When Your Skin Isn’t Having It.
Work is hectic, my personal life is hectic, and keeping up with my travel schedule has been its own juggling act. Oh, and did I mention? Growing Courtney Racquel Jewelry and The BGuide’s shop isn’t for the faint of heart. I’m busy, booked, and pressed for time, but my skin didn’t get the memo. Or maybe she doesn’t care.
This morning, two perfectly round, red, and rather obnoxious pimples decided to reside on the side of my nose. Baby, I was not here for it. For some women, that may not sound like a crisis, but for me, with skin that’s generally normal but prone to rebellion when stressed, dehydrated, or shifting seasons, it was enough to send me into detective mode.
I had a specialized facial a few days ago, and while it was deliciously indulgent, I know my skin. She’s sensitive. Consequently, she can be unruly. And let’s be real, hormone shifts haven’t exactly been helping lately. I’ve learned that our skin often acts as a direct mirror to what’s happening inside. Therefore, I’ve learned to be attentive. I’ve noticed that pimples usually signal one of three things for me: stress, carbonation overload (goodbye Pepsi, thank you very much), or post-facial irritation. And in this case? Stress had clearly come knocking.
Pimples Be Gone
The final stage of relaunching my The BGuide’s Shop, back-to-back travel, and endless family and work obligations left me sleep-deprived. I found myself running on fumes. So, it should not have been surprising that the stress oozed out through my skin. At 50, it’s never a convenient time to break out, but amid the frustration, I reminded myself of a more profound truth: beauty is balance. Our skin is our largest organ, and it doesn’t lie. What’s happening internally always finds a way to reveal itself externally. Therefore, no secret, I knew it was time for me to slow down and recalibrate.
“Everything comes from the inside and moves out.” – Courtney Racquel Rhodes
Talking Your Skin Off The Ledge.
I pressed pause. I started and finished my morning with a warm, unhurried bath infused with lavender and lime salts, candles flickering, and a soundtrack that allowed me to lose track of time. In that quiet, I reflected on the sweat and love poured into relaunching The Shop in the chaos of recent weeks, and on the need to give myself space to relax and just be. Gratitude replaced exhaustion, and for a moment, I felt deeply aligned.
That evening, I gave my skin the same grace I had given my mind. I pulled out my grandmother’s tried-and-true steaming ritual: a boiling water and herbs teapot. The routine has evolved for me, with lavender, rosemary, and dandelion root as my herb and flowers of choice. And, a face steamer to simplify the process, but the results are tried-and true.
I begin by allowing the steam to kiss my face for 3-5 minutes. I relish in the aroma and steam while taking deep, slow breaths with exhales just as slow. Thinking about it, it’s like a short meditation because I always try to clear my thoughts and fully envelop myself in the experience. Afterward, I gently pat my face dry with a clean towel, spritz my face with rose water, and massage with my jade roller. Followed by a thin layer of Sunday Riley’s C.E.O Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil. From there, I go in with one of my skin care routines, which varies daily (but I will share in another post), and finish by sealing everything with a few drops of vegetable glycerin.
Refreshed And Renewed
By the time I massaged the last drop of glycerin into my skin, I felt whole again. Aligned. The pimples were still there, but I knew they’d fade soon, because the imbalance that caused them had already started to dissolve.
The truth is, no matter how ambitious our goals or how full our plates, our well-being has to come first. Physical and mental health aren’t indulgences; they’re the foundation. And skin, in all its honesty, will always tell us when we’ve forgotten.
So here’s to balance, to listening to what our bodies whisper (or scream), and to doing whatever it takes to love on ourselves. Healthy, happy skin is just the beginning.
Cheers to wellness, beauty, and giving yourself permission to pause.
