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Radiant Skin: Moisturizing Your Sexy Episode Transcript

00:00 - Damaris (Host)

I personally don't even use sunscreen. I listen to my body, I know when to get enough sun, and when there's too much sun I step out.

00:09 - Nachi (Host)

Erica's like no sunscreen, no girl.

00:12 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, I was like.

00:12 - Nachi (Host)

I don't know about that, I was like wait, I'm like that's me. Welcome to another episode of I'm Not Yelling, I'm Dominican podcast hosted by Nachi and Damaris. Hey everyone, this is your girl, nachi, and I'm here with Damaris, affectionately known by my madrina as mi cielo.

00:39

Yes, we miss her, and we're going to get into the topic of skincare. I know we've talked about how to fill our cup spiritually and mentally, and we talked about the type of foods we should be ingesting and how to care for us internally, but today we're going to get into our skin, which is the largest organ of our body, and how we can nurture it and build the right routine for ourselves, and so we have the pleasure of having Erica Nicole. She started her career as a forensic scientist and then transitioned into creating her own skincare brand and shares her journey on her podcast Behind the Silk. Welcome, erica. How are you?

01:24 - Ericka (Host)

I'm good. Thank you for having me today.

01:26 - Nachi (Host)

So we love to have our guests to share with our listeners what you do a little bit about yourself and about your podcast, so that they get to know you better.

01:38 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, so I mean you did a great intro. My name is Erica Nicole. I do have a background in forensics and pre-med. I quit my job in forensics to pursue entrepreneurship.

01:48 - Nachi (Host)

I know crazy.

01:50 - Ericka (Host)

I love to hear it yeah and you know it's been a crazy journey ever since I'm in the process of launching my luxury skincare brand, Silken, and I also have a podcast called Behind the Silk, so that we can go a little bit more than skin deep and not just focus on the external, but focus on the internal as well.

02:08 - Nachi (Host)

Absolutely Love that. We'd love to have you here.

02:11 - Damaris (Host)

Yeah, no, this is Thank you. We've talked about self-care in the past on our show and to me, obviously, this is an aspect of it because, as as Machi mentioned already, the skin is our largest organ and there's a lot of impacts. Obviously, your skin is, I guess, the most important thing. It keeps us all together, right, it keeps everything together.

02:36 - Ericka (Host)

Literally.

02:37 - Damaris (Host)

Literally and figuratively. So it's so interesting how it is and because of that it is also the most sensitive organ in our body. So I'd love to you know when I think about internally. There's so many impacts to skin care and to the quality of your skin, and there's internal impacts, external impacts, and when I think internally, I think about you know. When they say you are what you eat, right, and for me personally, the way I approach you know the care for my skin is what am I ingesting? How am I impacting my body at a cellular level?

03:20 - Nachi (Host)

right.

03:23 - Damaris (Host)

And how are we hydrating? Because it's more than just internally, I mean, it's more than just externally putting on a moisturizer, but it's also internally. So I would love to hear, kind of like, your experience and your thoughts around the skincare being a part of you. Know your self-care, and what are those biggest impacts that really affect the quality of your skin?

03:43 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, like you said, there's so many factors. Right, you have the internal and the external, and the foods that we eat are a huge part of our skincare, right, if you put junk in, it's going to come out, it's going to show itself in one way or the other, absolutely. But then there's also so many other factors. I think people forget how much stress affects your skin, right, stress, acne is a real, real thing. Um, influxes in your hormones, right, your cortisol levels, all these different things, and if not treated or not addressed, I mean your skin will always communicate with you. That is the one thing that I always say. It's just if we're listening, right, our skin is always talking, are you listening?

04:19

and there's so many things to look out for. So if you're eating certain foods and your skin's reacting a certain way for some some people it may be oily food. For some people it's too much sugar. For some people they're not drinking enough water we have to be very intentional and I think that's a place where sometimes we lack because we're busy, we have a lot going on, we're not sitting or putting too much thought into the things that we're consuming.

04:48 - Damaris (Host)

But I know when I get a breakout I'm like oh baby, something's going on, because I think you you mentioned some great things about like, oh, for some people it's oily foods, for others it's, you know, a different kind of type of food, and that's the point is that it is different for everyone, right, like the everyone's reaction to a type of food is going to be different than you know, the next person.

05:12 - Nachi (Host)

I was just going to say that.

05:13

It reminded me of, you know, when my daughter was around two years old, and probably earlier than that, because she was experiencing a lot of skin issues and we were just lathering her up with all sorts of things and we couldn't figure out what was going on with her, and, of course, it was due to food allergies.

