‘The state of my skin is directly linked to my everyday stress levels': skincare advice for a femtech founder
My life is a bit insane. I have two young kids – aged eight and three – so the morning is usually spent getting them up and ready. We have a nanny who comes in to help and we generally split the work – she'll look after one kid, I'll look after the other and we'll each take one to school. When I get back home, I jump into emails. I get 100-200 a day so if I don't start going through them, it becomes very overwhelming.
We have a hybrid work situation at Propelle – mainly we work from home, but we do have regular office days. It's important in terms of building culture and cementing the team. If I'm out and about or going off to the office, I wear sunscreen, a hat with a visor, sunglasses, everything – to protect my face. I never used to bother with sunscreen. I was like, I'm black, why do I need it? But now I know that you absolutely do. Growing up as a black person, that's something we're not told.
I hate makeup, so I only wear it if I'm going out. My skin is dry but produces excess oil, so I might have two hours before I'm shining. I'm not a fan. I don't have time to do my makeup properly. The thing that gets me is that men don't have to wear it. No one treats them any differently, so why should women be treated differently [if they don't wear makeup]?'
Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme
Dr Ejikeme says: 'What Ayesha describes points to dehydrated skin that overcompensates with oil. Many people confuse this for 'oily' skin when, in fact, what's needed is balanced hydration. Adding a product such as Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser with vitamin C and niacinamide to her routine could reduce the appearance of dark spots and help brighten skin while supporting oil-water balance with squalane.'
'Before I founded Propelle my skin was fine, now it's in direct correlation to my stress levels. Nowadays I'm massively focused on my skincare, maybe because I'm older. I hit 40 and I had a bit of a panic attack, thinking I needed to start avoiding wrinkles. I do have quite a regimented routine. I also go to a clinic every month for a facial and a chemical peel. We do the Pico laser. I have an LED mask at home and have 10 minutes of red light every evening, which is supposed to improve the appearance of skin.
Breakouts are my biggest skin concern. When I'm very stressed, my skin doesn't heal properly. I get pimples on my face and even on my chest. Then the breakouts lead to pigmentation and you go through this cycle. At one point I was struggling to manage the breakouts, so I went to the doctor, who asked if I was feeling stressed. I run a fintech startup that is regulated. We take retail money. I am a solo founder. I am fundraising. I said, 'Of course, I'm feeling stressed.'
Dr Ejikeme says: 'Ayesha's described feeling the effects of everyday stress, which can over a long period of time have an impact on the skin. Hormonal changes caused by cortisol can also increase sebum production, exacerbating breakouts. In skin of colour, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) becomes the longer-term challenge, which means that targeting both breakouts and the marks they leave is crucial. Reducing everyday stress would be the primary recommendation though this is easy to say and hard to do.
For the skin, start with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Exfoliating AHA/BHA Toner, and use it a few times a week after cleansing to unclog pores. Follow up with the Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid, which is a powerful antioxidant.'
'I want to be able to look back and say: 'I made a real difference''
'If it's a day that I'm working from home, I'll try to block out set hours. At the moment, I'm in the seed fundraising round so I can spend hours tweaking the model or the pitch deck, outreach to investors, or on investor calls. I'm not so great with lunch, sometimes the day is just back to back.
I pick up my daughters from school and then I might take them swimming – the schedule's different every day. When we get back home, the nanny looks after them while I get back to work. Then l'll be with my kids from 7pm, when the nanny leaves, until their bedtime at about 8.30pm. After dinner, I'm working again from about 9 till midnight. I try to be asleep by 1am, but sometimes I look at my phone and suddenly it's 2am.
I know my sleep is not good. It's something that I need to work on. I've been conditioned to not sleep. After university, I joined a major investment banking firm and I would go into the office at 9am and work till 3am. But now, if I'm not asleep by 1am, it will be noticeable in my skin. In the morning, there will be deeper bags, dark marks, the lines on my face will be more pronounced.
Running a startup requires so much from you. I don't think it's possible to have a balance – I don't think balance exists – but it's about trying to get as close as you can.'
