If you don't believe in magic, just take one look at the skin on director, actress, and 47-year-old badass Tracee Ellis Ross, and I'm sure you'll change your mind. The popular saying "black don't crack" takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to Tracee, who takes after her mother in terms of unapologetic beauty and style, and the Black-ish actress hasn't been shy about sharing her skincare secrets. After recently going barefaced on the gram, she has us all wondering how to secure the skincare routine, but according to Tracee, beauty isn't about how you look, it's about how you feel. She told The New Potato:
"I think something is beautiful when it has an expression of truth. I see 'pretty' as something different; "pretty" has to do with physicality to me, and 'beauty' has to do with a feeling."
Although beauty is only skin deep, we're still going to need you to run us the details on your skincare system, sis. In the past, along with a lengthy list of both high-end and budget-friendly products that will keep your skin on 10 at all times, Tracee has also dropped a few tips on how to keep your skin looking like you just hopped out of a whole fountain of youth.
Oil-Absorbing Sheets
The best part about buying a new lipstick that's way out of your budget is knowing that you won't have to reapply every time you talk, chew, or drink. Tracee has the remedy to your blotchy lip-wear woes with oil-absorbing blotting papers that will keep your lips smooth and pigmented until the sun goes down.
Use A Facial Massager & Depuffer
Last year, jade rollers became a trending topic in the beauty world, but judging by this Instagram post by Tracee Ellis Ross, she's not new to this innovative beauty tool sh*t. She's true to it. Mastering the art of a facial depuffer and massager at the same damn time, Tracee reminds us that you can always teach your dry old skin some rejuvenating new tricks.
Full Body Mask
Your face isn't the only part of your body that deserves some attention during your skincare routine, and a full body mask may be the key to getting that dry epidermis all the way together. This may be an ideal method for women who batlle with acne, dry skin, and inflammation, and although these treatments are usually done at home, you can also snag a few dope DIY recipes for full body masks on Pinterest.
Morning Hydration
Please know that just because a very hot (and possibly humid) dry summer is right around the corner, you are not relieved of your skincare duties. One way Tracee keeps her youthful glow is by incorporating an effective moisturizer into her facial care system. For optimal results, be like Tracee. Don't be afraid to get a lil' rough wit it.
Click through the slideshow below to check out the additional products Tracee swears by:
Featured image by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
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Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables. And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
valentinrussanov/Getty Images
How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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