The Beauty in You: Podcast

Rediscovering You: Skincare Expertise and Motherhood with Sara Botta

• Chi Quita Mack, MSW • Season 1 • Episode 16

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Hello, beauty enthusiasts!

Welcome to "The Beauty in You." This episode, I'm excited to be joined by Sara Botta, a seasoned esthetician and empowering beauty educator. In our heartfelt chat, we discuss the complex dance of motherhood, tackling mom guilt, and finding balance in our busy lives.

Sara, a dedicated mother with a passion for skincare, shares her experiences of growth both personally and in her career, juggling family life with her educational role for an international skincare brand. She gives us a glimpse into her philosophy on skincare simplicity and how to choose the right products for youthful and radiant skin.
In today's talk, we both open up about overcoming personal challenges and the importance of stepping out of our comfort zones. Sara reveals her approach to instilling confidence in her daughter and the significance of surrounding ourselves with positivity.

Get ready for an episode full of inspiration, practical beauty tips, and the candid reality of being a working mother. From skincare advice to embracing new chapters in life, join us as we uncover the beauty in you.

 Let's dive in!


To connect with Sara Botta:

Website:  https://sarabottaskin.com

IG: @SaraBottaSkin and @TheBusyBottas 

To connect with Chi Quita Mack: 

To work with Chi Quita Mack: https://www.thechiquitamack.com/thehealingsocial

To Purchase The Beauty in You Workbook:

 https://www.thechiquitamack.com/shop-tcm/p/the-beauty-in-you-a-guide-created-to-help-you-discover-the-best-version-of-you

Chi Quita Mack's Website: https://www.thechiquitamack.com 

Chi Quita Mack Shop/ Merchandise: https://www.thechiquitamack.com/shop-tcm 

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechiquitamack 



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Jacqueline G. [00:00:01]:
Welcome to the Beauty and you podcast, a safe place created for all women to come relax, get inspired, and be constantly reminded that they have not lost the ability to be who they once were. Join us as we dive into the true meaning of rediscovery through inspiring guests and topics such as healing, self love, and creating a positive mindset. So sit back, relax and get comfortable as we dive into to this week's episode. Here's your host, ChiQuita Mack.

Chi Quita Mack [00:00:29]:
Hey y'all, welcome back to another episode of the Beauty and you podcast. I am super excited for this journey, you guys. We are definitely going to get into motherhood rediscovery, finding your voice and just being on your own. Our guest today is amazing. We've been insta sisters, I'll say, for quite a while now and I know she has such a remarkable journey to share as well as some great lessons for you to take down. Our guest today is a wonderful, amazing esthetician. Lord help me, I say it wrong all the time, as well as a beauty educator. And she is a wife.

Chi Quita Mack [00:01:10]:
And I also said a very lovely mother. Welcome Sarah Botta. How are mama?

Sara Botta [00:01:20]:
Thank you, Chiquita, for having me. I am so grateful for you reaching out to have me on here today. I have to say that it was definitely a surprise to see that email. Yeah, I obviously follow you and have followed you for a long time and I love everything that you're doing. I love your mission and your values. And so I'm just really happy to be able to have a chat with you today. Oh, thank you.

Chi Quita Mack [00:01:54]:
I'm super excited. Like I said, you just have such a wonderful story. I love your family. You guys are beautiful and always having so much fun and I just know that you have so many lessons to share with everyone and they just need to hear your story. So with that, can you take me on a little journey of your rediscovery journey?

Sara Botta [00:02:18]:
Sure. So a little bit about me, just sort of quick. In brief history, I am a licensed esthetician and have been working in the treatment room for almost 20 years at the same location. So I'm here in New Jersey, about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia, and I have transitioned into educating for a skincare brand. It's called ultraceuticals and it is an australian based professional cosmeceutical brand. It launched here in 2020 and from that moment, as soon as they started launching in the US, I've had the pleasure of educating for them and taking the brand all over the country. But of course, I am a wife. I've been married for ten years.

Sara Botta [00:03:17]:
No. What are we going on? Oh, my gosh. 14 years. What year are we in? I know it actually, it's great because we got married. Well, we started dating in 2000, so we've been together for almost 24 years. And we married in 2010, so I should be able to remember how long we've been married and dating because it's always on that year. If it's 24, it's four years. Yes.

Sara Botta [00:03:48]:
And my daughter is eight. Well, she will be eight at the end of the month. So I've been juggling all the things and sort of kind of creating this whole new way of life, I guess, between each stage of just being in my career and building that, then becoming a wife and then, of course, a mother. And it's been a great journey, but it's definitely been a roller coaster.

