Beauty Doesn’t Need a Retake

New Dove research reveals the growing pressure to capture the “perfect” photo. Eight in 10 US women take up to 50 photos of themselves before finding the perfect one to post on social media. With its global community of voices, Dove inspires women to free themselves from the pressure to post perfection through #ShareTheFirst.

Dove is partnering with singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha and other influential voices to help women break free from the pressure of curated perfection on social media. The program, #ShareTheFirst, is a global movement inviting women to free themselves from perfection, celebrate authenticity and share the real first photo, before they found “the one.”

Take Two…or 32!?!

This continuous cycle of retaking, filtering and tweaking photos can overshadow the joy of capturing real, spontaneous moments. According to Dove, 6 in 10 women don’t post special moments because they do not like how they look. As someone who understands the pressures of social media and the expectation to present a flawless image, Rexha, like millions of women worldwide, embraces the power of authenticity and self-expression.

“The best moments in life aren’t staged or filtered, they just happen. But when you’re in the spotlight, there’s so much pressure to look perfect all the time,” says Rexha. “That’s why I’m so excited to team up with Dove to celebrate real, unedited beauty, the kind that comes from being unapologetically yourself the first time around and just living in the moment.”

Creators, Influencers and Advocates

Alongside Rexha, creators, body confidence advocates and women from across the globe including Francesca Scorsese, Nyma Tang, Tess Holiday and Lauren Chamberse support Dove’s #ShareTheFirst campaign. At a time when the pressure to maintain a perfectly curated feed can lead to stress and anxiety, Dove aims to unite women globally to challenge unrealistic beauty standards and embrace their real, authentic selves.

“Too many women avoid sharing life’s biggest moments on social media because they don’t like how they look in a photo – from graduations, weddings and birthdays – this pressure to look ‘perfect’ leads to increased levels of anxiety and Dove wants to change that,” said Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer of Dove Personal Care North America and Dove Masterbrand. “We are calling on our community to share the first photo, the one that captures joy, not perfection, demonstrating that real beauty isn’t about a flawless photo but embracing beauty on their terms.”

Startling Insights on the Quest for Perfection

Additional findings from Dove’s research reveal some startling insights into this unspoken desire to share life’s moments flawlessly:  

• Women aged 18-24 take, on average, up to 14 photos of themselves to capture the right “look” before choosing one to post. In contrast, Gen Alpha doesn’t need a retake, taking only 8 photos on average before posting. This shift highlights an opportunity for the younger generation to set the tone for less filtered self-expression.
• Almost half (47%) of US women have deleted a picture of themselves on social media after posting it because they felt self-conscious.
• 6 in 10 women say it’s important to look authentic in their social media posts.
• 1 in 2 women seek approval from a friend before posting a photo to social media.

For more than two decades, Dove has been building self-esteem and body confidence for women and girls. #ShareTheFirst is a continuation of this mission, encouraging women to embrace beauty on their own terms and reclaim the joy in sharing life’s real, spontaneous moments.