05:35

You know, a lot of it, a big piece of it, was due to food allergies. So everything that I was feeding her literally was affecting her and it was manifesting into into eczema and other skin issues that she was having that we had to then have to scale back. Ok, we had to remove all the different types of foods that she was eating and then and then change the type of products that she was using, and then change the type of products that she was using, and I ended up having to do a lot of the stuff myself, because even the products that were out there was affecting her, like it was just creating the problem, you know, making the problem worse. So it's interesting that you did, you know, share that. Yes, it's more than just external factors. It's actually what we ingest a lot of the times yeah, and trying to pinpoint those things is hard it is because you typically have to start from the basics.

06:33 - Ericka (Host)

It's like is it the detergent? Is it my soap? Is it my lotion? Is it my food? Like what is it right?

06:39 - Nachi (Host)

but it's getting to know yourself right. It's getting to know to right. Picking those things. That's, that's abnormal. You know it's not what you typically deal with. So why is that happening Is the question that you need to start asking right.

06:54 - Damaris (Host)

Yeah, I think about again, because the skin is our largest organ. I'm extremely mindful of what I put on my skin and so, especially like all of the, there's so many products that are just like, laden with so many chemicals that aren't good for you, and obviously there are some that you know that are natural, base and and are good, but I personally don't even use sunscreen. I I listened to my body. I know when to get enough sun and when there's too much sun, I step out.

07:25

I shade Erica's like no sunscreen you know, I was like I don't know about that I was like wait, I don't, I don't, I'm like girl, not not even like an spf 15 no, no, I stopped. I stopped and I was using natural, but I was just like why I was real talk. My ancestors didn't even use this and they were fine. They were fine. I'm like, I'm like a lot of this, you know skin cancer but global warming.

07:58

The ozone is gone nowadays, I don't need a barrier between that and vitamin D. Naturally. Look, erica, you're not going to convince me, but for those of you out there, please use sunscreen. If you feel it in your spirit calls for that, do it, please. I'm not encouraging you not to. Okay, don't come at me because I won't care. But you know again, it's just the idea of what are you putting on your skin? Because I use, I put together my own moisturizing oils to use after I shower. So I don't even I don't like to use any kind of other like lotions and stuff, but I do use a moisturizer, please, yes, no, of course, I'm just not using sunscreen.

08:43 - Nachi (Host)

Erica, let's not walk around no, no, that's no no there's no ash here, no, never.

08:50 - Damaris (Host)

But um, the idea is, you know, I make my own concoction of oils, you know, moisturizing. You mentioned how your skin sounds the alarm right and it's and, and there are other things like stress and other triggers for that. Can you talk a little bit more about that, because I have my own experience? But I'd love to hear from you know, since you're starting your own skincare, like, what is it that you envision and understand about that?

09:23 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, so I'm very, again, a very big advocate of listening to our bodies and there's this concept in Chinese medicine called face mapping, right, and it basically means that when you experience breakouts on different parts of your face, it's typically trying to communicate something to you directly, specific to a certain part of your body. So, for example, if you have breakouts on your, your chin and your jawline, that's typically hormonal or something linked to your gut health, for example. Or if you have some breakouts on, like, your lower cheeks, that's typically related to your lung and respiratory things, your upper cheeks, typically your diet and your food. So, again, it's like doing, going the extra mile to do that research. You know, typically if you have breakouts in between your, your forehead and that temple area, that's typically like your liver, your kidney, your gallbladder. You probably need to drink some more water.

10:10

Okay, so I think, just being aware of those things, again, our body's always communicating, so I'm not a big fan of using a lot of products. I have, like my, my core products that I I live by. So if I introduce something into my routine and something is off, oh.

10:28

I know Exactly you have infiltrated. So I think once you get yourself on that routine, it's so much easier.

10:37 - Damaris (Host)

Yeah, because I noticed for me, my skin breaks out in certain ways. If there's a disturbance in the force, right, like okay, some, whether it's okay, it's the I'm approaching that time of the month, okay, I'm about to menstruate, and it'll be like, oh, yeah, I know. Yeah, because I have a couple pimples that came out of nowhere. I'm like, okay, that's in a couple days. I'm like, look at the calendar. I'm like, okay, that makes sense. And then it's also similar to my niece. Uh, it uncovers allergies for me. So the idea of I get, if I'm in direct sunlight for a certain amount of time, I will break out into hives and into a heat rash, and that was when I was using sunscreen. So no to everybody I was about to say I told you I was waiting for it.