Chi Quita Mack [00:04:20]:
Oh, yeah. Such a roller coaster. I find that we're always kind of on a rediscovery journey no matter what part of our lives we're in. Like, we're trying to find ourselves and find that balance, and it's definitely like up and down, like roller coasters. And some days you really love it, and some days, well, I'll speak for myself. Some days I really love it, and sometimes I don't.

Sara Botta [00:04:44]:
Absolutely. I would totally agree. I think when you asked me sort of what my rediscovery moment was, I immediately sort of went back to that moment about three years ago or within this three year period of me educating for a brand because it is such a different direction that I've been taking that it's really just sort of. I'll just kind of go back to what that means. So for me to educate for this skincare brand, it means that I go to a lot of different spas and salons all over the country. So I'm traveling fairly often. Probably it comes and goes, but I could be away one or two weeks out of the month, not a full week, but a few days. And along with still being in the treatment room at the spa.

Sara Botta [00:05:46]:
But of course, that's sort of taking me away from the family. But it's been something that has really empowered me and completely sort of changed the way that I see myself and what I do and taken me in this direction that I'm really proud of. But it comes with, again, a lot of those sort of sacrifices or guilty feelings and things of that nature.

Chi Quita Mack [00:06:17]:
Absolutely. That mom guilt sucks. It really hurts, and I know exactly what you feel like, and I don't think that it matters how old they are. You still feel mom guilt? Because I feel it all the time and my oldest is 16 and I still feel the mom guilt, but at the same time, I try to incorporate them into kind of what I'm doing and with post and reels and dances and things like that, but it never really goes away. But I have found that speaking to them and kind of letting them know what mommy's doing and why has helped me a lot. And my daughter can explain to anybody, this is my mom and this is what she does. And I'm like, yeah, okay. She understands because it just helps a little bit better versus saying like, I'm doing this and I have to go away and don't ask me any questions.

Chi Quita Mack [00:07:16]:
Communication has really been a big part of kind of filling in that mom guilt. So I would ask you, what have you done to kind of help you with your mom guilt? And what advice would you give another mom that is definitely trying to get out there and face their fears, but they're afraid of that feeling?

Sara Botta [00:07:35]:
I think for me, as you just mentioned, honestly, it's communication. I'm grateful that, number one, I have a really supportive husband who is very present in parenting and they have a very close relationship anyway, so she's definitely a daddy's girl. But I know that he has a really positive attitude about what I'm doing, and he speaks positively about what I'm doing to her and supports me in telling her what's going on and where I'm going and why I'm going. But for her, again, I'm very grateful because she is pretty independent. And as much as I know that she misses me and she always gives me a little bit of, oh, you're going again, or I don't want you to go, or don't go. It's never a full on meltdown. And I know that once I leave that she's okay. My husband ensures me that she's not having some dramatic breakdown.

Sara Botta [00:08:50]:
And when we talk on the phone, she's very upbeat. But I just tell her exactly like you said. I tell her where I'm going and I try and make it interesting and fun, and I tell her what I do at my job and how I'm helping other people and why that's important, because I think that I really want her to have a sense of it's important to have your own dreams and your own aspirations and do something maybe that is out of your comfort zone or that's challenging. And so to show her that that's a good thing, I don't know if she totally processes all of that at eight, but I feel like if she hears it, like your daughter, who is 16 now, I know that she's, I'm sure, very proud of you and all the things that you do. And as much as it might have even been subconscious, she's taking that with her. And we'll show that through her life too.

Chi Quita Mack [00:09:59]:
I will tell you, they listen more than we think they do. Yeah, I hope they get it. I hope they get it. But they really do listen. And what's amazing about that is when I do look at my daughter, she is like the grown up me as far as being confident and facing her fears. Because when I was her age, that wasn't me at all. I am still an introvert with certain things, but completely introvert. I don't really talk and sit in a room.

Chi Quita Mack [00:10:32]:
I'm very observant and there would be so many things that I always wanted to do, but I would be too afraid to try. And now I'm like, I'm still afraid to do those things, but I do it anyway. Now it's a difference. But I teach her, like, you have to step out there, you have to take a chance, you have to have your own. I want you to travel the world, I want you to experience. It's okay to have feelings, it's okay to cry because all those things are important and we want to, at least in my household, is just break that cycle of like, we don't have to be the traditional in the house and cook and clean and we have goals and aspirations, but we're going to put them on hold. No, I want you to live. I want you to enjoy your life.

