This Founder's Letter is sponsored by Garnier

Earlier this year, I wrote about needing to see myself as an investment. I think it is quite hard to think about the ways you can pour money and your time into yourself when we are all navigating the cost of living crisis. Back in February, when I wrote this newsletter I shared that I had some sort of reaction on my face. As someone who has never encountered skin issues I was quite startled to feel a face that felt unrecognisable in my hands for the first time in my life.

No doubt my insecurities were very much from a vanity lens, but it just drove home how much I don’t take care of myself in the midst of trying to live a life that encompasses my career, my family and most importantly my children. I made the active choice to look into skincare more than ever before, reading about different ingredients, more (black) skin influencers than before and even wanted to make an appointment with a dermatologist, but with a living crisis, it just felt like a splurge I couldn’t afford.

So getting out of my feelings of just not loving at what I saw in the mirror, I had the opportunity to try some Garnier products, and if I’m honest it felt like a little godsend because unlike a lot of other skincare products, each product doesn’t cost the same as my weekly grocery bill for a family of four.

While implementing this skin routine was in aid of trying to get my skin back, committing to a skin routine every morning and night became a much needed ritual of winding down and relaxing. Taking the time to try and get my skin back to a place of health actually gave me a moment of calm that has often been missing in the chaos of entrepreneurship and having two children.

In this bid of trying to restore the health of my skin, my husband even joined me on a skin routine, something he said he wouldn’t usually care to do, ensuring we did a skin routine together in the evening, giving us a few minutes of extra quality time that can often feel quite rare. We laughed, joked and saw improvements in each other’s faces as we regularly met in the family bathroom at midnight (which is far too late) to perform something that became quite ritualistic and somewhat therapeutic.

I would start my routine with micellar water, followed by Garnier’s Hydrating Deep Cleanser, the Vitamin C Brightening (day or night) Serum, followed by the Garnier Brightening Eye Cream, Vitamin C Day Brightening Cream and of course the Vitamin C Daily UV SPF. While I saw improvements over the course of the month, the biggest results came in the texture of my skin. As women, especially black women, there is so much pressure to look a certain way and have skin that glows even without IG filters, that I had forgotten that how my skin feels when I touch it with my hands is just as important. My skin’s texture has been so much better. But of course, to get it back to where it should be, no product alone can do the job. Sleeping for longer, less stress, diet and great products like Garnier all create the winning formula.

I will say this skin routine and challenge I set myself to look after my skin everyday for the last four weeks has left me feeling great both mentally and physically. The products have been both kind and gentle as a life long user of the Micellar Water it will always be in my skin routine. While all products from any skin brand won’t be worthy of a gold star, I have to admit Garnier’s Hydrating Deep Cleanser was one of my favourite products. It feels like velvet and left my skin feeling smooth, moist and didn’t feel like a single spec of make up was left on my skin. I have to also shout the Eye Cream because dark circles felt like permanent fixtures on my face due to sleepless nights, but have significantly improved and it has a golden tint that gives me an underglow when not wearing makeup. And I never thought I would see the day my husband used a daily SPF, but that day has come, thanks to the Garnier BHA+Niacinamide Daily UV Fluid. 

However, in all honesty, the Vitamin C Day Brightening Cream was a bit meh. I wasn’t a fan of the scent and I personally feel like the texture is too thick for me. So being honest, the product won’t stay in my routine, but as I said, not every skincare product will get a gold star and it did the job fine overall. 

Being honest, I took my skin for granted. I stopped having a consistent skin routine in the last year because it felt time consuming. Yes, time isn’t on my side, but my skin does need my time so I can look after it and nurture it. We deserve to look after ourselves and I will never stop telling black women that and this skincare routine that I’m still doing night after night has allowed me to do that and the added bonus is that Garnier has allowed me to have skin that glows and feels great again.