Nik's Favorite Skincare & Spiritual Health Tips: 9 Years of Wisdom 🔮✨

The real secrets to glowing from the inside out

Listen, bew. After nine years of running Black Sauce, traveling the world sourcing ingredients, and working as a licensed esthetician, I've learned A LOT about what actually WORKS for our skin and our spirits.

And honestly? Most of what the beauty industry tells you is bullshit. 💅🏾

You don't need a 10-step Korean skincare routine. You don't need $200 serums. You don't need to bleach, straighten, or "fix" anything about yourself.

What you need is intention, consistency, and products that actually respect your melanin.

So today I'm pulling back the curtain and sharing my personal favorite tips - the ones I swear by, the ones I tell my friends, the ones that ACTUALLY work.

Let's get into it.

SKINCARE TIPS (The Real Deal)

TIP #1: Less Is More (Seriously)

The Problem: Y'all are doing TOO MUCH. Cleansers, toners, essences, serums, moisturizers, oils, SPF, night creams... your skin is EXHAUSTED.

The Solution: Simplify. I'm talking 3-4 products MAX:

1. Cleanser (gentle, pH-balanced)

2. Oil or Serum (for treatment)

3. Moisturizer (to seal)

4. SPF (daytime only)

That's IT, bew.

My Routine:

• Morning: Splash of water → Black Sauce oil → SPF (if leaving the house)

• Night: Skin Porridge cleanser → Black Sauce oil → Body butter on dry spots

Why this works: Your skin has a natural barrier. When you over-strip and over-apply, you confuse it. Keep it simple and let your skin BREATHE.

TIP #2: Oil Is Not the Enemy (It's Your Best Friend)

The Myth: "Oil will make me break out!"

The Truth: The RIGHT oils will actually BALANCE your skin's oil production. Even if you're oily!

Here's the tea: When you strip your skin with harsh cleansers and skip oils, your skin PANICS and produces MORE oil to compensate.

The Solution: Use lightweight, non-comedogenic oils like:

• Jojoba oil (mimics your skin's natural sebum)

• Grapeseed oil (lightweight, fast-absorbing)

• Rosehip oil (packed with vitamin C)

• Argan oil (everything oil)

All of Black Sauce's hair & body oils use a base blend of these raw oils for exactly this reason.

How to use: Apply to DAMP skin (right after shower while you're still moist). Pat in, don't rub. Let it absorb for 2-3 minutes, then seal with butter or moisturizer if needed.

Game changer for: Dry skin, oily skin, combo skin, literally everyone.

TIP #3: Exfoliate, But Make It Gentle

The Problem: Y'all are scrubbing like you're trying to remove paint. Apricot scrubs with jagged edges. St. Ives wrecking your moisture barrier. STOP.

The Solution: Exfoliate 1-2x per week with:

• Sugar scrubs (natural, dissolves as you use it, gentle)

• Oatmeal (anti-inflammatory, perfect for sensitive skin)

• Chemical exfoliants (AHAs like lactic acid for melanated skin - gentle and effective)

What I use: Cabin Fever Body Scrub (natural cane sugar + raw oils) once a week. For my face? A gentle lactic acid serum 2x/week. Plus my yummy Skin Porridge Gentle Facial Cleanser

Why this works: You're removing dead skin WITHOUT damaging the healthy skin underneath. Your glow comes from healthy skin, not scrubbed-raw skin.

TIP #4: Your Skin Reflects Your Gut

Real talk: If your gut is a mess, your skin will be a mess.

The connection:

• Inflammation in your gut = inflammation on your skin

• Poor digestion = breakouts, dullness, irritation

• Imbalanced gut bacteria = eczema, acne, rosacea

What actually helps:

• Probiotics (fermented foods or supplements)

• Hydration (half your body weight in ounces of water daily)

• Fiber (helps eliminate toxins)

• Reducing sugar and dairy (both inflammatory for most people)

My personal practice:

• I drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning (gets digestion going)

• I take a probiotic daily

• I eat fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir)

• I limit dairy (it breaks me out INSTANTLY)

Why this matters: You can put all the expensive products on your face, but if you're not healing from the inside, you're wasting your money.

TIP #5: SPF Is Non-Negotiable (Yes, Even for Us)

The Myth: "Black don't crack, so I don't need sunscreen."