Chi Quita Mack [00:11:09]:
I want you to be confident and get out there in the world and make mistakes and learn.

Sara Botta [00:11:16]:
Yeah, I really agree. That sits very comfortably with me, everything you just said, because I am exactly the same way. I would still consider myself an introvert. And I was very quiet and shy growing up. And I didn't really come out of my shell, honestly until really high school. Like late high school, I started trying new things. But I remember in elementary school, like 6th, 7th grade and middle school being voted like most shy. That actually really upset me in a way because I never considered myself as being as much as I just said I was shy, but I didn't really consider myself as shy or that has that sort of negative connotation.

Sara Botta [00:12:08]:
I just have always felt that I'm not the loudest person in the room necessarily, but I have a lot to say or a lot to contribute. So going through high school and starting to find my way. And then of course, I feel like in college I really found more of who I was. And as a side note, I actually went to school for radio, TV and film.

Chi Quita Mack [00:12:35]:
Awesome.

Sara Botta [00:12:37]:
Doing that is like there's this person who never would do anything and I'd get so worked up and nervous about presenting in class or having to do anything when a teacher would call on you or participate in activities and things. And here I am going to school for radio, TV and film. But I think that, again, it's just feeling like I know in my heart I want to do certain things and I just have to push myself to do it. And it makes me so proud and happy to see my daughter, who is again, a little bit more the opposite of me already. She seems to have more confidence and bravery in going out to try sports or she played basketball this winter or tried cheer and did theater camp last year and she didn't know anyone that.

Chi Quita Mack [00:13:41]:
Was going to be there.

Sara Botta [00:13:42]:
I would never, ever have. I probably would never still do that. So I'm just happy that she already has that sort of in her. So hopefully me kind of nurturing that and showing her with what I'm doing that will just make it even better and easier for her as she goes along.

Chi Quita Mack [00:14:06]:
Yes. And she's doing those things because she's watching her. Mommy, you're already instilling the goodness in her.

Sara Botta [00:14:13]:
I hope so.

Chi Quita Mack [00:14:14]:
You are. You're doing a great job. You guys look like you're just, like I said, such a good little family. And I know that everything that you're doing, all those values are definitely being instilled in her. And so be proud of yourself, mama.

Sara Botta [00:14:28]:
Thank you. I know. I think that's another thing that I find myself struggling with, and I'm sure a lot of people and women and moms do, is to accept compliments and accept that confidence in yourself and trust that when people tell you you're doing a great job or whatever it might be, there's always that first initial feeling of like, no, you're just saying that. No. Instead of just being like, thank you. I appreciate that.

Chi Quita Mack [00:15:11]:
Receive it. Take it in. Enjoy the moment. And I try to preach that a lot. We are always women. Anyways, we're on the go. We're going to go, we're going to go. Want to go? We're trying, but we never take, like, 2 seconds to pause and just like, I'm doing a real good job.

Chi Quita Mack [00:15:28]:
I don't know who told you all what? But I know I'm doing a good job. So you have to definitely give yourself that pat on the back and just receive everything that you're putting out, all the goodness you're putting out. You're going to receive it back. So receive it, girl. You got it.

Sara Botta [00:15:41]:
Take it all in. Definitely.

Chi Quita Mack [00:15:43]:
Yes. Take it in.

Sara Botta [00:15:46]:
Taking it in.

Chi Quita Mack [00:15:47]:
Yay. I wanted to ask, as you have been on your rediscovery journey, besides fear, what are some challenges that you have faced and how have you overcome them?

Sara Botta [00:16:00]:
That is a good question. I would say that something that comes to my mind right off the bat would be the challenge of, in a career sort of sense, the challenges that come along when you start doing something successfully and those around you, maybe colleagues, start to have certain feelings about that, and it can create some negative situations or energy around what you're doing and sort of then make you second guess yourself. I don't know if that's ever happened with you, but that's sort of a common thread in talking with friends and things. It could even be friends. It could be family. It could be just someone who's not necessarily doing what they're doing, passionate about or having success. And it can really affect you mentally, for sure.

Chi Quita Mack [00:17:13]:
Oh, God. Yeah. Do I have a story?

Sara Botta [00:17:16]:
I know I'm like, without being super specific, but I think that also taught me how to better stand up for myself and not avoid conflict, necessarily, just to sort of hover in the corner if someone's being negative or creating a situation, that I will absolutely stand up for myself in a very respectful way to resolve that conflict as best as I can, but to realize that not everybody is on your side and not everybody is cheering you on, and that's okay. And it doesn't make me any less capable.