11:20 - Ericka (Host)

You're wrong.

11:21 - Damaris (Host)

No, it's just I cannot sit in direct. You know, I'm a delicate flower, so I just go back under the shade and I always wear, like you know, a little visor and stuff. But for me that's how my body reacts.

11:41 - Ericka (Host)

It's like a heat wrap. Yeah, no, it is.

11:43 - Damaris (Host)

And I like one time I was downstairs when my parents were living in Florida. I was at the pool. I came back upstairs and I was like who is Quasimodo looking at in the mirror? I was like who is this person? It was like these hives that I had. I've never seen this before. I was like, girl, you're approaching 30. That's what's good, we don't do this anymore. So that's just what it was. My body was just like stop, and so I don't. But I, you know, I'll sit out in the sun for a little bit again and then I'll just stop.

12:15

But that's, that's an allergic reaction to my body telling me hey, and it's showing up on my skin and I've also had that with my cat allergies. I didn't even realize I had cat allergies but it manifested through an egg allergy that I never had before and I went to my doctor and she uncovered all of that. But I wouldn't have known that internally my body was, I was producing a lot of cortisol, but I didn't know it was because of my body fighting off this allergy, because I have two cats, so my cats were indirectly trying to kill me, but I love them because then I got better, but again it manifested. Do you still have them? Yes, yes, and I'm fine. I went to my doctor and yeah, okay, okay, and she did some acupuncture stuff and I'm good to go puncture stuff and I'm good to go, but that. But it manifested through some, again, hives and allergic reaction to I thought was to the eggs, but it really was, because I hadn't addressed this underlying allergy. So it is really quite fascinating.

13:16

But you do have to do the work in trying to, you know, address, understanding the triggers and isolating that. But that requires you to be, like you said, right, you're very, you're very clear about what your routine is, so you know when something is off or when you've added something or taken out something, and how it affects and manifests. How do you? I'd love to hear more about, like, how did you come up with your routine and how often do you feel like you have to change it, especially when it comes to seasons, because my facial routine is like the same throughout the year. But I know, like I know it shouldn't be right, because we I live in a place with four seasons, but I'm like I don't know. I mean, if it seems a little bit more dry, put a little bit more oil on my face. What the fuck? I don't know. But, erica, why don't you tell us?

14:06 - Ericka (Host)

yeah, for me it started with understanding my skin type, and I think that's where a lot of people go. You know, like do you have dry skin? Do you have oily? Do you have dry skin? Do you have oily skin? Do you have combo skin? Because not all products are created equally. You know, if you have excessively oil skin, maybe you don't want to be using oil-based products Because you're going to be looking out here shining Right and we don't necessarily want that Nice and bright you know Right.

14:30

So I think it's understanding your skin type first and then building your routine from there and knowing what you need. Now I'm not saying if you have oily skin, that you don't need to be moisturized and hydrated, because you do, but it will determine the type of products that you use. Are they water-based, are they oil-based, are they cream-based Maybe? And then just kind of building from there.

14:55

And I believe every routine. I do not believe in a 10-step skincare routine by any bound. Less is more right. I think every less is a lot more, and I think the only three products you would really need are a cleanser, a moisturizer and an spf.

15:05 - Damaris (Host)

But um, we'll agree to disagree on that, erica erica's the scientist here. I'm like that's great and I know my skin. Nobody's gonna tell you my skin, but okay, thank you.

15:19 - Ericka (Host)

Those would be my three recommendations. And then you can build in your serums um for, like your spot treatments, if you have like hyperpigmentation or you have some eczema, your serums you kind of build in um on an as needed basis. But I think, like those core three, even a cleanser and moisturizer, that's all you really need. But my skin is very seasonal. In the summer I am an oily girl really but, in the winter my skin gets so dry okay, so talk about.

15:45 - Nachi (Host)

Talk a little bit more about that, because I always say that I have a combination type skin and.

15:52

I say that because I'm like you don't know, I guess I'm in the middle, but I don't know if it's. You know if I actually do have, you know, slightly drier skin or it could be oily. But I always say that you know, I have combination skin. That's always been my go-to because it's just a safe spot, right. So that's so I. You know, what do we look for? Do we kind of look at the t-zone in terms of of determining whether or not you have oily skin or combination skin? How does that even? How does that translate?

