Just as it is important to take care of the rest of our bodies, our skin is included and can sometimes be forgotten or neglected especially if our minds are occupied with work or stress 24/7.

Growing up, my skin was never as clear as it is today. I dealt with a huge acne problem. I felt insecure, ugly and resented my face for the way it looked. I was bullied in primary school; told I had a pizza or strawberry face which was unpleasant to deal with. Luckily, I wasn’t too much of a sensitive child as other people were, and it didn’t affect my mental health as deeply as it could have.

Instead, I begged and pleaded with my mother to help me find a solution. I also couldn’t understand why it never would just clear up; it was so frustrating. I was often told it was just my hormones, but as a child and a teenager, that’s not very helpful input especially if there were no tips involved in how to manage it.

I was often at the dermatologist, being prescribed all sorts of medications and told to use specific, more costly products. Some of those products ended up a waste because they ended up doing more harm than good as a burning sensation would begin to increase after applying it.

Basically, until I finally grew up, my problems with my skin were a nightmare. I can’t remember at which specific age or point that my flaring skin began to calm down by itself, but my self-esteem slowly started to return. I felt happier, more confident and comfortable within my own skin. I think it was nearing towards the end of my teen years that my “hormones” weren’t as imbalanced as they previously were.

I was also obsessed with the sun as a teenager, tanning as often as I could in summer. My poor mother sounded like a sweet, broken record with the number of times she urged me to use sunscreen. Which I did for the most part, except I only used it for my face. The rest of my body was fine to be burnt to a crisp, but I could never risk my face experiencing the same amount of sunrays as the rest of my body.

I possibly have more sun damage than I imagine I do, but edging towards my mid-twenties, my desire to be constantly tanned and dark-skinned faded over the last two or three years, which I am grateful for.

I realised I do not need sun damage to feel good about myself or to appear more attractive to others, as confidence overrides everything. My face being so clear though is a mystery, considering my unhealthy relationship with food and bad dieting.

I don’t have “dewy,” or “glassy” skin, but at least it’s not the way it was before. I try to take care of it as best I can, by doing the minimum as a skincare routine – moisturiser for day and night, sunscreen (when I remember to use it), face masks once or twice a week, and I want to start steaming my face again. I have been using the African Rooibos Day cream and Night cream for over three years, and it is still my favourite moisturiser. I used to buy the creams in bulk, so I’d never have to use a different product or run out when I was working overseas.

I love that the cream itself never has a distinct smell of chemicals, it’s just soft and subtle in scent and smoothly  moisturising when applied. My skin tends to feel a little dry after my showers and my Night cream has been my saving grace for ages. The Day cream I have been neglecting since my mornings tend to be a bit rushed these, but it still helps me to psychologically feel like my day is about to start and makes my face feel soft and rejuvenated. It does also contain a 15spf, which is not a lot, but it is at least something.

It feels good to not have a 16-step skin care routine as seen online. It feels overdone and performative to come across videos that have 100 products they use on their face, at night only. And then another separate 100 products for the morning. I don’t understand the hype about red light therapy (call me old-fashioned even though I am 24) and feel as if companies are just inventing anything these days to earn their cash. Maybe red-light therapy does have its benefits, but it is not necessary when the Earth we live on provides all that we need.

Sunlight is good for you, just not when you decide to lay under the highest UV times to cook yourself for a good tan. A bit of sunlight a day revitalises your body and lightens your soul, without the use of red-light therapy. I don’t understand why people are veering more and more away from our natural world. It’s discomforting and sad.

I am not knocking how other people choose to live their lives. I just want to encourage turning towards nature as much as possible, so that we don’t forget how Mother Earth takes care of us in ways that are more beneficial and more with our interests at heart compared to large companies selling different products and new inventions to increase the number in their bank accounts.

For me caps and bucket hats are also on the list of importance, especially when I am outside working with my horses in the middle of the day, even in winter. I feel as though I have been making a grave mistake by assuming that the sun is not as dangerous (in South Africa) as it is in summer purely because it’s winter. I luckily don’t spend too much time in the peak of the heat outside, but when I do, I ensure I have applied a layer of sunscreen and remember my hat.

Aging is a natural process and is inevitable, but if we are self-aware enough and remember to consciously take care of our health and skin, we are less likely to run into problems in the future and are less likely to want to turn to plastic surgery to keep the face, body and skin as young as can be.

I prefer to think of this life as if I am a soul, rather than a person or “body.” We all have different beliefs and different ways to cope with things, but it’s just really sad to see so many women feeling insecure within themselves that they feel they need to change their bodies by doing surgery. It’s somehow the cause of the standards of society and what “men” prefer which is not the way the world should be, but it is.

I know my soul is on Earth for a reason, but I am also bearing in mind that it is not a permanent trip. It will come to an end, and I want to be remembered for my kindness, the goodness in my heart, the love I have shared with those close to me and all the animals and for my fiery spirit and the way I did do my best to look after myself to live a long and happy life.

Life is short, prioritise what satisfies and makes you happy and remember gratitude is what heals the mind and makes the body glow from within to the outside. There are ways to protect your body and skin from injuries and damage, but only gratitude can heal the heart and keep the mind happy.