Chi Quita Mack [00:18:05]:
That's a hard lesson. Yeah, that's a hard lesson. Especially when you think that those that should support you, right. Don't support you and they don't necessarily understand everything that you're doing. So you get that negative feedback and, like, what are you doing anyways? Or how's your little business going? And how's your little book? Excuse me. I'm doing a damn good job, by the way.

Sara Botta [00:18:35]:
And it's just like that immediate belittling of what you're doing and sort of realizing that's coming from a place of them being unhappy and insecure and not necessarily like a reflection of what we're doing. Exactly. To remember. Sometimes.

Chi Quita Mack [00:19:03]:
I think that you just hit the nail on the head. It is a place that they're in not a space where you are because you've been there, did that, you're moving on. You found your path, you found your passion, you're taking a chance. You're doing something that a lot of people don't do, and that's stepping outside of their comfort zone. And people will watch and people will hate and people will talk. What I found is if you get out there and do it, people are going to talk about you. You don't do it, people are going to talk about you. So you might as well get your butt up and just do it and understand that not everybody's for you and not everybody's going to like what you do, but there's going to be that group of supporters that no matter what you do, they're going to be, like, right there cheering you on.

Chi Quita Mack [00:19:50]:
And that's really all you need is just like, your little core group of people, your little tiny circle. Mine is a tiny circle that I know I can lean on no matter what. And if I do have moments of doubt, that could be like, girl, okay, you're done. Okay. Now you need to get back out there and do it, but just really understanding the place of where you are and not let it take you back. I refuse to go back. I refuse to be back in that negative space that I was like, almost Jesus, maybe almost ten years now that was just filled with fear and doubt and people judging all the time. I refused to be there.

Chi Quita Mack [00:20:28]:
I was there already. It wasn't very nice. I didn't like it, and it almost destroyed me. So here I am now. And if you like it, you like it. If you don't, you don't. And that's literally just how I roll with it.

Sara Botta [00:20:38]:
Yeah, I love that sentiment because it's definitely a lesson that I've been learning. I am still learning, but I do have a really great core group of friends and who really do support. We support each other in just everything that we do and really try and elevate one another and create better things together. And I think that's important. It's also very difficult to find, but whoever that might be, I think that's really important to find those people that do that for you because I don't know, I've heard a lot of between different coaching and self help and all of those things, it really is about the people that you're around and how that will determine the position that you're in. If you're around people who are always negative, who don't want to do things or just sort of, or talking about other people, whatever that is, it's going to keep you really stagnant. I guess that could be another challenge, is just to find the people that have the same values, have the same passions, or not necessarily the same passion, but a passion for something that they want to do things and grow and then sort of leave some of the negativity behind. Even if it was maybe a friendship or someone that was in my life, that I'm just going to leave them over here doesn't need to be dramatic, but not going to engage as much.

Sara Botta [00:22:26]:
That can be a difficult thing to do.

Chi Quita Mack [00:22:30]:
That's called growth. That's that part of growth that stings a little bit because we're always talking about we want to grow, we want to get better, we want to elevate. And then once you start hitting that rhythm of growth, you start finding that people start falling off, and that's very difficult. And you're understanding your headspace of where you are in your journey of growth. And those that you're leaving behind are like, you think you're better than me. You think you're blah, blah, blah. And it's like, not really. I would love you to come with me.

Chi Quita Mack [00:23:05]:
Come on. But I have to keep going. I can't slow down to pick you up. You got to come on. Because this is where we're at. And so that's that part of growth that is so difficult, but it's so important that we get there because your circle, your tribe, your environment, all that matters, all of that matters. You cannot get to where you're trying to get to. If you do not have the right environment and the right people supporting you because it really makes a difference.

Chi Quita Mack [00:23:37]:
If they're always draining from you, you're not going to have nothing at all to even pour into yourself because they're always taking. So it's very important that you find those core people that pour into you. You guys pour into each other. You motivate each other, you listen to each other vent and just get it all out. Like, all those things, I think matter on all the different type of rediscovery journeys that we're definitely in.

Sara Botta [00:24:05]:
Yeah, I would agree. And that just sort of made me think of another sort of teaching that I'm trying to instill in my daughter is that support system, because at age seven and eight, it already starts. You already see the drama between the kids and the negativity and the put downs or the remarks making fun of leaving out, like, whatever that is. That just, I know, gets worse as they get older. But I want her to see, so I really enjoy when I take her out with my friends because I want her to see what good friendships are and what good other good female relationships can be and that you might be sort of stuck right now. These are the kids that you're going to be around. And I had the same experience when I was younger. I laugh all the time because I'm like, man, this is what my mom was going through.

