Social Media Stars Making A Social Impact: Why & How Charli Howard of Squish Beauty Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
I believe non-Photoshopped images are so important for young women to see. I think I drive people mad sometimes with the feminist issues I post, but women need to know they’re not alone.
As a part of my series about leaders who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Charli Howard.
Charli Howard is a model, author and founder of Squish Beauty, a vegan skincare line with diversity and inclusion at its core. Their images are completely unretouched, celebrating “flaws” that would otherwise be Photoshopped. Their fun products have been seen on numerous A-listers, including Dua Lipa, Lili Reinhart and Barbara Palvin, and are free from sulphates, parabens and other harsh ingredients. Howard’s books focus on body image issues and she was recently the host of the BBC podcast “Fashion Fix”, which discusses the detrimental effect fashion has on the environment.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’ve been modeling for the past eight years and have carved a niche for myself as an “in-between” sized model — I don’t fit the traditional straight-size or curve markets, so I have really had to fight for a place in the model industry. Since then, I’ve dedicated my life towards empowering women — it’s something I feel so passionate about and try to incorporate in every area of my work, whether that’s through my writing, Instagram or Squish, my skincare line.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
I truly believe everything happens for a reason and I simply wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now had I not written a Facebook post in 2015 calling out my past agency. I was a US size 2, bulimic, desperately unhappy and was dropped for not being thin enough. That post was a catalyst towards my future. I moved to New York to model, at a time when the curve movement was really taking off; learnt to nourish my body (rather than starving it) and began to establish my own voice.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
We worked really hard on launching an amazing moisturizer in a unique tortoiseshell packaging. Aesthetically, it was perfect and we were so excited to introduce it to the world.
Anyway, to cut a very long story short, in order to sell cosmetics in French markets, you have to print the french translation on all packaging. We weren’t paying attention and accidentally sent off the incorrect translation to the manufacturer. It wasn’t until we’d done the shoot and had 10,000 glass jars delivered that our Instagram followers pointed out that what we thought said “moisturizer” said, in fact, “cream fire hydrant”.
Obviously, we completely freaked out — the production had cost us a lot of money. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought we could learn from our mistake and turn it into an advantage. So, instead of replacing all the jars (which would’ve been a total waste of money — not to mention awful on the environment), we decided to have cute stickers of a fire hydrant made — along with the words “limited edition”. It proved so popular that we had people emailing us begging for the box with the sticker on!
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
You can’t hide from failure. It’s something everybody wants to avoid but is inevitable in any career path you take. We all make mistakes. The only thing you can do is learn from failure and spin it into a positive. When I look back at any mistake I’ve made, I’ve always noticed it’s led me to something better.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
I had very little self-confidence growing up. Obviously, a lot of teenagers deal with low self-esteem, but because I didn’t address it, this led to a bunch of toxic relationships, eating disorders & so on. A lot of this, I believe, was due to the media I consumed — full of size 0 models, articles about weight loss; the things you could alter yourself to make guys like you. So as an adult, and as a model, I take seriousness and full responsibility in the images I post. I believe non-Photoshopped images are so important for young women to see. I think I drive people mad sometimes with the feminist issues I post, but women need to know they’re not alone.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
I don’t know if there’s a specific individual per se, but I hear frequently from women that our Squish products give them the confidence to embrace their flaws — especially our Flower Acne Patches, which is what they were designed for. I wanted women to be able to wear the acne patches out in public and make light of their zits.
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
I’d struggled with acne in my late teens and it had destroyed my confidence, so Squish was born out of wanting to empower other people struggling with their skin. All of our imagery is completely un-Photoshopped and we use models of a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. It’s so important that women, especially, feel represented, especially in the beauty industry.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I definitely think more needs to be done to educate young people about body image and Photoshopping in images/online. I think porn especially has such a detrimental effect on men viewing women and amplifies the need of being, and looking like, the “perfect woman”.
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
The majority of my work is through Instagram — that includes my personal modelling work and Squish. 95% of all of our sales come through Instagram. It’s such a powerful tool to get your message across.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Trust your gut. If something feels off, or you’re getting a bad vibe, then listen to it. My gut has saved me more times that I can remember.
- Take every meeting — you never know where it will lead to.
- You’re allowed to say “no”. I think women are often scared to put their foot down, but sometimes you need to.
- Engage with your customers. A simple email, DM or comment can truly make their day.
- Know your worth. Respect yourself enough to know if and when you’re being taken advantage of.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’m so passionate about women’s rights, especially for young women. Whether it’s about consent, body image, Photoshop… there are so many things I want to educate people on.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“This Too Shall Pass”. Nothing lasts forever (unless you’ve murdered someone, of course) and during times of struggle, it’s good to remember that.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Unfortunately, he won’t see this as he’s passed but I was always desperate to meet Steven Hawking. I’m obsessed with space and the cosmos and was fascinated by how his mind works. It’s weird because I’m not logically minded at all, but space is the one subject I could read about for hours and hours.
How can our readers further follow your work online ?
You can follow Squish on Instagram at @squish.beauty, or me at @charlihoward.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
Social Media Stars Making A Social Impact: Why & How Charli Howard of Squish Beauty Is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.