Brooke Westmoreland

As a young girl, growing up in my grandparent’s home, I fantasized about living on an island in Hawaii or the Philippines. A place that would keep me safe from all of the world's chaos and my own. Finding a spot on our planet with impossibly low crime rates, no hatred, and ‘normal’ families became an obsession. I idealized families with mothers and fathers, families where the children would always be cared for by the people who brought them into the world. There was a certain aspect about ‘normal’ families that was so beautiful, and yet so out of reach. By the time I reached high school, I knew this dream was just a fantasy. The Philippines was further away than I realized and cost more than a teenage girl could afford. Hawaiis’ native people on the other hand did not seem to want any more tourists. I gave up on the islands but not the idea of a place full of serenity. It was then that I decided if I couldn’t find a safe space, I'd just have to create one.

It was only right to start with my room, turning it into a paradise. Looking back, that was my first attempt at self-care after COVID The virus had taken so much from so many; their mental health; their money; and their time. I was separated from my school and classmates just as I was supposed to enter high school. After the pandemic’s peak, I joined my sophomore year. At Warren, I found myself longing for a place to belong, during the next couple of years I connected with the students and teachers. sophomore year made me realize that the feeling of security didn’t have to come from a place, it could be found in people and communities. Creating connections and discovering similarities with people brought on a feeling of euphoria.

I knew then that I had to join a career that would help people, connect to my love for skin-care, and give others that security. I began to get more involved with school events so I could build my social skills. Along my journey, one thing became very apparent: I lacked confidence, which in turn affected my communication. During sophomore year I experienced a bad case of maskne (mask acne). It brought back that feeling of insecurity, and I felt compromised. Months of research, prayer, trial, and error gave me a routine that worked just for me. Once I began to see results, I felt safe again. The results weren’t my only satisfaction; the journey; consistency; and determination were a big part of my accomplishment. Afterward, I began to look around and see exactly how many people not only suffered from lack of social skills but acne as well. How the two, more than often interlinked, made me want to help those who struggled with acne so they could regain their confidence. That’s when the three most important things in my life came together. And my calling as a skin-care specialist, aesthetic nurse, and esthetician became my future. I want to help others with their internal and external confidence, to find that ‘safe place’ within, and to experience self-love through skin-care.