Sara Botta [00:25:08]:
This is what she was saying to me. But at some point, she's going to have the choice to make better friends or keep the friends or they'll evolve because kids are kids. I know that is not a great saying, but sometimes it's true. And even those bratty kids will grow up and grow out of that. But if they don't, then she can move on and she can find her tribe. So I like for her to see what that looks like with my gals. Yeah.

Chi Quita Mack [00:25:39]:
Again, leading by example.

Sara Botta [00:25:41]:
Yeah, you're doing it.

Chi Quita Mack [00:25:43]:
You're doing it. It's so important that they see that. And I always tell my daughter to just be a leader. Don't do what they do. I mean, I know they're going to make mistakes, but still, and still, you're a leader. You're the leader. Take charge. And sometimes people like, I started this club today and I did this.

Chi Quita Mack [00:25:59]:
I'm like, yeah, good job. Just be a leader. You don't have to do what everybody else does. You don't have to do that if you don't want to. You have a voice. And I think it's very important that we teach them that they have a voice and to use their voice. So it's so important. So I want to get into your beauty education and all that you do.

Chi Quita Mack [00:26:23]:
Okay. Because I want to talk about skincare. I want to switch roles for a little bit. I want to talk a little business.

Sara Botta [00:26:27]:
Let's do it.

Chi Quita Mack [00:26:28]:
Okay. But I want to know. Give me some tips. So let's start with the face. What are your five? That too many tips? No. Give me five top tips for the best skin ever. Okay.

Sara Botta [00:26:41]:
All right. No pressure. All right.

Chi Quita Mack [00:26:43]:
No touch. No pressure.

Sara Botta [00:26:45]:
Okay. Just again, off the top of my head, I think number one tip is just to create a healthy skin. Is getting a really, just easy core foundation. So a good cleanser, a good moisturizer and a sunscreen. And you need a good cleanser that's not going to dry your skin or strip it. You want a moisturizer that is going to have most moisturizers are pretty decent. They have ingredients that are going to give you that hydration. There's ingredients that sort of, and now you're going to get my education that sort of mimic the skin's natural components.

Sara Botta [00:27:32]:
So it's, when you look at, like, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, essential fatty acids, those are all things that when they're in a moisturizer, it's really going to create that healthy skin.

Chi Quita Mack [00:27:45]:
Okay.

Sara Botta [00:27:46]:
Of course, sunscreen. I mean, everybody should be using sunscreen. And it isn't just a preventative tool, it's really a skincare tool. So you have to use that for your skin to look healthy and radiant. So healthy skin, basic routine. I think another one would be, don't overdo it. So when you're looking at any type of active serum, and I think this is really easy to do for people because you're looking on social media and people are looking at like, oh, that new trend, or, ooh, that new trend. Just bring it down.

Sara Botta [00:28:24]:
Choose something that you really want to work on, whatever that might be. Like. If you have ecneic skin or if you're concerned with some discoloration, just choose something that will address that one thing and just choose one or two products. I know, again, that's difficult to do at times because you have so much coming at you. But if you're doing your own research, look for experts who find out what their background is. Where are they coming from? Are they just an influencer? Do they have knowledge of the skin and ingredients and all these things? But find the experts that you trust and whether that's on social media or whether that's in person to help guide you in ingredients that you can look for in a product, but keep it simple. I just think that some people are really overdoing it and actually doing a lot of damage to their skin.

Chi Quita Mack [00:29:19]:
Yeah.

Sara Botta [00:29:21]:
The other thing that I just think is important is to not be hard on yourself. I know that. One thing that I really love about what I do is I really want to give my guests, or whether you're following me on social media, I want to empower you to take control of your skincare and achieve your goals. I'm here to help, to support, to coach, however you want to think of that. But you have the power to do that for yourself. And it's very easy to be hard on ourselves and look at ourselves in the mirror and pick at everything that you see on your skin. But just remember that we're all in the same boat. We all can look at ourselves and see things that we don't love, but that's reality.

Sara Botta [00:30:19]:
And we all have pores, we all have texture, we all have fine lines and wrinkles. It's going to happen. So just embrace and I think, just create a healthy skin that will keep you radiant. But take it easy on yourself. And however you have to do that is taking the time to do a self care ritual at home. Take the time to do that routine. It doesn't have to take a long time, but take the five minutes at night to just take it to yourself. Cleanse your skin, give yourself a little massage, take it off, put on a serum, put on a moisturizer, you're done.