Dr Ejikeme says: 'Sleep deprivation accelerates skin ageing, reduces cellular repair, and impairs collagen synthesis. Poor sleep is also closely linked to under-eye darkening and puffiness. The best remedy is rest but good skincare and improving skin hygiene can help. Ayshea could start with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Eye Cream with vitamin C and caffeine. This is formulated to reduce the appearance of puffiness and make dark circles seem less visible, by using light-diffusing particles to brighten the appearance of skin.'
'Working in banking felt like I'd got a good job, I was super successful to the outside world, I was earning good money, but in the grand scheme of things … I had a tiny handful of clients – where is the impact? Now, with Propelle, when I'm old and grey and on my deathbed, I want to be able to look back and say: 'I did that. I helped all those people. I made a real difference.' Even if people don't necessarily remember me, if Propelle exists beyond me, I did that.'
Dr Ejikeme's summary: 'Ayesha's skin is showing signs of stress-related breakouts common in high-pressure environments, and dehydration. But her dedication to a regular skincare routine, monthly treatments and at-home LED therapy is a great foundation. Adding in targeted hydration, brightening actives such as vitamin C, and barrier-supporting ingredients such as niacinamide, with the Modern Chemistry by Boots range can help even tone, reduce pigmentation and restore balance – supporting her skin to better withstand the demands of her busy lifestyle.'
Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid
AM routine
Cleanse with a gentle gel or foam cleanser
Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Exfoliating AHA/BHA Toner two-three times a week
Apply Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid
Moisturise with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser
Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Eye Cream
Apply a broad-spectrum SPF30-50
Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser
PM routine
Cleanse as above
Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Exfoliating AHA/BHA Toner on alternate days, if needed
Apply Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid
Moisturise with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser
Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Eye Cream
Find the right formula for you: Modern Chemistry by Boots – skincare products with science at their core
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
My keloid scar makes beach outings an ordeal. How can I care less about it?
Hi Ugly, I've had a keloid scar in the middle of my chest since my teen years, when I had acne. (I'm now in my mid-forties.) It started off small, but is now about 5cm long, 1cm high and a few millimeters raised off my skin. It sometimes itches or feels tight and painful, but otherwise is just an unattractive inconvenience. Having said that, it's had a horrible and disproportionate impact on my confidence. Is there any way to reduce the redness or the size, or stop it from growing? Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, what mindset should I take to reduce its importance, so that going to the swimming pool or beach is less of an ordeal? – Scarred for Life Have you been to the beach or the pool, Scarred for Life? I'm not asking if you've seen a beach scene in a movie or a commercial that takes place poolside. Have you been to an actual beach or pool, populated by actual people? Maybe you've been too preoccupied with your scar to notice: almost everybody has a weird body! By 'weird', of course, I mean normal; the hyper-perfection of Hollywood is the real statistical anomaly. A sampling of features I scoped on my own recent beach outing: fat rolls, congenital moles and cellulite. Acne. Assne. Double chins, triple chins, chin hairs glistening in the sunlight. Sagging, wrinkling and/or jiggling skin. Pubic hair stubble. Top surgery scars, caesarean section scars and, yes, keloid scars. And I didn't have to look very hard. Keloids – thick, raised scars that have 'grown outside of the boundaries of the original wound', according Dr Michelle Henry, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York – affect an estimated 10% of the world's population. That's 800 million people, or more than double the US population. 'We see keloids more often in patients of African descent and Asian descent, but really, we see them in everyone,' Henry tells me. They are most likely to form on the chest or back, and indicate a sort of haywire healing response. When skin starts to repair a wound – a pimple, a scrape, a surgical incision – it sends collagen to the site to create scar tissue. 'There are different checks and balances to tell the body when to stop laying down collagen, but with keloids, that goes unchecked,' Henry explains. (I generally try to avoid glorifying youthfulness, but here's a fun fact to assuage some of your insecurity, Scarred: Henry says those prone to keloids may 'age better', cosmetically speaking, due to all that collagen.) These scars can feel itchy, tight and uncomfortable as they grow. Potential treatments include steroid injections, targeted radiation, cryotherapy and Botox to reduce size, as well as laser therapy to reduce redness. 