How much do you think about skincare? I don’t think about it much. I want to think about it (I even put it on February’s things we’ll do this month list but I just don’t, really. Part of this is pure blessing. Aside from a patch of psoriasis on my elbow, I have had minimal issues with my skin over my lifetime. I am thankful for my ancestors for that, BUT I am getting older and my skin is starting to show signs of that. Frankly, I am TERRIFIED by those anecdotes that all your meaningful skincare takes place in your twenties because, well, see above. Yikes. I’ve rested on my laurels and I’m not feeling any true pain about that (YET!) but I can tell that things are changing.
So, remember when I fell in love with Healers podcast? Well, we’ve gone a little deeper a few times now. I’ve connected with two practitioners who have been featured on the show at one time or another and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to know them both. There are a few others I thought about reaching out to and still might.
This morning, I caught up on the episode featuring Hayley Wood.
Hayley Wood is The Therapeutic Skin Coach, an LA-based esthetician and skin-whisperer who believes that our skin has the power to heal itself—if we only let it.
This quote is along the lines of what I like to believe in general – that our bodies are intuitive and that if we feed them the nutritious things that they need, they will prevail. I believe that we hold our experiences is our bodies – the joy, the trauma, the anxiety, the contentment and that sometimes if we try to ignore or erase one of those emotions, then that emotion will manifest itself in our bodies.
Hayley spoke to this part of me when she shared that she addresses several aspects of skincare with her clients. She investigates the emotional responses to the conditions (how does that acne make you feel?) as well as recent stresses or significant events and experiences that may be contributors.
It is FASCINATING to hear about the considerations Hayley makes when she assesses a new client. Age and birthday, stress levels, their work, where they’re from, where they live, how long they’ve lived there, their ancestry, hormones, how much heat they retain, how much sun exposure they can tolerate – I mean, it is ENDLESS. (And it reminds me – if we CAN do healthcare this way, why on earth would be NOT?)
My favourite part of all? It’s the part when she talks about how your skin is speaking to you on behalf of the rest of your body and that it would do us all well to listen.
Isn’t this just the most beautiful?
Hayley and Elizabeth talk a little about their personal histories and the skin-related lessons they have learned over the years. They also talk about treating problematic skin conditions and how sometimes our instinct is way off base.
Listen and read more here.