16:32 - Ericka (Host)

yeah, so combination skin typically means that your, your face, is oily in some places and dry in other places. So typically you'll have like an oily T-zone, so across your forehead and down your nose, but then you'll have patches on your cheeks, for example, that are more dry. And the way that I tell people to figure out their skin type is yes, you can go to a dermatologist. That's probably the most effective way, but that's also pricey and you know you know, yeah.

16:55

So the other way is to just wash your face and use a gentle cleanser. Uh, wash your face and then just let your skin sit for an hour, um, and then you want to go into the mirror and really just examine your skin. I recommend using, like a blotting paper, something that picks up oil, um, and just pat your face and just see where the oils are on your face and it'll give you a good indication of where your areas are, because some people aren't necessarily oily in their T-zone and in their nose area. Sometimes it's their jawline or, like the perimeter of their hairline is where they really secrete a lot of oil. So that blotting paper can really give you an idea of where your troubled areas are.

17:35 - Nachi (Host)

I will be trying that.

17:36 - Damaris (Host)

I know that's actually a good way, and does that change throughout the year from your experience?

17:41 - Ericka (Host)

It can. I used to be really oily on my chin area. I used to have such bad breakouts on my chin and my hairline down the side of my face is typically where I would break out and that's where I just had a lot of acne production. But skin is also very cyclical. Like your skin changes, not even by season, just as you develop, like the way that your skin and body process things when you were 15 versus when you're in your 20s, versus when you're in your 30s changes. So again, it's that staying in tune with yourself and seeing when things change Like oh, this is a little different. What's going on over here?

18:20 - Damaris (Host)

Like when I came back upstairs sunbathing it was like oh oh, I'm 29 and a half. Yeah, guess what? You can't sit out there. I was like oh okay, so I'm just gonna break out in hives now, all right, noted going out there with the sun hat. Yeah, I was just like okay, so now I'm a little old lady now.

18:31 - Ericka (Host)

Now I got to be on the DJ 24 seven Okay cool.

18:34 - Damaris (Host)

But you you mentioned already the um, that idea and and I know your podcast too is around like that busy millennial, the busy person and prioritizing skincare. So what should people be doing? How should they be going about prioritizing skincare? I mean, I think we've laid out reasons why they should, obviously because you know this is the largest organ and also the most sensitive organ but how do they make that happen in their everyday life?

19:06 - Ericka (Host)

I believe it requires what anything else in your life that you want to make a priority requires you to be intentional at the end of the day. So a skincare routine doesn't have to be 30 minutes in the morning, especially when I'm late and I need to catch that train because it's an 8.30 train. If I miss that 8.30 train I'm going to be late to work and it's a whole problem. My skin routine that morning may only be five minutes. So again, it may just be that cleanser and that moisturizer, some lip gloss or some lip balm and I'm out the door, you know. But then I have other days where I do an entire, my entire routine. It's funny. Like once a week I dedicate a day for my entire routine. Like my husband knows, when I get my speaker, when I bring my speaker in the bathroom, he knows you're taking over, it's about to go down, don't interrupt me, because we're doing it all Right.

19:54

So again, it's just doing the things that you can with the time that you have. I always recommend people taking care of their skin twice a day the morning, the evening. Your morning you want to keep things very light. Um, if you're doing any like treatments or um, uh, serums and things like that, that's typically in the afternoon. But again, just pick a routine that works for you. Again, it doesn't have to be 10 step, but there are days where you may want that experience and that's fine too. Just make sure that you can find those time periods in your day to slot that in, because I also think that's very important, because skincare is not just about at least for me, it's not just about taking care of your skin. It's that time for you to like take care of you and it's that time for you to exactly check out your body.

20:35

You know, looking in the mirror, admiring yourself like girl we looking good Okay. You know those things are important for our mental health, so gas yourself up while you're doing your routine, and that's important too.

20:48 - Nachi (Host)

Yeah, definitely.

20:49 - Damaris (Host)

No, I like that and for your routine. So you mentioned already, like you mentioned, oh, in later part of the day you should do your serums. So can we talk a little bit about that? Like, when is the right time to introduce specific steps, whether it's in the morning or at night? Like, can you elaborate a little bit more on that?

21:10 - Ericka (Host)

part. Yeah, so when I'm using actives like my retinols, my AHAs, my BHAs, I will do that at night. You should not be putting on retinol in the morning. Retinol is very light, sensitive and if you're putting on the morning, especially without SPF.