Sara Botta [00:31:03]:
Just take that time. If you can, go get a service, great. Go get a facial, go see an expert, let them guide, you know, the goals that you have, how to do that. I just posted a photo actually on my Instagram, which is Sarah bought a skin. So I just posted a guest who from 2021 to now. So in that three year different or three time span, her skin has completely transformed. But it really is mostly because of the home care that she's been using, and she's had about eight treatments in that three year period of time. So if you think about it, it's not really that many because a lot of statisticians or skin therapists will recommend, and we do recommend, that you come every month to achieve certain goals.

Sara Botta [00:32:02]:
But I also want people to understand that that can be very overwhelming and that's not really necessarily going to be doable for everyone.

Chi Quita Mack [00:32:13]:
Right.

Sara Botta [00:32:14]:
So even if you can get a pretty good expert opinion, and again, whether that's going to be on social media, finding someone that you trust, or if you can make that trip in to see an esthetician, a dermatologist, whoever it is that can get you on that home care journey, you can make great changes in your skin with minimal treatments. I'm kind of like stabbing myself in the foot or something. It's sort of like, wait, don't you want people to come in and. Of course I do, yes. Being honest, I want skincare to be accessible for everyone. I want everyone to feel beautiful in their skin at every age. And I want that to be something that they can do, knowing they don't have to spend a ton of money, or you can build a budget around whatever results you want to get. And it just means that you might have to take those three years to get your skin super healthy.

Sara Botta [00:33:22]:
But it's achievable.

Chi Quita Mack [00:33:25]:
I love it.

Sara Botta [00:33:27]:
Rambling answer.

Chi Quita Mack [00:33:28]:
No, you're fine. I need all of that. I think it's so cool. So first I want to say, do you know how many women you are impacting on a daily basis? You're teaching women how to do. You're maybe saying it's skincare. I just want everyone to have good skin. But you're really building confidence in these women. You're teaching them how to.

Chi Quita Mack [00:33:51]:
Yes, come to see me. But I want you to know you can do it at home, too. That's honesty right there. And I don't think that's necessarily like shooting yourself in the foot because you want people to come in like, I will come to you every month because you're straight up honest. I know you said I don't have to be here, but I'm going to be here just because I know that you're honest. And so I think that's such a good practice and I wish more people actually did that. It's like, hey, I am teaching you. I want you to come in to see me and I'm going to teach you and I'm going to take care of you, and you're going to feel wonderful.

Chi Quita Mack [00:34:21]:
But I also want you to know that you can keep this up at home and then also come into me and then still keep it up at home and you'll still get results. And so I just think that's awesome. Let me tell you about my skin. Okay. I use good molecules. I started using them and I've been staying with them for a little bit, but it's not even that. They're really good. I love their stuff.

Chi Quita Mack [00:34:44]:
But when I wear makeup, that's the problem. Okay? When I wear makeup, my nose is always oily. Do you know what I'm talking about? Like, you put the makeup on and then it's like, really good. And then your nose. What is that? What's that?

Sara Botta [00:34:58]:
No, without seeing your skin. I know usually when there's that sort of imbalance in the skin. So if you feel like you're getting really oily in one area, but maybe feel a little dry in other areas, or if you're getting flaky in some areas, but you're still shiny in some areas, that is typically a little bit of an indicator that your skin barrier is compromised. Do you ever feel that you have sensitivity in your skin or do you feel you get any?

Chi Quita Mack [00:35:33]:
No. Well, I don't know. It's just this area. Like, this will be shiny, but then if I have dryness, it'll be like the side of the nostril that's it?

Sara Botta [00:35:45]:
Yeah. Okay. So definitely some of this is going to be genetics. I'm more than happy to talk about your routine a little bit more closely and see if I can find some things that might balance your skin a little bit more. There's also serums that help to regulate sebum production. Something like that could really help to even that out for you as well.

Chi Quita Mack [00:36:21]:
What I need, we're going to talk. Absolutely. I love skincare. I noticed that my daughter with her skin, she has the discoloration on her cheeks. I have no idea where that comes from. I'm like, girl, I have no idea. I have bought some discoloration serum for her face, but I don't know where that even comes because I don't have the spots or anything, so I don't know.

Sara Botta [00:36:50]:
And she never had breakouts or anything. Yeah, there's a lot of really good, gentle radiance giving serums out there that aren't going to damage the skin. That's another sort of hot topic is teen and tween skincare. And I think it's absolutely fantastic that teens and tweens are getting into skincare and excited about, and it's just about us guiding them into the proper directions so that they know they can understand that you only need certain things. And as you progress into different age brackets, then you add in all those extra things. But if they do have a skin concern, whether it's acne or some discoloration, there's plenty of ingredients and things that are safe for all skin. So I definitely don't like to poo poo them or just say, you're too young for that. You don't need that.

