Skin

Okay, so you might assume this would be a deep post about race in Botswana. Alas, it is not about that. This blog post is about what I (and probably 99% of other PCVs) put their skin through during their service. It is important to note that back home I was pretty “granola” when it came to my skin. I only used my homemade soaps, organic shampoo, no lotion except for extreme cases (when I did moisturize it was usually with organic oils), almost never wore bug spray and only wore sunscreen when absolutely necessary. Since being in Botswana, I've put my skin through a lot. Also, this post isn’t just about what I do to my skin, it’s also what the elements and small organisms do to it as well. So, here we go…

I’m going to walk you through a typical day in the life of Bridgette’s skin.

·         In the morning, I take a bath (not always, but sometimes).

·         After I take my bath I apply a ton of sunscreen. I use normal stuff on my body and some fancy stuff for my face. Every PCV in Botswana has aged since we’ve arrived. I have a lot more wrinkles than I ever thought I would at 29. The reason is that the sun here is intense – more intense than anywhere in the States. I will probably continue to wear some sunscreen back home, but I look forward to not having to apply it several times per day, every day.

·         Then I walk around my village. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I’m usually covered in sweat and dirt after these trips.

·         Take an afternoon bath. This gets rid of the first layer of sweat and dirt from simply walking around my village.

·          Depending on whether or not I’ll be going outside again, I might apply more sunscreen.

·         Once the sun starts to set, I apply mosquito repellant. This contains DEET, which I would normally avoid in the USA, but it is the only proven repellant against the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite.

·         I apply more DEET after an hour or two. Sometimes, if I’m in Samochima, I’m applying this stuff all day.

·         Take another bath before going to bed. In the winter, I might apply lotion since it is incredibly dry here during winter. The lotion here is all petroleum based and has tons of preservatives. These are the things I avoid like the plague back home.

I can’t imagine all of this stuff is great for my skin. I have a lot more breakouts than I ever did when I was a pubescent teenager. I have tried different types of cleansers, toners and moisturizers since I’ve been here. I’ve learned that I really don’t need moisturizer during summer, but it is 100% necessary in winter. I’ve had people bring me awesome Kiehl’s facial products, but they are not as effective against the thick layer of sweat and dirt that I always have. I just discovered a Eucerine product that is a cleanser and toner in one fluid. This has been great and is very effective at taking off my layer of grossness. 

 

Now, the worst part of dealing with skin issues is bugs. Here’s a rundown of the bug issues I’ve face during my service.

·         Mosquitoes – Most do not transmit malaria, but we live in an area where those nasty ones live. I used to get bit more often, but I think my constant DEET application and excessive garlic intake has helped.

·         Mites – I am constantly dealing with mite bites. Our furniture is infested and no matter how much DOOM we spray on them, they come back. I get bites every day and it’s enough to make me crazy. My closet also has a mite issue, so sometimes I put on clean clothes and get bites. It’s terrible.  As I write this, I just got new bites on my right shoulder and left foot.

·         Blister beetles – These nasty bugs are always flying around in the summer. They actually give you a chemical burn that blisters. Once the blister pops, it can create more blisters. This is a terrible thing to deal with. Luckily, this has only happened to me once.

·         Mango (Tumbu) flies – This is one of the grossest experiences I have ever had. These flies lay their eggs on clothes that are hanging up on the laundry line to dry. You put on these nice, clean clothes and the larvae burrow into your skin. You get an itchy mosquito-bite type bump that then turns painful. It then looks like a zit with a black spot in the middle. We had no idea about these things until Matt squeezed a mango fly larva out of my back. Disgusting!

It’s a minor (sometimes feels major) inconvenience, and I cannot wait to go home and not have new bug bites every day. I also can’t wait to make more of my wonderful handmade soap that I will use on my delicate skin. So, if you are planning on becoming a PCV, know that you will put your skin through hell. You will most likely be itchy during your whole service, you’ll put more gunk on your skin than you ever thought possible, and your skin will age about 5 years. I just thought others should be warned…