This week's #SkinImInSunday features Tiwalola Ogunlesi, a self-love activist, confidence coach, and the inspirational speaker behind Confident & Killing It, an initiative that is designed to wake young women up to their true worth so that they can overcome the fear and insecurities that often hold them back from the life they truly desire. This week, Tiwalola opens up about her struggles with her skin, and how she has worked to overcome her skin-related insecurities. Read her story below:
My journey with my skin has been a rollercoaster for sure. You know the saying: 'you always want what you don't have?' Well that was me and clear skin. I can't remember how many times I asked God why he didn't make me one of those girls who were born with flawless skin. Like whyyyy?? At 16, I found out I had PCOS and one of the symptoms is cystic acne. So no matter how much water I drank, or how much I minded my own business, I ALWAYS had a spot on my face at any given time. It definitely affected my self-esteem. I would cross the road if I saw someone I knew when I wasn't wearing makeup, or at sleepovers I would wake up early to just put on a bit of powder before everyone else woke up. Sigh.
My self-love journey is what saved me. At 21, I decided that my worth wasn't based on my appearance. I matter simply because I exist. The gifts and light I have to bring to the world are more important than the spots on my face. The same goes for you. Every morning I would wake up and look in the mirror and say Tiwa - I love you. Every morning I did that. Even when I had tears in my eyes because I felt so ugly I still said it. I also learnt not to compare myself to other people. We always compare the worst of us to the best of other people and it makes no sense. Now, I'm 27 and safe to say spots or no spots, I love who I am. There's more to me than my pores and I know when people see me they'll see the love and joy I radiate, rather than debate over the state of my skin.