'Sometimes we do excise them,' Henry adds, 'but that's a very careful process, because you can end up with a scar that's bigger than the original keloid.' You can consult a dermatologist to see if any of these options might work for you – but if you're looking for something more low-key to try at home, Henry says silicone gels or patches can help. That said, keloids don't require treatment. They're benign. They don't pose a threat to your physical health, especially on your chest; medical intervention might be recommended if the scar were, say, close to your eye and affecting your vision, or on the back of your knee and affecting your movement. It's your mental health that needs attention right now. My recommendation, besides deriving confidence from within – who you are, what you value and how you treat people? Recalibrate your concept of averageness. Averageness is 'the most important aspect' of one's understanding of beauty, said Dr Neelam Vashi, an associate professor of dermatology at Boston University's medical school, on the Apple News in Conversation podcast. It refers to how closely any given face or body matches that of the average person within their population. 'Our population could be me looking at 1,000 images,' Dr Vashi explained. 'What my brain does is looks at all of them, and then it makes a prototype [of beauty] in my head.' More from Jessica DeFino's Ask Ugly: Sign up to Well Actually Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life after newsletter promotion Why is this column called 'Ask Ugly'? My father had plastic surgery. Now he wants me and my mother to get work done How should I be styling my pubic hair? How do I deal with imperfection? I want to ignore beauty culture. But I'll never get anywhere if I don't look a certain way Thanks to the prevalence of filters, photo-editing technology and AI-generated imagery, people's prototypes now reference digitally altered inputs, said Vashi. This means scarred, middle-aged skin might not fit your brain's idea of attractiveness, or even normality. The good news: brains are malleable! Vashi cited a 2009 study in which researchers squished and stretched the faces of storybook characters and found that, after viewing altered images, children's sense of what was beautiful subtly shifted toward the distortions. So start with some amateur exposure therapy. Go to the beach! Go to the pool! Go to a communal spa or a nude spa (Korean spas, known as jjimjilbangs, are my personal happy place). Notice different bodies, faces, skin types, textures – not to compare, judge or objectify, but to observe. Take it to the virtual realm: follow influencers with keloid scars on Instagram or TikTok. Watch the latest seasons of The Ultimatum: Queer Love and Love Island UK; both feature bikini-clad contestants with visible keloids. This will all help adjust your internal prototype. You say your scar is 'unattractive'. I hope that working through this gets you closer to neutrality. You don't have to find your scar beautiful to be confident. Just realize that your body is like any other: bizarre and inconsistent and specific and alive, and worthy of a nice day at the beach. Do you have a beauty question for Ask Ugly? Submit it anonymously here — and be as detailed as possible, please! Anonymous if you prefer Please be as detailed as possible Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Telegraph
Why football can help teen girls win on and off the pitch
Watching the Lionesses at this summer's Euros, one thing is obvious: the camaraderie. These women have a genuine bond; they're friends who work together towards a common goal. It's inspiring to those of us watching at home. This isn't something that's unique to the England women's team. According to academics, coaches and psychologists, the positive impacts of being part of a football squad and forging friendships with team-mates can boost confidence, resilience and self-esteem in teenage girls, equipping them with tools to handle the turbulence of adolescent life. Research by EE, lead partner of the Home Nations Football Associations, shows that being part of a football network can significantly reduce the negative impact that social media has on teenage girls' self-esteem and confidence – and not just because they can't be on their phone when they're on the pitch. Even the basics – pre-match rituals, singing or chanting, wearing the same kit and travelling together – help to build bonds that create confidence and reduce the feelings of isolation many teen girls can feel, hidden away in their bedrooms. EE has itself just launched EE Squad, an initiative that helps girls build confidence and inner strength through football. 'Being part of a football team creates shared purpose and identity,' says Adam Kelly, professor of sport and exercise at Birmingham City University. 'Girls get a sense of belonging and develop friendships in which they're working towards a common aim. That helps to foster strong bonds, confidence and character.' In a world of impossible beauty standards and a lack of role models, these friendships can be game-changing. Dr Clare Yassin 'There's a big leap between childhood and adolescence in terms of self esteem, which usually drops,' says child clinical psychologist Dr Clare Yassin. 