21:25 - Damaris (Host)

Don't worry, I knew that. I knew that and my retinol comes on at night. Thank you, you're telling this for the audience, not for me. Thank you, okay, you're telling this for the audience, not for me. Thank you, erica. Okay, carry on. Carry on, be mindful I am. The shade was not quite okay.

21:46 - Ericka (Host)

Whatever, I reject that and rebuke that everybody oh my gosh, I'm just saying, I'm just saying she's just putting it out there, she's just putting it out there.

21:58 - Damaris (Host)

You got to be mindful.

21:59 - Ericka (Host)

So anything active I put on at night, anything that's very basic, protective, barrier protective I will put those things on in the morning to make sure that we're good to go, especially living in the city. I don't think that people understand the effects that pollution and smog and the hard water that we have. They have an effect on our skin. We're exposed to a lot, so protecting our skin barrier, maintaining our skin microbiome, like all of those things, are super important.

22:24 - Damaris (Host)

No, it's so true, because when I wash my hair in Virginia where Nachi is compared to when I wash it here, it's like my curls be popping down there. I'm like, wow, this is great. I come up here. I'm like all this extra work I gotta do in my hair because of the hard work it's, it's intense. No, you're absolutely right. Yeah, oh my goodness, yes okay.

22:43 - Nachi (Host)

So it's important that that erica said that little disclaimer with the spf, because there are people like me who don't. I wouldn't have known about the retinol not putting it on in the morning. I would have been slathering that up Like this is good.

23:00 - Damaris (Host)

That's why I said this is for the listeners, or apparently for you too. But I knew that and I wear my retinol at night.

23:06 - Ericka (Host)

Okay, at night. At least you're educated. You're an educated consumer.

23:13 - Nachi (Host)

I just try and test and see what happens.

23:16 - Damaris (Host)

That's her life. No, literally that's how she is, also with her hair. She's like all your products just work great on me. I'm like they don't for me. She's like you should try this mousse. I'm like mousse, you're wild bitch. That's not going to work for me. I need more than mousse. She's like I need a cream. I'm like a hard gel, thank you. But yeah, that's Hatchie. I'm sure Heskin reacts the same way.

23:40

Like oh, it's perfect, I can handle everything. But no, that's good to know. I mean the idea that you talk about active ingredients, and what are some of those? So, retinol obviously is one of them, but what are some other active ingredients that you're referring to?

23:59 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, your AHAs and your BHAs, any type of acid that you're putting on your face. I think people forget that skincare is also chemical. Yes, yes. Like everything that we put on our face, has a chemical reaction with our skin. So we need to be mindful of the things that we're putting on and not combining certain things. You should not be combining a retinol with an acid.

24:16 - Nachi (Host)

Don't be like matching.

24:20 - Damaris (Host)

I mean, you know, I didn't even know that. But I don't really combine it with anything else, but that's okay.

24:27 - Ericka (Host)

So like, if you're using like, so if you're doing like um, like a retinol, you may want to pair that with a hyaluronic acid I mean with, I mean with an isinamide, for example, something that's a very basic um. And then when you're using your actives, like your hyaluronic acids and your ahs and your bhas, you want to typically use those independently of anything okay, but those are considered active and that would be used at night, or okay, correct?

24:50 - Nachi (Host)

okay and is that how it's advertised? No, no, yeah, because I feel like I've seen things about hyaluronic acid in the daytime, you know, like for a daily moisturizer.

25:03 - Damaris (Host)

So when you say daily moisturizer to me, I take that as you're putting that on the first thing in the morning After you wash your face. You're using that throughout the day. So if you're telling me that's not really probably the best thing to be using acids like that, it's kind of interesting.

25:19 - Ericka (Host)

Well, you also have to keep in mind your concentration, so the amount of hyaluronic acid in a moisturizer may be different than what's in a serum. So a moisturizer may only have 1% to 2% versus. You get a pure serum which has 10% and now you're like maybe this is something I should save for a little later.

25:34

So again, reading our labels from time to time too. We don't want to get caught up in marketing, you know, we want to make sure that we are reading our ingredients and we are reading the labels. The front is for entertainment, the back is for education.

25:46 - Nachi (Host)

So yeah, reading is fundamental, because we say that about food but, obviously you have to look at that for skincare as well. Anything that you put on your body, you should be looking at the ingredients.

25:59 - Damaris (Host)

What are some of those things, those watchouts, because I think that's a perfect thing to consider. What are some of those other things that's not really pedestrian? People just don't know that, but probably should.

