#ChangeDestiny with SK-II | Ad

This post is sponsored by SK-II. However, all opinions and personal experiences told are my own. 

When SK-II reached out to me regarding their #ChangeDestiny campaign, I was curious. As a long time SK-II skincare user, I was tempted to agree with whatever the terms were. But I became more intrigued when the details didn’t involve testing out skincare or a review proposition. Not only did it have nothing to do with their products, it was about changing destiny. I quickly clicked on the YouTube video they sent me and to my surprise, tears started rolling down my eyes.

No, I’m not forcing you to watch the video if you don’t want to. But I strongly encourage you to do so, especially if you’re of Asian descent as I am. I didn’t cry watching it because it was sad or cheesy. I cried because the #ChangeDestiny campaign hit too close to home.

If you’re not familiar, I’m Japanese. I was born and raised in Tokyo to a Japanese Father and a Japanese-American Mother; a very loving, worldly and progressive parents at that. I attended an all-girls, private, International School in the center of Tokyo surrounded by diversity and was taught the appreciation of different cultures. At home and at school, I was raised to see no color and no discrimination of any form. I had the freedom to spread my wings.

But like I said, that was in school and at home.

Outside of home, there was always pressure. As an Asian raised in Asia, there’s a lot of different pressures. For example, our parents expect us to get good grades and get into Ivy League schools. As you’ll see in the video however, SKI-II’s #ChangeDestiny is about our ‘expiration date’ in regards to getting wed. Despite my progressive family and close friends, I knew that this unwritten rule about getting married before a certain age existed.

I watched my extended family scorn, complain and make fun of my older cousin for being 25 and not married. When she turned 30, it was even worse. Her parents and family gave up on her, bringing a tremendous amount of shame to the family. The pressure and scrutiny was so much, she agreed to an arranged marriage (an ancient practice to most Japanese but still exists) and let’s be honest, leads a fairly unhappy life.

One time when I was visiting my family in Japan, I overheard my Aunt asking my Father, “She’s out of college, right? I can’t believe she’s not married yet. I’m so sorry, you must be concerned.”

To that, my Father responded, “We’re so proud she graduated college and that she’s focusing on her career. I’d rather her be able to stand on her own two feet than rush into a marriage that’s not right for her.”

While I felt relief and confirmation that my parents are the best in the world, I also felt terribly that my parents had to constantly deal with these questions. Questions about why I’m still single, when will I marry and how perhaps they didn’t raise me properly just because I didn’t race straight to a man when I hit my mid 20’s.  

Did you know? According to a new study by SK-II, in Asia, only 2 out of 10 women feel comfortable with the idea of getting older; reasons of which are related to the pressures of getting married before a certain date or age.

I turned 30 recently and I’m not married, let alone have children. Are my parents ok with it? Yes. Are my close friends ok with it? Of course. Yet are my extended family, neighbors and acquaintances still judging me and my family, looking down at us condescendingly as a failed woman? Most definitely.

But let’s take a second and think about what truly matters. Why is it that our worth starts to decrease after a certain age? Why does society give us an expiration date? Whether you’re a female, male, Asian or not, we’re more than just a number. Our age doesn’t define our worth. Be proud of who you are, for the person you’ve become and for the outstanding person you’re continuing to be. Let’s start a movement and spark a conversation around this age-related pressure that society puts on us in Asia and the rest of the world. Join SK-II as I have to #ChangeDestiny.

#INeverExpire #ChangeDestiny #SKii #InPartnershipWithSKii @skii