Sara Botta [00:37:55]:
Let's talk about it. Let's foster that excitement for the industry and whether it's makeup or just skincare in general, but just again, giving them the tools that when they look at all these TikTok things, they can decipher a little bit better of what's good advice or what's necessary. But I think I always say this too. And another top tip is just, it should be fun. Skincare and self care should be fun. It shouldn't be stressful, it shouldn't be overwhelming. It should just be like, okay, this is what we're going to do. I'm going to try out a couple of products.

Sara Botta [00:38:40]:
Unfortunately, with skincare, it is a trial and error thing. There's no set in stone. This is the routine that's going to save your skin, and it can be costly. So I understand that is a big factor to think about, which is why, too. I think there's plenty of brands at every price range to play around and have fun with it and try different things and find what actually is going to work for you. Just don't do it all at one time.

Chi Quita Mack [00:39:15]:
Everything out. Spread it out, for sure. I just think it's awesome just thinking of what you were saying, embracing being a teen and tween and skincare and talking. I don't remember anyone talking about this when I was younger. I don't remember it being ever fun. I remember like, oh, my God, I'm breaking out, what do I do? And that's it. It was not fun. My mom was just like, okay, I mean, I don't know what you want me to do.

Chi Quita Mack [00:39:46]:
And it's just such a different time now where we can be excited and educate and talk about skin care and self care and loving who you are and taking care. It's just such a different time. And I just think it's so beautiful. And it all goes into that empowerment and being who you are. It's beautiful.

Sara Botta [00:40:04]:
Yeah, it really is. For all the negative things that people have to say about the world we live in right now and social media and all the things that you could focus on very easily, I think it's wonderful to focus on all of those really exciting, beautiful things that we have. We were able to connect. And so many people, if you don't have a support group immediately next to you, you can find those people out there that have very similar beliefs and find that support.

Chi Quita Mack [00:40:43]:
So I wanted to ask you, if you could just give one piece of advice to the struggling mom out there. What advice would you give her as to how to find her voice?

Sara Botta [00:41:02]:
I think that I would say that you need to find something in your day. I'm not even going to say you need to find your passion, or you need to find the career for you, or you need to find the friends or whatever it is. I think it needs to be small and I think it needs to be something that you can consider a win or something that you can be sort of excited about or feel good about each day. If you're struggling to, if you're just feeling like you've lost yourself within this motherhood journey or you're just really overwhelmed, that, like I said, it can be something as small as just take that five minutes at night, do that skincare or pick up book or find that podcast that you enjoy, take a walk. And those are the times when you'll have the space to breathe and think about finding maybe that bigger picture of rediscovery, because I don't want people to feel that it's an easier said than done situation or while they're in a different situation than me. I don't have this support or I don't have a passion or whatever. It doesn't need to be any of that. It just has to be a time when you can take care of yourself.

Sara Botta [00:42:40]:
Remember that you are important, and the better that you take care of yourself, the better that you're going to be for everybody around you.

Chi Quita Mack [00:42:51]:
That's it. The better you are. You have to take care of yourself in order to be what you need to be for everyone else. That's, like, the number one lesson. That was, like, my aha moment. Like, oh, my God, I have to heal. I have to put in the work for me, or I'm not going to be what my kids need, 510, 15 years down the road. So I think that's beautiful advice.

Sara Botta [00:43:20]:
Thank you.

Chi Quita Mack [00:43:21]:
Absolutely.

Sara Botta [00:43:22]:
That helps somebody out there because, oh, yeah, we definitely all struggle, and I think that's something that we can sort of commiserate in together, not in a negative way, but just to understand that you're not alone in all of those feelings that you've been having. I mean, no matter how small. I'll just give one sort of last kind of story about. That was like sort of an aha moment, and it was something so little. But I remember listening again to a podcast. I forget who it was at this point. And she was talking about playing with her kids and that she didn't like playing with her kids, and she was like, I hate physically playing, like, barbies or something. Right at the time, I was like, my God, I can't believe she's saying that.

