Loving The Skin You're In, Part II

Making peace

If you’re new here, Hi Friends! I’m Cyia, mother, teacher of mindset & meditation, interior stylist, former actor & dancer, curiosity chaser, and resource queen. I started LIFESTYLER as a gathering spot for all the topics that lend themselves to a life lived whole. No gatekeeping here; ask me anything.

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NOTE: this is Part II. If you’d like to read Part I, you can find it here.

My severe childhood eczema miraculously went away when I was 14, and I managed to get through my teenage years with near-perfect skin. I was spared the dreaded teen acne, and if you ask me, my 14/15/16-year-old self deserved that respite after a childhood of endless skin struggle. 

As an adult, eczema reappeared under times of extreme stress: navigating a divorce from an abusive husband, dealing with an unexpected career transition, or recovering from a devastating loss. (Hello, mind/body connection.) Its visits were less frequent, but its impact etched deeply into my psyche: every blemish was a trigger, every itch, anxiety-producing, every new wrinkle, a sign that I wasn’t worthy. Trauma sunk its claws in so deep that I became obsessed with skin, and if mine wasn’t perfect, the shame I felt was unbearable. Yet, I couldn't, for the life of me, improve mine. I was stuck in an endless cycle of frustration. 

Until, on a random morning like any other, I hit a breaking point.