The Truth: Melanin provides SOME protection (about SPF 13), but it's not enough. You can still get:

• Hyperpigmentation

• Sun damage

• Premature aging

• Skin cancer (yes, Black people get skin cancer)

The Solution: Wear SPF 30+ daily if you're going to be outside for more than 15 minutes.

Real talk: I'm not always great at this either, but I'm working on it. Do as I say, not as I do. 😅

TIP #6: Night Is for Nourishment

The secret: Your skin repairs itself while you sleep. HELP IT.

What to do before bed:

1. Cleanse (remove the day - pollution, sweat, energy)

2. Apply treatment oils or serums (this is when active ingredients work best)

3. Seal with a rich moisturizer or body butter

4. Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase (reduces friction and moisture loss)

My night routine:

• Skin Porridge cleanser

• FEVAH or Grown Azz Woman oil all over

• Thotumn Body Butter on dry areas

• Silk pillowcase (non-negotiable!)

Why this works: You wake up GLOWING because your skin had 7-8 hours to absorb all that goodness.

TIP #7: Your Products Should Smell Good AND Work

Controversial opinion: Skincare should be a SENSORY EXPERIENCE.

The industry says: "Fragrance is the devil! Only use fragrance-free products!"

My take: Natural fragrance oils and essential oils can be BENEFICIAL when used correctly. They:

• Enhance your ritual (scent is tied to memory and emotion)

• Provide aromatherapy benefits

• Make you WANT to use your products

The key: Avoid synthetic fragrances (phthalates, parabens, etc.) and use naturally-derived scents.

All Black Sauce products use natural fragrance oils - no synthetic crap. Your skin gets the benefits AND you smell amazing.

Why this matters: If your skincare doesn't bring you JOY, you won't use it consistently. And consistency is EVERYTHING.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH TIPS (The Stuff That Actually Matters)

TIP #8: Your Energy Is Your Responsibility

Real talk: You can't control what happens TO you, but you can control how you RESPOND and what energy you carry.

What I practice:

• Morning meditation (even 5 minutes shifts the day)

• Boundary setting (saying no without guilt)

• Energy cleansing (sage, Palo Santo, or simply opening windows and letting fresh air in)

• Protecting my peace (muting, blocking, distancing from what drains me)

The practice: Every morning, before I check my phone, I sit in silence and set an intention for the day. "Today I move with ease." "Today I attract abundance." "Today I protect my peace."

Why this works: You're programming your subconscious BEFORE the world gets to you.

TIP #9: Moon Cycles Are Real (And You Should Pay Attention)

The connection: The moon affects tides, which are water. You're 60% water. Do the math. 🌙

How I use moon cycles in my life and business:

New Moon (Setting Intentions):

• I journal about what I want to CALL IN

• I set business goals

• I bless new product batches

• I start new projects

Full Moon (Releasing):

• I journal about what I need to LET GO

• I cleanse my space (sage, declutter)

• I charge my crystals and products under the full moon

• I release what's not serving me

The practice: Every Black Sauce product is blessed under specific moon cycles for maximum potency. This isn't woo-woo - this is ANCIENT WISDOM that colonization tried to erase.

Why this matters: When you align with natural cycles instead of fighting them, life FLOWS.

TIP #10: Spiritual Baths Are Non-Negotiable

What it is: A bath with INTENTION. Not just washing your body, but cleansing your ENERGY.

How to do it:

1. Set the mood (candles, music, dim lights)

2. Add ingredients based on your intention:

   • Rose petals = self-love

   • Lavender = peace and calm

   • Sea salt = purification

   • Florida Water = spiritual cleansing

   • Honey = sweetness and abundance

3. Pray, meditate, or set intentions while you soak

4. Stay in the tub as the water drains (let the negative energy leave with it)

When to do it:

• When you're feeling heavy or anxious

• After being around draining people

• Before a big event or decision

• During major life transitions

• Monthly as part of your self-care

Why this works: Water is a conduit. You're not just washing your body - you're washing your SPIRIT.

TIP #11: Your Body Keeps the Score

The truth: Trauma, stress, and unprocessed emotions LIVE in your body.

The signs:

• Chronic pain with no medical cause

• Tightness in your chest, jaw, or shoulders

• Digestive issues during stress

• Skin flare-ups when you're anxious

What helps:

• Somatic practices (yoga, dance, breathwork)

• Therapy (especially somatic or EMDR therapy)

• Massage (releasing physical tension releases emotional tension)

• Crying (yes, just LET IT OUT)

My practice: I dance. Alone in my room. To music that makes me FEEL. I let my body move how it wants to move. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I just shake.

