Why is Self-Love So Hard for Women?

Why is self-love so hard? Read the full post at http://www.holisticallyhaute.com/2016/07/self-love-interview-andrea-ellsworth.html

Why is it easier to compliment and say kind things to a stranger, but not to ourselves? Why is it hard to take a compliment from a stranger without downgrading ourselves in some way in the process? Is this familiar to you?

"You have really beautiful skin."

"Thanks! It's this new makeup I just bought."

"That's a stunning picture of you." 

"Oh I can't take credit--the photographer did a beautiful job."

Self-love is hard. It's a concept nearly as hard to grasp as alternate universes or a female god. But if you're trying to heal your skin--or your physical body in some way, it's where you have to start. It wasn't until I was able to love and accept myself for who I was, no matter what I looked like, that I was guided to make right decisions for my skin and health that ultimately gave me the physical and emotional results I craved.

My guest today is Andrea Ellsworth, of Andrea Ashley Co. 

This is part 1 of our interview. Andrea is a lot like me in many ways. She's an aesthetician who was perplexed by the fact that though aestheticians are trusted to help women achieve the skin they want so they can feel how they want, they receive very little brand-neutral training on how to do that. Andrea shares my frustration with the skincare industry, that its main approach is so "either or." Meaning you either have acne OR sensitive skin. Dry skin OR mature skin. So your skin gets treated one way, even if you have other issues present, and without questioning what the potential source of those issues are.

Andrea and I also share the same philosophy that skincare should be customized to each individual person's needs, and that ultimately, using skincare products isn't about clearing up acne or getting some other desired result. It's about helping women feel the way they want (and deserve!) to feel about themselves. In our interview, we certainly talk about custom skincare, and why we feel it's so closely linked to ultimate self-care and self-love. Andrea is also an aromatherapist, and Part 2 will focus more on essential oils and aromatherapy as a holistic skincare philosophy--but Part 1 focuses on custom skincare, but also the bigger issues of women's empowerment and self-love--and how we can make these things easier and more accessible for women.

About Andrea Ellsworth:

Andrea Ellsworth has an educational background in advanced skincare, organic skincare science, clinical aromatherapy, and has over 10 years experience in the holistic health and spa industry.  Andrea has brought together her many passions to create Andrea Ashley Co, a holistic aromatherapy and custom skincare company.

Andrea prides herself on providing pure, quality essential oils and creating truly custom, one-of-a-kind products based specifically on each of her clients' individual needs. A big part of her focus is curating an online shop where consumers can rely on safe, honest information, better understand what is going on their skin, and how to properly use essential oils for overall well-being.

Andrea Ashley Co offers custom made skincare, and aromatherapy supplies, as well as raw ingredients for the D.I.Y'ers that are not only kind to the environment, kind to animals, and kind to our skin and bodies; but that also inspire women to be kind to themselves and to each other.

Check out all of Andrea's resources, online shop, and inspirational online magazine, Andrea Ashley, which focuses on holistic skincare, self-care and self-love at www.andreaashley.ca. 

Don't miss Part 2! Subscribe for free email updates at www.holisticallyhaute.com/get-free-updates/ so it arrives in your inbox as soon as it's published.