'But if you're in a stable social group that's supported by committed adults, as in team sports, it helps you evaluate your worth differently and silence your inner critic, which is loud during adolescence. Social media is full of messaging about beauty and being thin, whereas in team sports it's more about strength, skill and problem solving, so they're more likely to value a range of qualities in themselves.' The life skills that girls learn together on a team – resolving conflict, coping with setbacks, seeing how others cope with wins and losses, receiving honest feedback from team-mates – can help build emotional resilience and set them up for the future. 'They're less likely to feel ridiculed or rejected when things go wrong, because it's within the safety of a team and a group of people they feel secure within,' says Dr Yassin. 'The mental health trajectory of children who are more resilient is more positive, especially when you look to the future. If they're faced with a challenge, are they going to try to cope alone or reach out to a friend? If you've had positive team experiences at a young age you're much more likely to trust in others and lean on them.' It also helps girls to counter damaging stereotypes around female friendship. 'Those dominant narratives – that teenage girls are catty – are just stories and not truths,' says Dr Yassin. 'Actually, girls can work really well in teams, just like boys, and they need opportunities to collect evidence of that.' Annabel Weber 'Part of football is being with other people,' agrees Annabel Weber, community lead and coach at Bloomsbury Football in London. 'I think that's why football does see so much camaraderie: the sheer number of hours spent together in all weathers and quality social time in a way that you can't often access with the other pressures of life. 'Today's teenagers haven't grown up in a world where they feel that pressure, so giving them something to care about that isn't based on their physical appearance or what other people expect of them [helps to] shut out that constant noise of pressure, standards and expectations.' And while there may be a lack of suitable role models online, it's hard to say the same in football. 'Coaches and senior players can create opportunities for mentorship, and help girls develop leadership qualities themselves,' says Prof Kelly. 'The main thing is to make sure role models are visible. If I'd asked a group of girls a few years ago who their favourite football player was, many of them would have given a male name. Now you get them talking about the women players, and that's because they can see the games on TV, with full crowds and a high level of play. 'It also brings people together from diverse cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. That teaches empathy, respect, co-operation and builds social bridges to help girls develop emotional intelligence.' 'The fun is being there every week and seeing your friends – you don't have to be good to play,' Weber adds. 'At grassroots [level] that's the most important thing.' Claire Cohen is the author of
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
‘The state of my skin is directly linked to my everyday stress levels': skincare advice for a femtech founder
'I'm the founder and CEO of Propelle and our mission is to financially empower women – helping them to become more confident with their money and investing. Typically women don't invest at anywhere near the levels they should. One of the primary drivers is lack of confidence, so the purpose of the platform is to help women overcome that. Everything we do is about getting women to take action. My life is a bit insane. I have two young kids – aged eight and three – so the morning is usually spent getting them up and ready. We have a nanny who comes in to help and we generally split the work – she'll look after one kid, I'll look after the other and we'll each take one to school. When I get back home, I jump into emails. I get 100-200 a day so if I don't start going through them, it becomes very overwhelming. We have a hybrid work situation at Propelle – mainly we work from home, but we do have regular office days. It's important in terms of building culture and cementing the team. If I'm out and about or going off to the office, I wear sunscreen, a hat with a visor, sunglasses, everything – to protect my face. I never used to bother with sunscreen. I was like, I'm black, why do I need it? But now I know that you absolutely do. Growing up as a black person, that's something we're not told. I hate makeup, so I only wear it if I'm going out. My skin is dry but produces excess oil, so I might have two hours before I'm shining. I'm not a fan. I don't have time to do my makeup properly. The thing that gets me is that men don't have to wear it. No one treats them any differently, so why should women be treated differently [if they don't wear makeup]?' Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme Dr Ejikeme says: 'What Ayesha describes points to dehydrated skin that overcompensates with oil. Many people confuse this for 'oily' skin when, in fact, what's needed is balanced hydration. Adding a product such as Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser with vitamin C and niacinamide to her routine could reduce the appearance of dark spots and help brighten skin while supporting oil-water balance with squalane.' 