Sara Botta [00:44:13]:
That's so horrible. And then now, years down the line, I understand that feeling. And it might sound horrible, but I don't necessarily. Of course, I don't hate playing with my daughter, but sometimes when she's literally asking me to play and she'll like, I'll never let her hear this part, but it's like sometimes you just get drained by physically having to come up with a story. Or in her case, she tells me to do the same thing all the time, and I can never change it. But it made me just realize that I felt so bad about. I still obviously can feel bad about feeling that way at times when I'm just like, I just don't want to play. But it helped me to know that somebody else feels that way.

Sara Botta [00:45:11]:
Too.

Chi Quita Mack [00:45:12]:
Yeah.

Sara Botta [00:45:13]:
It just seems I'm so little. But every feeling that we have of guilt about something, somebody else is feeling the same exact way.

Chi Quita Mack [00:45:21]:
Absolutely. And that's why I encourage sharing. I know not everyone wants to share their story, and you have to be in a certain place in your journey to be able to share your story. But there's power in sharing your story because when you do, there's at least one person that's going to connect to you, and you may have helped them just by sharing that. Everything that we feel as moms and women and all the other mini titles that we have are valid. I don't care. They are valid if we feel that way. It is valid feeling and it needs to be heard.

Chi Quita Mack [00:46:01]:
And so I just think it's so important and I understand what it's like, too. Like, mommy, do you want to play? I'll be like, no. Yeah. I'm like, I want to, but okay, come on.

Sara Botta [00:46:11]:
Obviously I do it, and I want to spend all the time in the world with her. I mean, I will color, I will play a game. I will go do any activity. So as you mentioned, we have, our family blog is called the busy badas. And that's that we do together that I bring her in on. My husband and I love doing that as a family, just kind of documenting our adventures because we always feel like we're always busy, we're always on the go, and we're always doing something. And sometimes we do kind of fun, different things. But it's also, we used to do some toy reviews, and we'll still do that here and there.

Sara Botta [00:46:48]:
But I have so many things that I will gladly always do. I'm always there for her, and I will do those things that I also don't want to do. But sometimes it's just okay. And that's okay.

Chi Quita Mack [00:47:05]:
That's the important part. It's like, I feel like that sometimes, and that's okay. To feel like it's okay. It doesn't make me any less of a mom. It doesn't make me any less of anything. Like, my feeling is valid. And that's okay. You're still a great mom.

Sara Botta [00:47:21]:
I'm going to take that and I'm going to accept it.

Chi Quita Mack [00:47:27]:
Oh, my goodness. Can you tell everyone where they can find you on social media and if you have any offers or anything going on right now?

Sara Botta [00:47:37]:
So on social media, Instagram, Facebook, I am on TikTok. I just don't really go on there as much.

Chi Quita Mack [00:47:44]:
I know, but it's so know that's.

Sara Botta [00:47:48]:
The other, like you get spread a little bit thin when you're doing all this stuff, but part of things I want to do. So for everything, skin care. And again, if you're interested in, you are in the south Jersey Philadelphia area, you can book an appointment with me at Raziri in Washington Township. That's where I work. But you can book through my social media at sarabataskin. That's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and also my website is sarahbataskin.com. And there I have recommendations, links for things that I love and articles that I've written and contributed to. Blog, all the can book.

Sara Botta [00:48:38]:
Again, you can book appointments through there also for skin consultations. If you aren't in my area, I'm more than happy to guide you along in a skin journey for your home and for our family fun adventures. We have the busy badas on Instagram and YouTube and Facebook. And I do have right now I'm in the process of working on something really exciting that I'm very much looking forward to presenting to the world. And I want to actually talk to you about this after this, maybe, okay, but it's not quite ready yet. But just keep an eye out if you are interested in that skincare journey for yourself. But all of that information will come out on my website and social media as well.

Chi Quita Mack [00:49:33]:
Yay. So you all better get out there, follow, share, like all the things. And I will have everything linked in the show notes so you won't have to worry about overthinking. You can just click it right there and do what you got to do. Sarah, I want to thank you so much for being a part of the beauty and you podcast, for being a part of my journey and just sharing a little bit of your heart with myself and my audience. You have been amazing.

Sara Botta [00:50:03]:
Thank you again so much. I'm really happy to have you in my online tribe and again, for the opportunity. It's been really fun.

Chi Quita Mack [00:50:15]:
Awesome.

Sara Botta [00:50:16]:
Thank you.

Chi Quita Mack [00:50:17]:
All right, you guys, well, until next.

Jacqueline G. [00:50:20]:
Time, thank you for joining us on this week's episode of the Beauty and you podcast. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. Visit us @thechiquitamack or join us on Instagram @thechiquitamack for your daily motivation and inspiration. Tell a friend to tell a friend. Until next time.