I have exposed myself to so much information on my skincare journey. I have experimented with it all — from Accutane to apple cider vinegar washes and everything in-between. I have approached skin symptoms from every angle — not only topicals but also diet, mindset, environment, spirituality. I have unearthed so much from each of these angles, as persistent and painful cystic acne ushered me into the deepest depths of my own psyche and spirit. This journey has sat with me through some of my darkest nights, all with the intention of being my greatest teacher, bestowing me with an extraordinary shift in perception on the nature of my relationship with all things, and of the nature of reality.

Where I once conveniently bypassed my natural objections to mainstream consciousness, this journey has since gifted me with the courage and urgency to finally own my authenticity and reject the aspects of the beauty / wellness industry in particular that I believe are problematic for us all.

This is a lifetime journey of becoming ever more intimate, compassionate, allowing, and nourishing with my entire being and my place in the great scheme of things.

The great gift of my skin journey has been dropping, even the littlest bit, my complete identification with my physical body — with what Eckhart Tolle names moving from object consciousness to space consciousness. He shares that “object consciousness needs to be balanced by space consciousness for sanity to return to our planet and for humanity to fulfill its destiny. The arising of space consciousness is the next step in the evolution of humanity.”

These tender words could not be more resonant for me on my skin journey, as well as in my decision to leave fashion. Fundamentally — as a deeply nourishing and invigorating root system of all else that has supported my skin’s healing — it has been this shift in perception from my body defining me (object consciousness) to my presence defining me (space consciousness).

And while the minimal topicals I have relied upon for my skin’s barrier function healing have been incremental, they have certainly been the cherry on top of this fundamental shift in perception that has guided me (and will always guide me) along the way.