26:12 - Ericka (Host)

I think you have your key ones, like your parabens, your sulfates. Some people tend to be very sensitive to fragrances, but it's also understanding, like, on the back of your label, your things have to be labeled by the amount of it in your product. So the higher concentration things will always be at the top and then as you go down they're less concentrated. So, seeing what your bases are for your products, again, you can have water-based products, cream-based products. If you're getting a vitamin C product but vitamin C is at the very, very bottom of your label, then it's You're not really getting it.

26:44

Exactly so, just being aware of those things as well, because, again, if you're trying to get a desired result, make sure that the products that you are buying have a higher concentration of ingredients for the outcome that you're trying to get Right.

26:55 - Damaris (Host)

And what about the use of serums? Because I use a vitamin C serum in the morning and my retinol and the serum is, like you know, again just to help keep my pigmentation even and whatnot. But what about serums, like you know, are they better than you know, than just going with moisturizers, or are they complementary, like, how should one best use them in their routine?

27:23 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, so serums are typically isolated ingredients. So again, you'll have, like your vitamin C serums or a different concentrate. Your niacinamide serums are typically concentrated ingredients and the reason that I say that you don't necessarily need serums unless you're trying to achieve something specific. So is it necessary in a routine? No, but again, if you have your dark spots or if you're experiencing some texture that you want to address, that's where you'll incorporate your serums.

27:49

And we also apply skincare in order of density. So you'll cleanse and then you'll put on, like your essence or your toner, and then you may upgrade to a serum and then your moisturizer. So then, also making sure that we're layering our products in regards to how heavy they are, so that you apply an ascending order because you want to get the most out of your ingredients. If you put a very thick moisturizer on and try and go in with a serum, your clogs are already sealed, your barriers are already sealed, so you're probably not going to get the benefits of that serum that you were the desired benefits that you were looking for. So I love a good serum. I love a good barrier serum. I prefer gel serums over the more fluid, liquidy serums because I just feel like they're more hydrating and I feel like they absorb faster, but that's just for my skin.

28:31 - Damaris (Host)

Okay, what you do. You feel like if there's anything people can do, what are, like, the top three things people should do to optimize their skincare routine that they should not go without?

28:44 - Ericka (Host)

One, understanding your skin type. That is the foundation of your skincare routine. Two, again, finding time in your day where you can be consistent. If you're not consistent with your skincare, it doesn't really matter, you're not, you're not going to see the results that you want to see. And then product selection again, making sure that we're picking those products that are appropriate for our skin type, again like very thick oils, like not to call out brands or whatever.

29:10

I won't even call it a brand, so I was using one of. They have a retinol squalene serum that I used to really, really swear by, and I don't know if they changed their formulation or whatever the case may be, but now anytime I use it, I literally I feel like I break out in hives, like all across my face. So again it and being aware of that too. Like products change, right, that's a thing.

29:33 - Damaris (Host)

Formulations change companies and they don't have toulations change companies sell off at all.

29:39 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, so this may have been a product that you swore by a couple months ago and now it's acting funny, but you feel like you don't want to take it out of your routine, because it was one of your golden products.

29:50 - Nachi (Host)

But it's to your point, how you you know you mentioned having not having a whole lot of products to use or or including your routine because it'll be easier for you to identify that product that might not be working for you as well as it used to, and that's probably you know a good reason right there where they would change formulation and you wouldn't. You probably wouldn't have been able to pinpoint it as easy had you not had, or you know, that little bit of products that you've been using and I appreciate too that.

30:22 - Damaris (Host)

Again, it's not so much you're providing very tactical things, but it's just like the understanding part of it is critical and essential to your skincare routine. Right like Like you need to understand yourself.

30:36 - Ericka (Host)

Because skin is so different, everyone's skin is so different, so it's so hard to give universal advice. So if people have, you know, good insurance and have the ability to go see a dermatologist, I always recommend seeing a dermatologist at least twice a year. Like building it into your it's just as important as going to your gyno or you're getting your physical every year, like going to your dermatologist. I feel twice a year is super important because they may even pick up on things that you don't even recognize as an issue and to really get that individualized care based on where your skin currently is. I had a friend that moved from New York to LA and I mean her skin just went on a rampage oh, it left the building, I mean her skin just went on a rampage.

31:15

Oh, it left the building huh. And you know, yeah, you know, just by a change of environment, her skin was just not used to it and she was having a really really hard time, like her skin was having a hard time adapting to her new environment, and that's a real thing. You know, people may think it's like the stress or, you know, whatever the case may be, but no, it's literally the air that you're in, yeah, yeah, that that is absolutely true.

