editor’s note: you are your own healing tool — kristen jeré
“for too long the language around revitalization has often made a lot of us look to products and other expensive self-care “tools” as the guiding foundation of our healing journeys”
my skincare routine has been a foundational way that i’ve practiced self-care over the past few years. a product of the millennial “self-care” generation, who consumes content around skin care almost daily, while also holding reminiscent memories of early, adolescent skin care routines like using lip smacker lip balm, to what was the equivalent to the lush bath bomb phase in my later adolescence, i don’t think that there’s ever been a time when skin care wasn’t a huge part of my Black girlhood, and now, my Black womanhood.
i often think of the ways physical aspects of care like skin routines and even making and eating yummy food often impact and shape the other ways that i seek nourishment and healing, from going to therapy to learning how to ask for help.
and though these skin-care based rituals can be super fun and inspiring, i have been thinking lately about the ways we are sometimes overly dependent on having certain objects to move forward with our healing. for too long the language around revitalization has often made a lot of us look to products and other expensive self-care “tools” as the guiding foundation of our healing journeys. too often, we depend on objects as the key sources that are able to make or break our access into new phases in our lives.
for Black women, this can often mean that we put off important healing work until we are able to buy certain products, some of which are often outside of our budgets or even just the scope of what we internally know that we need to pay for certain goods that promise a more even skin tone, less acne, or the disappearance of stretch marks.
think about the jade crystal facial tools or even an expensive dark spot eraser. for me, beyond being upsold on these tools, i often find myself trying products that don’t do what they say they will, and i’m left feeling disappointed, disheartened, and at a loss for funds that i could have used to nourish me in other ways. i think the upselling of products can also expand to more spiritual tools we might be engaged with like expensive journaling materials or teas that promise to help us align our chakras.
in the inaugural issue of twenty nine thirty our founder, brianne patrice, is asking “how are you revitalizing?” on that note around what we use to revitalize, i want to add that revitalization is not linear. those of us with cycles are probably familiar with getting into the routine of a beautiful skin-care regimen just for our faces to break out again during hormonal cycle changes or other inevitabilities. but all is not lost.
what we build in one phase will undoubtedly help us in the next, even when change seems overwhelming and progress feels stagnant. on a note of revitalization, i want us to ask ourselves how we continue healing when we face set-backs. i’m not suggesting we forgo skin care, for mine, is a harm reduction and affirming approach. instead, i encourage you to find holistic ways of caring for yourself that are friendly to your budget, the physical space in your home that you have to store these items, and the physical space in your mind and heart that you have to work through some of your most spirit led healing work.
we recently, on the 16th, had a full moon in Libra. for a lot of us, we will be navigating balance in different phases in our lives. think about what it is that you’re holding onto that you might be wanting to let go of to make more room for what better serves you, room for what gives you that feeling of an excited “Yes!”. we are also moving into Taurus season on april 20th, so aspects like self-care, nourishment, and joy in the beauty of all things will become key aspects of what we seek to add into our daily lives.
in my doula practice, one of my mentors was telling me and some of my colleagues how we are “our own magic tool”. for this moon cycle, i encourage you to step into your internal, sovereign self-healer and realize that you are your own healing tool.
below are some “items” in my self-care toolbox. take note that i am using what i already have available, and encourage you to do the same. i am tapping into my inner tween/adolescent phase of homemade sugar scrubs and avocado face masks. i am tapping into the 11 year old version of myself who knew that journaling with her favorite gel pen and a good cry on her best friend's shoulder were the most amazing healing tools that i had.
i am also noting that some healing tools are internal and not attached to having certain objects. i encourage you to use those tools too. i encourage you to use those tools the most.
in friendship,
kristen
in my self-care tool box this moon cycle:
rhodonite: a beautiful, pink and charcoal-black colored stone that resonates with the heart chakra (which rules libra!) rhodonite is often used to inspire balance in all matters of the heart, forgiveness of self and others, and a the creation of a deep well of self-love
static hold, heart opening yoga postures: heart openers allow you to physically open up space between your shoulders which can resonate on the spiritual level, thus “opening your heart”. i really love a good upward facing dog for this or a low crescent lunge. this video (and yogi!) has a really yummy heart opening sequence.
turmeric: i love, love the way turmeric feels on my skin. with a little tea tree oil and honey, it’s absolutely one of my favorite homemade masks. it has a bit of a tingle as the turmeric works to detox your skin. bonus points for if you’re able to use turmeric in nourishing meals like soups and smoothies!
power(ful) naps: also known as “power naps”, what i’m calling powerful naps are short, 10-20 minute periods of rest, either spent sleeping or just with eyes closed gently while lying down, that i find easily fit into my daily schedule and help me build my energy for the tasks that are most exciting and important to me.
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BY KRISTEN JERÉ
(SHE/HER)
social:
@blackfeministnobody
kristen jeré is a multi-disciplinary writer based in chicago. she has worked in local newsrooms and artistic/social justice non-profit spaces across the city. her interests revolve around womb healing, reproductive justice for biopic folks, and Black feminist theory. to manifest her passions, kristen is currently working towards a career as a sexuality writer and doula with a focus in herbalism.