Cleansing can leave you feeling a bit well cleansed – stripped. If you’ve got dry skin like me, moisturiser is a must. I’ve looked on with a cocktail of annoyance, arrogance and amusement as the beauty industry has ‘discovered’, like how Columbus discovered Trinidad, cocoa butter, shea butter and argan oil.
I’ve been using organic, pure cocoa butter since my teens thanks to relatives in ‘de country’. I was introduced to shea over 20 years ago by my mother-in-law. I mix it with oil (the latest discovery) to make it spreadable at room temperature. Previously, I used baby oil before I knew that mineral oil just sits on the skin. Now, I simply mix a bit of 100% organic, extra virgin olive oil (which you can pick up from the grocery) with some 100% pure organic shea butter, supplied by aforementioned mother-in-law or other Ghana connected person. I know my sisters-in-law do a concoction including, at least, the oils of castor, almond and coconut. But steady supply of these can be a challenge in the wilderness.
Every so often, I, like any lady, can get drawn in by shiny bottles and wild claims. But I am getting more armoured against that sort of thing.
Similarly, my soul can feel dry if I don’t constantly mositurise it. One of my favourite descriptions of Spirit is the ‘balm of Gilead’.
Some days a few minutes of meditation and a blast of Mandisa and I’m good to go. Other times, I seek out a Bible verse or four and marinade in it for up to an hour. Then for the really tricky challenges, there’s nothing quite like a novena, 9 hours or 9 days of praying for a specific breakthrough.
Like my skin, I’ve realized I have to moisturize my soul every day and some days, more than once.
Should you moisturize your body and soul more often?
I too look at the ads and chemist shelves and smile at the wonderful new”discoveries” that we’ve known and used for so long on our physical bodies and can’t help smiling to myself. And I know the value and power of a no vena in my spiritual life. Our grannies knew best in both situations.