What Is Skin Purging? (and How To Get Through It)
Skin purging is a common phenomenon that occurs when you introduce a new product into your skincare ritual. While your...
read articleGrowing up in Mombasa, Kenya, Salima Visramโs purpose took hold of her at an early age. She has seen the impact of poverty on individuals and communities; she understands the immense difference good employment can mean for a family. The background has shaped her core, and been a defining pillar throughout her life - and within her business ventures. Ingrained in her purpose are all those first- or second-hand experiences of how much work there is to be done.
Itโs made me realize that there are so many, I donโt want to say problems - but so many things people need in the world. And that just keeps me so grounded. Because whenever Iโm in a challenging situation or Iโm in a position where I feel like I donโt know what to do, I always think that itโs so trivial. Thereโs so much other stuff going on in the world. And that keeps me motivated.
Whenever Iโm in a challenging situation...I always think that itโs so trivial. Thereโs so much other stuff going on in the world.
Salima started her first business, The Soular Backpack, in 2015, as a direct line of contribution to her community. By donating solar backpacks to children in East Africa, students are able to study for longer at night - which means a greater chance of entering secondary education. After a while, though, Salima found that it was difficult to sustain the venture by donations alone. And parallel to this, she lost her mother to cancer. Samara rose out of Salimaโs immensely powerful personal experience - and also became a business for channeling even more impact through its profits, interlinking with The Soular Backpack.
I was feeling like I had so much energy inside; I was feeling so many emotions that I just wanted to channel into building something that could almost be an embodiment of my mother. I feel like she embodied so much elegance and kindness and simplicity, in a really beautiful way. She had so much positivity, and went through the world, just exuding kindness to the people around her. Whenever I think of what Samara is, I go back to those values.
Salima is a pioneer in the future of fashion. Samaraโs bag production is highly innovative - using only cruelty-free, sustainable and ethically sourced materials. Furthermore, by donating back to The Soular Backpack, Salima has created a continuous chain of kindness. These values are integral to her businessโ target market, too. The Samara girl is someone who cares about the world - who wants to look good, feel good and do good.
When Salima speaks, itโs easy to forget that sheโs in her late 20โs. She possesses a grounded presence; and a calm pace that emulates so much more experience and knowledge than one might expect from someone her age. Her approach to a philanthropic ethos is utterly holistic - so holistic, in fact, that Salima at times finds herself questioning it.
Sometimes I feel like itโs too much, and that we need to hone in. But I have this vision of an ecosystem that does good in different ways, right? And, it feels like such a long path to get there, but hopefully we will.
The uncertainty isnโt of herself; of wondering whether she is able to build a sustainable ecosystem of good. Itโs of not knowing exactly what that ecosystem will look like, or when and how itโll manifest. Salima points out that an aspect of her personality that she struggles with is overthinking things - and needing to know the outcomes of different situations. She wants to be in control, and sometimes itโs so consuming that it robs her of being present in the moment.
When you consider the path Salima has walked, itโs easy to understand why clairvoyance would be important to her. In 2017, two of the people she loved most were going through cancer - in different parts of the world. That was also the year Salima started Samara, which pulled her through some of the most difficult moments of her life - and became a beacon, of resilience and of hope. Today, the business serves as a manifestation of Salimaโs strength, and reminds her of what she is capable of.
I think probably, in the last couple of years, Iโm most proud of my resilience. Understanding that I can be whoever I want to be. Thereโs nothing stopping me from doing what I want, in terms of career or what I want to build or achieve - the options are limitless. And I think that understanding, and resilience, go hand in hand (...) You know, if I can build something good from all that darkness, there isnโt really anything I canโt do.
I can be whoever I want to be. Thereโs nothing stopping me from doing what I want
Salima gets her energy and joy from spending time with the people she loves; from experiencing meaningful interactions. And with that authenticity and kindness being such guiding pillars in her life, itโs not surprising that social media is where Salima feels the most insecure. Navigating the landscape of comparison, where someone is always ahead of you, no matter how well youโre doing - and that no matter what you say it can always be misconstrued.
Salimaโs journey has made her crystal clear on one thing, though: Only you can be you. Which is also what #OwnYourGlow means to her. Be yourself. And shine while youโre doing it.
I think itโs just to know your path, and be relentless at it. Not giving up until you get there; realising that you can be who you want. And then in doing that, being unapologetically you, cause youโre the only one who can be that someone. Often I think โShould we get a brand consultant or a PR agency?โ for the business. And sometimes, itโs like, maybe you know all the answers, and someone else canโt always tell you what you should do with your life. You have to figure that out for yourself.
Skin purging is a common phenomenon that occurs when you introduce a new product into your skincare ritual. While your...
read articleIn skincare, the terms โdryโ and โdehydratedโ are often used interchangeablyโwhen in reality, they hold two entirely different meanings. While...
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