Glo Body's Story
Hustle culture and hyper-independence ruined my skin.
Before you write me off as being dramatic, let me explain. Working non-stop on my medical device startup didn’t leave much room for health and wellness. I spent years of my life deeply concerned with taking care of my customers’ health, but I neglected my health so badly that my skin broke out in angry welts and patches of eczema.
The irony of suffering from ailing health while serving as the founder and CEO of a health tech startup is not lost on me.
Suffering in silence and neglecting our health is worn like a badge of honor in workplace cultures. It’s almost like the greater your pain the greater the promotion. ‘I only sleep for 5 hours every night’; ‘I’m always on my email---you can reach me whenever’, ‘I never take vacation days’. Sound familiar?
For those of us prone to dry skin and the skin conditions associated with it, stress is one of our biggest agitators. Science backs this up. Eczema appears 2.5 times more in people who report high levels of stress as opposed to people who report low levels of stress. 1
Studies also show that work overload, financial stress, family issues, and unforeseen events can trigger skin inflammation.2
When I finally took myself to a dermatologist, she prescribed me gnarly topical steroids that reeked and made me anxious about the harsh side effects. Not to mention, they looked so medicinal. I mean, I know that they were medicine, but I’m a girly girl and I like nice packaging. They stuck out like a sore thumb on my sink counter next to my thoughtfully packaged skincare jars and makeup. I hated feeling sick and those clinical-looking containers reminded me every day that my skin wasn’t healthy. Wasn’t normal.
If you are like me, you’ve tried everything to reduce your skin inflammation. What ended up working best for me was a combination of chilling out, using scent therapy to relax my mind, and slathering my body with natural oils to repair my skin barrier.
That’s what Glo Body is all about. Giving you the space to treat yourself to nourish your skin and minimize your stress.
It’s my mission to acknowledge everyone who has ever tried to hide their skin in shame because of an inflammation flare-up. I see you and you are not alone. You can have healthy skin again, and you can have fun on your skincare journey.
It’s time to Glo!
Sincerely,
Courtney
Founder & CEO, Glo Body
1Japundžić, I., Lugović-Mihić, L., Košćec Bjelajac, A., Macan, J., Novak-Hlebar, I., Buljan, M., ... & Kuna, M. (2023). Psychological stress and hand eczema in physicians and dentists: a comparison based on surgical work. Behavioral Sciences, 13(5), 379.
2Lönndahl, L., Abdelhadi, S., Holst, M., Lonne-Rahm, S. B., Nordlind, K., & Johansson, B. (2023). Psychological stress and atopic dermatitis: A Focus group study. Annals of dermatology, 35(5), 342.