That’s Not What Your Face Is Saying: Take Care Of Your Skin From Within
Sylvia Brownlee, CEO of Skin by Brownlee & Co., has been an esthetician for 29 years, helping women transform their skin from the inside out. For the past decade, she has been building and scaling Skin by Brownlee & Co., which offers skincare services, products specializing in the prevention and treatment of acne and hyperpigmentation, and tools.
As a self-funded Cincinnati, Ohio, based founder, Brownlee values positioning herself to learn, innovate, and form a community. She's also learned a thing or three about how to grow a business from the ground up. That is why she has recently begun to lean into sharing her expertise with aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs. Most recently, she took the stage at REVOLT WORLD, a conference for aspiring moguls to learn, network, and ultimately help them develop and hone the crucial skills needed to grow their careers in many desirable industries.
Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Brownlee has formed strategic partnerships, which have landed Skin by Brownlee & Co. products on the shelves of Target, Kroger, and more. Now, she has opened the doors to her brick-and-mortar storefront.
Forbes spoke with Brownlee to learn more about how she built her business and how women can build their confidence by taking care of themselves and their skin when they show up at work, in business, and in life.
From the Ground UpLydia T. Blanco: Why is it important to always be learning and have someone you can look to for expertise?
Sylvia Brownlee: If you're trying to grow, scale, and evolve, you must always be around someone who is doing better than you and understands different avenues. At REVOLT WORLD, I spoke about the importance of having a mentor and people you can talk to who understand what it takes to get you to the next level.
You don't know what you don't know.
Blanco: Skin by Brownlee & Co. is self-funded. In year 10 of being in business, why are you still invested the way you are?
Brownlee: When I started the business, I said, 'This has to work, so there's no other option for me.' I don't think about what else I could do. I put everything I have into the brand. I'm always trying to figure out how I can make it better, what clients want, and how can I give them more.
My focus is on having the customer at the forefront.
Wellness Is An Inside JobBlanco: How can women care for themselves and their skin from the inside out?
Brownlee: It starts with what you're putting in your body. Other factors include how much stress you're dealing with and exercise.
Work out. Get out and move your body for 30 minutes a day. You don't have to work out intensely, but it's a helpful way to relieve stress and push toxins out of the body.
Drink water.
Sit in the sauna and meditate. We need to realize how much stress impacts our skin, hair, and body.
If you aren't paying close attention to what you're putting in your body, you're not going to get the results you want to see on the outside.
Blanco: Some people are not knowledgeable about proper skincare routines. Can you give us the steps for those learning about them and those on the go?
Brownlee: Many people only have a little time in the mornings. Here's what you should be doing. Cleanse, moisturize, and apply sunscreen. I'll say sunscreen again because a lot of Black women think we don't need it because we naturally have melanin in our skin. But that doesn't protect us against skin cancer.
In the evening, double cleanse and moisturize your skin. If you want to take it a step further, be proactive instead of reactive. In the mornings, use vitamin C serum. It's an antioxidant and brightener. In the evenings, use retinol for anti-aging, which helps fight against fine lines and smoothing out your texture. And layer your skincare products from lightest to heaviest, and then your sunscreen.
Say It With Your FaceBlanco: I'm considering facial expressions, how we communicate with body language, and showing up. Often, there's this reality that our faces are not saying what we mean. Or, how we truly feel. Hence, that's not what your face is saying. How can we get our face to say what our heart means in business and life?
Brownlee: It's a whole lifestyle. It's not just about putting on products. It's about how you show up confidently and what and how you deal with matters in life. All of that plays a huge role in how you look.
During treatment services, women often tell me that they're breaking out suddenly. When I start asking them about their lives, they look at me like they're wondering what that has to do with anything. What I've learned through their stories is that you can pinpoint some of their skin challenges to significant moments in their lives.
Some clients have shared that their divorce, break up, suffering the loss of a child, or the passing of a parent has impacted their health. All that plays a huge role in our skin. People don't often make those connections.
I have to dive deep into people's lives to understand what they're going through. It's about more than what products I can sell them. I'm trying to understand their life to help them handle their stress.
Prioritize WellbeingBlanco: Statistically speaking, many business owners don't make it past the two-year mark . You've made it to 10. How do you take care of yourself as you take care of business?
Brownlee: I just started therapy. I recently celebrated my birthday. I turned 47. My gift to myself was therapy . I want to be a better me, wife, mother, friend, sister, esthetician, and CEO.
I know I can't do any of this if I don't show up as my best self.
One thing my therapist asked me was, "What does Sylvia need?" I couldn't answer that right away. I said, 'I have to think about that, because that's super important for me to know what I need to be successful in everything else that I do.' So, I'm working on myself for my new year. That is what self-care is for me at 47.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