Why this matters: Your skin is your largest organ. If your body is holding trauma, it shows up on your skin. HEAL THE ROOT.

TIP #12: Community Is Medicine

The lie: "I can do it all alone. I'm independent. I don't need anybody."

The truth: Isolation is killing us. Community is ESSENTIAL.

What I mean by community:

• People who SEE you

• People who hold space for your mess

• People who celebrate your wins without jealousy

• People who call you on your bullshit with love

My practice:

• I have a small circle of day-one friends who GET me

• I'm part of a women's circle that meets monthly

• I invest in coaching/mentorship (we all need guidance)

• I cultivate community with my Sauce Bews (y'all are FAMILY)

Why this matters: We're not meant to do life alone. The individualism of Western culture is toxic. Find your people. Pour into them. Let them pour into you.

TIP #13: Rest Is Productive

The capitalist lie: "Hustle 24/7 or you're lazy."

The truth: Rest is WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS.

What rest looks like:

• Sleeping 7-9 hours (non-negotiable)

• Taking days OFF (no work, no emails, no "productive" tasks)

• Napping without guilt

• Saying no to things that drain you

• Sitting and doing NOTHING

My practice: I honor my Human Design (5/1 Emotional Manifestor). I work in BURSTS, then I REST. I don't post daily. I don't hustle constantly. I create, I launch, I REST. Repeat.

Why this matters: Your nervous system needs downtime to regulate. Your creativity needs space to emerge. Your body needs rest to HEAL.

If you're always "on," you're running on empty. And eventually, you'll crash.

TIP #14: Gratitude Shifts Everything

The practice: Every single day, write down 3 things you're grateful for.

The catch: They have to be SPECIFIC.

Bad gratitude: "I'm grateful for my family."

Good gratitude: "I'm grateful for the way my sister texted me this morning just to check on me."

Why this works: Your brain LOOKS for what you tell it to find. When you train it to find things to be grateful for, it starts seeing abundance EVERYWHERE.

My practice: I keep a gratitude journal by my bed. Before I go to sleep, I write 3 specific things. On hard days, it's simple stuff like "I'm grateful my skin feels soft after using Thotumn Body Butter." On good days, it's big stuff. Either way, it SHIFTS my energy.

TIP #15: You're Not For Everybody (And That's Perfect)

The hardest lesson: Not everyone will like you, support you, or understand you. AND THAT'S OKAY.

What I've learned:

• My product names (Thotumn, Sweet Pwussy Pumpkin, Heauxnog) turn some people OFF. Good. They're not my people.

• My processing time (10-15 business days) frustrates some customers. Good. They're not my people.

• My inconsistency on social media confuses some followers. Good. They're not my people.

The truth: When you try to be for EVERYONE, you end up being for NO ONE.

My practice: I lean INTO what makes me different. I name products with AAVE. I source globally. I moon-bless everything. I work in bursts. I set boundaries.

And the people who resonate? They become LOYAL. They become family. They become the Sauce Bews.

Why this matters: Stop shrinking yourself to fit into spaces that weren't built for you. BUILD YOUR OWN SPACE and let your people find you.

The Real Secret? There Is No Secret.

Here's what nobody tells you:

The secret to glowing skin is:

• Consistency

• Simplicity

• Hydration

• Healing from the inside out

The secret to spiritual health is:

• Presence

• Intention

• Community

• Rest

That's it, bew.

No magic pill. No overnight transformation. No $500 miracle product.

Just CONSISTENT care. INTENTIONAL living. And GRACE for yourself when you fall off (because you will, and that's human).

Your Homework

Pick ONE skincare tip and ONE spiritual health tip from this list.

Implement them for the next 30 days.

Just one of each. Don't try to do everything at once.

Then come back and tell me what shifted.

I bet you'll glow a little brighter. Feel a little lighter. Move a little differently.

Because when you take care of your skin AND your spirit? Everything changes.

Which tip resonated most with you? Drop a comment below!

And if you're ready to elevate your skincare ritual with products that honor your melanin AND your spirit, you know where to find me. 🖤

Shop Black Sauce Products →

a.Nichole (Nik) is a licensed esthetician, former mental health professional, world traveler, and founder of Black Sauce - a spiritual skincare brand that sources ingredients from melanated geographies and blesses every product under moon cycles. She believes self-care is sacred, boundaries are beautiful, and your glow starts from within.