Lael Brown is a powerful voice for women of color, women living with eczema, and anyone who needs a role model of strength and confidence. A video producer in the Philadelphia area, Rael uses his communication skills and deep compassion to help others through his popular Instagram account, @wokewithinskin. blog. How does she prepare to look her best every morning, even if she's dealing with difficult skin irritations? Here's how she prepares to look her best every morning, from both a health/beauty and emotional standpoint. Share strategies from.
Rael believes in contingency planning. „She has two different plans when it comes to her morning routine because she has eczema,“ she says. „My first plan is for the worst-case scenario, which is when I have a flare-up. On days when I'm actively dealing with my eczema, I don't always have time to do everything in the morning. I usually wash my face and get ready. My solution is to make my skin as comfortable as possible the night before in case it gets really irritated the next day. I don't take a shower because it gets too dry. Instead, I soak in the bath with Epsom salt for about 20 minutes.''Epsom salt exfoliates the skin and is a natural moisturizer. Contains magnesium. Plus, „it's very inexpensive, so it's very accessible to everyone,“ she says.
Further hydration is her next important step. “After I get out of the bath, I like to use natural butter, especially jojoba,” explains Rael. „I know a lot of people use things like petroleum jelly because they think it's moisturizing, but it's a chemical and it's much more soothing to use products that aren't made of chemicals. I then use a body oil all over, which is also a natural formula.
Next, she adjusts her beauty routine. „When I get irritated, the only makeup I apply is lipstick, which is the cleanest type I've found,“ says Rael. „I don't have just one favorite brand, but I think fruit-based formulas are best for keeping skin soft and calm. I think it's important to let your skin breathe as much as possible when you have eczema. I try not to wear foundation at all, and certainly won't wear it while my symptoms are worsening; trying to „cover it up“ only makes it more uncomfortable. ”
Then there are mornings that Rael calls „maintenance.“ „If the flare-up isn't progressing, you might decide to get up, take a shower, and apply moisturizer and oil,“ she says. „Or you might decide to not shower at all and let your skin cool all day except for moisturizing. Cooling is a really good preventive measure you can take from time to time. For example, get a photo taken for your blog. When I have to do a little makeup, I do a little makeup. But again, it's all natural.“
That's what Rael does for her body. And there are things she does to psychologically prepare her for the day. „I think just feeling the support of a community is very helpful. It makes a big difference in what you put out outwardly and how you feel internally,“ she reflects. „So I get support when I go on social media and it helps a lot to communicate with other people who are going through similar situations to me in my battle with eczema. So much. It helped me process it in such a therapeutic way.”
To focus herself, Rael also does breathing exercises. „Just taking deep breaths, being aware of your breathing, and being still. If you can't do anything else to prepare for the day, it's really important to do that,“ she says. . „In fact, anything you can do to calm your mind is important. With eczema, calming your mind can be a superpower. It's not just for managing or preventing flare-ups of inflammation. I think women of color in particular need to be conscious of how the outside world sees them, because the color of our skin is already being judged and then eczema occurs on top of that. Being calm and aware of yourself internally is very helpful. Instead of being seen as unattractive, you should be an inspiration. You should know that you are beautiful. It has to be! It’s your perspective that matters.”
As Rael says, these simple actions have given her strength and sustained her over the years. „When I was dealing with the external effects of eczema and was at my worst, I had to learn to rise above the external effects,“ she says. „I needed to find other answers. Finding people like me gave me motivation. Now I know how to give that support back to others. Instagram Doing that through blogging and just talking is the most important thing I do every morning and every day.”