this seems to be a step too far. Not only does society pressure women to wear face make-up on a daily basis but now we are expected to hide our imperfections on our bodies too? On the surface I understand why people are angry. Across social media there were many comments criticising this move.

One person suggested that: “The fact that Kardashian-West just came out with body make-up is fucking scary. Girls, just love yourselves and understand you do not need to cover your body’s ‘imperfections’ with make-up! Love your scars, your psoriasis, your eczema, and everything else! All bodies are beautiful.”

Another person said it was yet another way of enforcing unrealistic beauty ideals “because society saying that I need to cover my face in make-up every day isn’t enough.”

I completely understand where the anger is coming from. It is right to challenge unhealthy and unattainable beauty standards. I do think that the Kardashians are often guilty of promoting unrealistic and sometimes dangerous ideas of beauty. Khloe Kardashian’s partnership with Flat Tummy Tea is just one example of that. Encouraging women to potentially harm themselves to achieve a mainstream beauty ideal is wrong. However, in this instance I feel the issue is more complex.

Kim Kardashian-West suffers from psoriasis, a condition that can cause red, flaky, scaly skin and is very visible. This range of body make-up provides the opportunity for her to have the choice about whether she wishes to display her psoriasis or cover it up. As someone who also suffers from a visible skin condition I welcome this choice.

Since I can remember I have suffered from eczema. It is widespread and I feel as though I am in a constant battle with my body. Patches appear anywhere and everywhere, including my face. It is angry, red, often painful and I loathe it. Leaving my house when I have a flare-up or if my eczema has become infected can feel almost impossible. There is no way to hide it and I can honestly say it has had a detrimental effect on my mental health.

Not only do I notice it but others do as well. People have felt the need to comment on it. Frequently their remarks come with unsolicited advice about how to fix it. I often find that advice incredibly patronising (I’ve tried every cure in the book) and it makes me feel self-conscious and my self-esteem plummets. So Kardashian-West’s new range of body make-up to me is an opportunity. It provides me with a choice. I don’t have to proudly display my imperfections on days where I just want to fade into the background and go unnoticed.

I wish this wasn’t the case. I would love to be able to embrace my flaws on a daily basis. It would be great if I could be proud of my body and not worry about feeling self-conscious. However, we don’t live in a world that accepts imperfections and that is too readily forgotten. In fact we live in an infuriating society that demands women look a certain way but shames them and calls them vain or high-maintenance when they do try to conform. There is no way to win.

What needs to change is our whole idea of what beauty is. For too long there has been a very narrow standard that has been fuelled by the patriarchy and the constant sexualisation and objectification of women. The idea that to be beautiful you have to be thin, cis, white, able-bodied and young is incredibly damaging. It excludes many women and does not celebrate how wonderfully diverse we are. I would love to see the definition change and for the parameters to be widened but we are still a long way off that.

In the meantime we must not shame people if they don’t want to wear their scars as badges of honour. It is easy to tell others to love their imperfections when you don’t have to live with them. Some may think it is silly to worry about something as small as psoriasis or eczema but for me it is something I have to deal with every day and I do not want to be judged for how I choose to handle it. I embrace having a choice and the option to not have my flaws displayed angrily and visibly every time I leave the house and that choice should be respected.