31:39 - Damaris (Host)

And and again, that goes to, yeah, the external factors, right, like things that you need to be mindful of, your environment that you're in, that's impacting your skin, again, the largest organ. So, um, you know, we have to be mindful of how we treat ourselves and be tender and show love to our skin, because we definitely take it for granted yeah, we certainly do.

32:04 - Nachi (Host)

I love going to see an esthetician about quarterly to get a facial and get that extra care that I don't normally give myself on a daily basis. So that has been part of my routine is making sure to see an esthetician to get a facial every quarter at the very least.

32:29 - Ericka (Host)

Love it. And skincare really does play into this overall thing of self-care, because mind-body connection is also a very real thing. You know your thoughts, your stress, how you're eating, how your body's processing things, how things are going at work and in your family life. Like mind-body connection is so real. So taking that time out to again, it may only be a 40 minute facial, but the mental clarity that comes from that you know. Just having that quiet time, I fall asleep on my esthetician's table all the time, Me too.

32:57 - Nachi (Host)

And look, she has a blanket Every time. A warm blanket.

32:59 - Damaris (Host)

It's nice and cozy and the soothing music. Right, it's an experience, the ambiance, and I also think people take for granted the idea of you said mind, body and soul. But that part about the body, yeah, rest, getting plenty of sleep. Sleep is critical for me. Like I don't do that nonsense of like, oh, I have to, I live off of like five hours, six hours of sleep, no, no.

33:29 - Ericka (Host)

And I take naps if I need to Nap as a hobby.

33:33 - Nachi (Host)

Yes, I like to nap. That's a hobby.

33:36 - Damaris (Host)

No real talk, I mean people need to prioritize their rest because it will be shown on your face, your skin will sag, you will have shadows. I mean all of that, yep. So it's not just about okay, you're putting a great expensive moisturizer on your face because it's irrelevant if everything else internally is not working well or it's not resting.

34:02 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, your body repairs the most while you're sleeping. That's why beauty sleep is actually not a concept, it's a real thing.

34:08 - Damaris (Host)

Right, it is beauty sleep. Yeah, that's perfect. No, no, that's awesome. Is there anything else that you think our listeners should know and consider in this, in their routine of taking care of themselves and and being mindful? I love that. She always says it should be intentional and I think that's great.

34:29 - Ericka (Host)

I think the main thing that I can really say with confidence is that you have to be patient, you know. Skincare is also not something that you always see immediate results from, and I think that's where some people get it wrong. To really know if a product works for you, you really have to use it for 30 to 60 days for you to be like okay, this is or is not for me.

34:48 - Damaris (Host)

I was thinking you were going to say like a week or two.

34:50 - Ericka (Host)

I know right, oh girl.

34:52

No no no no 30 to 60 days 30 to 60 days Because, again, these are chemicals that we're putting on your face and you are literally changing the not just like the chemical makeup of your face, but you're affecting your microbiome and barrier. You're changing the chemical makeup of your face and it takes time for your body to adjust to that. So you really have to give yourself 30 to 60 days and be okay with the process of figuring out what and what does not work for you, Because some people they can put anything on their face, body, hair and everything is all hunky dory Me, not my story, Not my story.

35:27 - Nachi (Host)

What are your thoughts or what can you share, especially for men, because I know, for men, because I know you know, when we talk about skincare it's always referred to women and how it's part of their routine and part of their self-care. But men, a lot of men, are getting into having their own routine, and would it be similar to the way that we kind of approach it?

35:54 - Ericka (Host)

Absolutely. I love that there are. There has been a very big uptake in male owned skincare brands and them having something just for them, and that makes me extremely happy.

36:04

But I think something else that men should do that they don't do is get facials. I just had my husband start getting facials and, like you know, they go and they take off the ingrown hairs and they do all like the light treatments and everything, and they experience the same benefits that we do, because nobody wants a little scruffy, you know, I want you to be smooth too we'll be smooth together, okay, exactly and this is very random, but I think it's so funny how men wash their face, like I feel like when women wash their face, we're just like all up in it.

36:39 - Nachi (Host)

Yeah.

36:40 - Ericka (Host)

Like all the men that I see, wash their. They're so meticulous, like they just like these little small circles everywhere and I'm like it's okay to just get up in there. You know, yeah, they're afraid to touch their face Right Like I might break. But yeah, yeah. But I think it's great that men have routines that work for them and I think it's very important for them to also go through that same maintenance process of again going through a dermatologist, understanding their skin type and using products that work for them and getting facials. I think that's something that men. That's another barrier that we're still trying to break through with the men. They kind of just got into their skincare routines but now it's going the extra mile, and that was very similar.