'Before I founded Propelle my skin was fine, now it's in direct correlation to my stress levels. Nowadays I'm massively focused on my skincare, maybe because I'm older. I hit 40 and I had a bit of a panic attack, thinking I needed to start avoiding wrinkles. I do have quite a regimented routine. I also go to a clinic every month for a facial and a chemical peel. We do the Pico laser. I have an LED mask at home and have 10 minutes of red light every evening, which is supposed to improve the appearance of skin. Breakouts are my biggest skin concern. When I'm very stressed, my skin doesn't heal properly. I get pimples on my face and even on my chest. Then the breakouts lead to pigmentation and you go through this cycle. At one point I was struggling to manage the breakouts, so I went to the doctor, who asked if I was feeling stressed. I run a fintech startup that is regulated. We take retail money. I am a solo founder. I am fundraising. I said, 'Of course, I'm feeling stressed.' Dr Ejikeme says: 'Ayesha's described feeling the effects of everyday stress, which can over a long period of time have an impact on the skin. Hormonal changes caused by cortisol can also increase sebum production, exacerbating breakouts. In skin of colour, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) becomes the longer-term challenge, which means that targeting both breakouts and the marks they leave is crucial. Reducing everyday stress would be the primary recommendation though this is easy to say and hard to do. For the skin, start with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Exfoliating AHA/BHA Toner, and use it a few times a week after cleansing to unclog pores. Follow up with the Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid, which is a powerful antioxidant.' 'I want to be able to look back and say: 'I made a real difference'' 'If it's a day that I'm working from home, I'll try to block out set hours. At the moment, I'm in the seed fundraising round so I can spend hours tweaking the model or the pitch deck, outreach to investors, or on investor calls. I'm not so great with lunch, sometimes the day is just back to back. I pick up my daughters from school and then I might take them swimming – the schedule's different every day. When we get back home, the nanny looks after them while I get back to work. Then l'll be with my kids from 7pm, when the nanny leaves, until their bedtime at about 8.30pm. After dinner, I'm working again from about 9 till midnight. I try to be asleep by 1am, but sometimes I look at my phone and suddenly it's 2am. I know my sleep is not good. It's something that I need to work on. I've been conditioned to not sleep. After university, I joined a major investment banking firm and I would go into the office at 9am and work till 3am. But now, if I'm not asleep by 1am, it will be noticeable in my skin. In the morning, there will be deeper bags, dark marks, the lines on my face will be more pronounced. Running a startup requires so much from you. I don't think it's possible to have a balance – I don't think balance exists – but it's about trying to get as close as you can.' Dr Ejikeme says: 'Sleep deprivation accelerates skin ageing, reduces cellular repair, and impairs collagen synthesis. Poor sleep is also closely linked to under-eye darkening and puffiness. The best remedy is rest but good skincare and improving skin hygiene can help. Ayshea could start with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Eye Cream with vitamin C and caffeine. This is formulated to reduce the appearance of puffiness and make dark circles seem less visible, by using light-diffusing particles to brighten the appearance of skin.' 'Working in banking felt like I'd got a good job, I was super successful to the outside world, I was earning good money, but in the grand scheme of things … I had a tiny handful of clients – where is the impact? Now, with Propelle, when I'm old and grey and on my deathbed, I want to be able to look back and say: 'I did that. I helped all those people. I made a real difference.' Even if people don't necessarily remember me, if Propelle exists beyond me, I did that.' Dr Ejikeme's summary: 'Ayesha's skin is showing signs of stress-related breakouts common in high-pressure environments, and dehydration. But her dedication to a regular skincare routine, monthly treatments and at-home LED therapy is a great foundation. Adding in targeted hydration, brightening actives such as vitamin C, and barrier-supporting ingredients such as niacinamide, with the Modern Chemistry by Boots range can help even tone, reduce pigmentation and restore balance – supporting her skin to better withstand the demands of her busy lifestyle.' Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid AM routine Cleanse with a gentle gel or foam cleanser Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Exfoliating AHA/BHA Toner two-three times a week Apply Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid Moisturise with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Eye Cream Apply a broad-spectrum SPF30-50 Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser PM routine Cleanse as above Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Exfoliating AHA/BHA Toner on alternate days, if needed Apply Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow 10% Vitamin C Serum With Ferulic Acid Moisturise with Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Moisturiser Use Modern Chemistry by Boots Glow Brightening Eye Cream Find the right formula for you: Modern Chemistry by Boots – skincare products with science at their core
