A Shift from Armor to Alchemy

Journal Entry –

After spending years marinating in body armor, patrolling in gear that left little room for breathability, I found myself constantly battling skin irritation and acne. It was frustrating—spending my time in high-alert environments, only to have my own skin turn against me.

One day, I decided to stop buying soap from the store and try making my own. I thought it might help curtail the breakouts. What I discovered—through research and a lot of hands-on experimentation—was eye-opening:
What’s sold in most stores isn’t really soap. It’s detergent.

And while detergent has its place—great for scrubbing grime out of uniforms or degreasing tools—our skin is not a textile. It's a living, breathing organ. Not all the oils our skin produces are “bad.” In fact, many of them are essential to maintaining a healthy skin barrier.

That’s where superfatted soap comes in. By using soap that retains extra nourishing oils, instead of stripping everything away like detergent does, I found my skin starting to rebalance. The breakouts lessened. The irritation faded. My complexion became clearer, calmer, and—finally—comfortable.

The experience taught me something important: the best armor for your skin isn’t something you wear—it’s something you make with intention.

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