37:20 - Nachi (Host)

It's like men getting going to get a pedicure right.

37:22 - Damaris (Host)

Yes, please, yeah, you don't have no crusty, dusty hands either yeah, yeah, you don't want talent, you don't want eagle talents, you know right scratch me at night now but I have seen some business owners getting into that as well.

37:38 - Nachi (Host)

Um, giving men facial like that's part of their, their, their service, you know, and taking care. You know now that a lot of men have been growing out their beard. Um using that as part of yes, it's just like giving them the facial and also grooming their, their beard, just kind of giving them the whole experience. And I've seen some videos like online and it just seems like, oh, that's so awesome.

38:03 - Damaris (Host)

I feel good for you.

38:05 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, I love that for that, because it's like, yes, enjoy the serenity we feel when we go in for a facial yes, yeah, and the biggest concern I hear from men are ingrowns and hyperpigmentation so, yeah, I can't imagine that you know it's good that they have something to help them with that, yeah oh, that's so good.

38:24 - Damaris (Host)

That's a great question. I forgot I didn't even think about that we care about the men, but I'm like yeah, I love that because we do have male listeners and so I'm like shout out to all my male listeners, you know who you are, but no, no, this is awesome. I actually I learned some new things. I'm still not going to use sunscreen, but I've learned some new things. So thank you, erica, I really do.

38:50 - Ericka (Host)

I'm going to send you some options. I'm going to send you some options to try, just for fun.

38:54 - Nachi (Host)

You don't have to use them much, but you know just for fun, you like for shit to do.

38:59 - Ericka (Host)

Little PR box. Okay, love it Love it.

39:01 - Nachi (Host)

See if I can convince you.

39:03 - Damaris (Host)

I am open. I am not a closed book, but I know where I stand. No, no, no, we, uh, we really appreciate this. This is a great conversation, and I think this is a nice starting point for people that are trying to really figure out their own skincare routine and understanding that this is very an individual path, right, like this is not.

39:26

This is a journey that is going to always be unique to you, and it's important to understand that part of that is doing this with intention and really understanding yourself, and Nachi and I have talked about this in other episodes, like when it comes to the food that we're ingesting and all of that.

39:44

It's always like keeping track of it, right, because you really need to understand your body and you need to listen to your body, and sometimes that's a scan, like you're internally scanning your body, like what feels off and you start to you know, figure out what those things are when you start to peel back and peel out and and remove certain things and look at what you've been doing. So this is applies to your skincare routine as well, which is all a part of self-care, and we're very big about your overall health, and that includes mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and so and this is the physical aspect of it we need to love and care for our skin. So, before we close out, erica, I would love for you to again let our audience know where they can find you and all your good stuff and hear about, like when you're going to launch Cause I'm excited, so, please, yeah, so, so let us know.

40:42 - Ericka (Host)

Yeah, so we are actually in the fundraising process, so the launch is coming sooner than we may.

40:48

But if you want to keep up with the skincare brand and know about the launch, you can follow us on Instagram at silkenco that's sil silken with two N's, and visit silkencocom to sign up for our wait list. If you want to hear me chat a lot on the podcast, the podcast is at Behind the Silk Pod, where we talk about all things self-care and wellness. And if you're interested in me on social media, you can find me at the Erica Nicole that's Erica with a C and a K, because I'm extra special.

41:13 - Damaris (Host)

Okay, hello.

41:15 - Ericka (Host)

All right now Awesome.

41:18 - Nachi (Host)

Let her be known. Yes, yes. Well, that's really exciting.

41:22 - Damaris (Host)

And I am looking forward to the launch and sending you all kinds of good vibes and you know I expect it to be successful, so I'm excited for you about that.

41:32 - Ericka (Host)

Thank, you so much, you're welcome.

41:33 - Damaris (Host)

To our audience and listeners. We always like to close out the same way. There's a lot of noise out there, but our message is consistent Stop getting distracted by the smoke and mirrors, tune out the noise and focus on your divine purpose in life. Vibrate higher to elevate your frequency and always thank you for listening. So, that said, don't forget to subscribe to our channel and follow us on Instagram, tiktok and Twitter, at. I'm not yelling underscore, and we look forward to talking next time. Bye.