This year has proven that even breaks from make-up aren't a cure for all skin concerns. Quarantine has brought about a new pesky trend, called maskne, acne around the face due to mask-wearing for hours daily. There is a myriad of things to consider as to how your maskne might be present - your quarantine diet, stress, and skincare routine. But what you should think about most is the amount of time you're wearing a mask, and if that material of the mask is causing you breakouts.
A month after social distancing restrictions were put in place, I was ready to work out in the park again and I decided to get four miles in on the track near my home daily. While it felt great to get outside and have the sun hit my face, my skin repeatedly broke out due to wearing a mask as I'd often find myself passing runners, families, etc during my workout.
I tried so many things to eliminate the acne, switching up my cleanser, diet, detox, and nothing worked as well as my latest toy - a steamer.
Why I decided to purchase the steamer:
Prior to COVID-19, I swam and went to the sauna weekly and my skin never looked better. My weekly sauna trips opened my pores and my skin had the perfect glow, even in the coldest days of winter. With the gyms closing, I wanted to get creative and have a similar steaming experience that was safe (I tried putting my head into a pot on the stove, it's doable but a struggle - get the steamer, sis) and affordable. There are many sites that sell steamers, here's the one I purchased.
What to do before you steam?
Remove all the makeup/moisturizer off of your face, and as simple as it sounds, enjoy the experience. When I steam, I attempt to recreate the same experience as the sauna. I even purchased a bath head wrap and towel to make me feel like I'm somewhere else.
How long do I steam for?
The instructions stated that I should steam for 10 minutes, so I took the steamer into my room and set a timer. I tried standing in my bathroom for ten minutes and it made the process less enjoyable. Being able to relax on my bed made me feel excited about the experience, and enjoy myself.
How does my skin feel after?
While I didn't initially see the difference, two days later, a pimple I had that was extremely painful disappeared, and the scar was much lighter when it left in comparison to the acne scars that have been left on my face following a pimple. Additionally, I slept better following the steam, and the skin on my face and neck appeared clearer the next day.
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"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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