​I’ve spent my day at home with a sick child. Normally I would shrug, pass it off as a headcold, offer her a concrete pill and leave her to sleep it off. I wouldn’t bother telling my family, and if they found out they’d also shrug and send her good wishes. Today was different though. I sent the alert out straight away and watched the messages and calls come in. We’re all worrying, all of us, that it’s more than a cold. Even though common sense tells me that this is not the dreaded C-word as I watch my child munch her way through every available snack and enjoy several girly movies on TV without a cough or a sniffle, it got me thinking of the what ifs. This is a scary time and today was probably the first time that the reality of this awful situation has sunk in for me. So I decided to take to the keyboard and share a few of my musings, both as a small business owner and a scared citizen of the world. Hopefully my thoughts might be valuable to you or even provide you a little bit of security knowing you aren’t the only one starting to feel a wee bit scared.
Screw you Corona Virus. Seriously, screw you.

​THE FACTS ABOUT MY FACTS
To be completely honest this is not an article where I discuss recent statistics and medical findings about the Corona Virus. We’re all getting bombarded with this information every hour of every day. This is more about sharing some ideas on how to stay sane and make good decisions about how to find our way through this horrifying era. Take it for what it is. I’m not looking for a witch hunt. We’re all in this together after all.

E A GOOD HUMAN
I think this is a biggie. Because I have been a bit of a fool in my selfish thinking. It was only this morning that I found myself pettily complaining to a friend about a dance event I’ve been looking forward to attending being cancelled. She was great. She calmly reminded me that we’re all missing out and that, yes, I sounded like a spoilt child. Events are being cancelled for good reason. The sure way to end this pandemic is to stop it spreading and the only way to do that is if we stop gathering together. So if you are thinking you are invincible and that you can move through your world like you used to, enjoying the social privileges that you’re used to, think again. If you are upset that plans are being cancelled, show compassion. If you responsible for running a big social event and are trying to decide whether or not to go ahead, do the right thing. And if you should self-quarantine, even if it’s a “just in case” scenario, do it.  Yes, it’s an inconvenience, but it’s an inconvenience to us all. As I had to tell myself today, suck it up sunshine. This is bigger than you. It isn’t forever but the sooner we all take responsibility for what we can do to stop the spread the sooner we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. For my own part, I’m putting any Besp makeup workshops and consultations on hold for now. It’ll mean a dip in profits, but that’s what has to happen. 
And while I’m at it, can we please stop the shelf raiding?? The thing about it is, the ones who will suffer from this are the most vulnerable of our society – the ones that live on a day to day budget, who can’t afford to stock up on large quantities of groceries. People living in situations where they don’t have space to store extras, which can be the case for many of our elderly who are already most at risk from this virus. They are the ones who are will be going without because of the greed of others. The hoarding mentality means that while some of us will strive on plenty, others will suffer with nothing. It’s an unnecessary additional strain on an already disrupted society. So, if in a state of panic, you are considering raiding the supermarket shelves to the point of depletion, think twice. Don’t be silly. Be kind.

​SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
Yes, I know, that’s what I am, and this could be seen as shameless self-promotion. But honestly, I’m thinking of the bigger picture. We’ve become so reliant on getting what we need from the big brands and overseas companies that we often miss what’s good in our own village. As the virus spreads there will likely be some importing restrictions and it may prove harder to get what would normally be considered everyday items. I mean, look at the craziness going on with tissues, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Supermarket shelves are emptying at an apocalyptic rate and restocking might become more difficult. Maybe now is the time to find out who’s selling what locally and support them. It might just be one more small step to best surviving this time. Also keep in mind that it is our small businesses that will suffer most in the economic crisis that this pandemic brings with it. We can only get through to the other side with consumer support. Go on, be a good human, support the little guys.

STUCK AT HOME? MAKE THE MOST OF IT
If you have had to shut yourself away from the world, try not to let it get you down. To quote a very good psychologist that I know “View it as a holiday. Change your perspective. You don’t have much control over the situation but you can accept and be grateful for what you have”. If you can, try to find ways to enjoy it, or at least fill the time in a useful way. Here are some suggestions that might tide you over.

• Enjoy a hobby. This is a luxury our busy lives rarely afford us. If you used to enjoy drawing, do it. If you haven’t painted for a while, get out the canvases. If writing is your jam, grab a pen and go for it. Sometimes time on our own unleashes all sorts of talents we forget we have. And if your hobby requires resources, reach out and ask a friend to drop the materials to your front door, or buy them online.
• Pamper yourself. Grab some beauty products online and treat yourself to an at home spa (if you’re up to it). Go on, have a look at my website, see what I’ve got to make your quarantine more pleasant….(www.beso.co.nz)
• Learn a skill. The internet is right there for you and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the online courses available. You can study a language, become a marriage celebrant, gain makeup artistry skills, practice yoga, and even learn to twerk from the comfort of your own living room. You might find these links useful:
  • Online yoga (I like this instructor, I enjoy her videos and instruction) https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
  • Check out these courses. I’ve done a few of them to build my skills for Beso and I find them quite enjoyable, and the tutors are experts in their fields. https://www.ofcourse.co.uk/
  • Here’s how to become a marriage celebrant: https://www.govt.nz/organisations/births-deaths-and-marriages/information-for-marriage-celebrants/become-an-organisational-celebrant/#what-you-need-to-know
  • Learn to twerk with the amazing Jadee Poppop. I’ve seen this woman in action and she’s amazing. She has a full online course starting early April. I’ll be posting details about this course on my Facebook page, but you can contact her directly through her profile, Jadee Poppop
  • Find a penpal. This site allows you to correspond online and by snail mail. (yes, you’ll need to get a friend to take your letters to the postbox, but reach out) https://www.globalpenfriends.com/
  • Join an online book club. At this site, you can review books, find out about what’s good to read and get involved in book lover forums. https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/

There’s a whole virtual world out there at your fingertips. Don’t let the social isolation get to you. Keep your mind and body healthy and busy and you’ll get through your quarantine a better version of yourself.

​PHONE A FRIEND
With the rising number of confirmed cases the need to self-quarantine has increased. It’s a socially isolating situation and brings with it its own can of worms. For some of us, this alone time is not going to be something that suits our personality and has the potential to cause anxiety and depression for many people. I’m that kind of person. I fear the idea of self-isolation, of the feeling of being cut off and away from my normal routine. Today is only one day away from my normal life but I got thinking about what we can do to look out for our socially restricted friends.

• First off, let me highlight that you must stay away. This is not a chance to pop round and chill out with our potentially sick friends. That cancels out any good human actions we are otherwise taking. And it’s silly

​

• Stay in regular contact. Just because you can’t visit doesn’t mean that you can’t still reach out. A quick phone call, face time, skype, text, might be just what an isolated friend needs to get through the day
• Drop a care package to their front door. Think magazines, books, pampering treats, groceries. Hell, even treat them to some toilet paper if you can get your hands on it.

It’s all about the little acts of kindness. And also, don’t judge people for withdrawing from social events and situations. This pandemic will be triggering some pretty big feelings for some of us and we need to be gentle with each other.

KEEP CLEAN AND CARRY ON
This is the best thing we can be doing. The World Health Organisation is emphasizing the importance of hand washing in stopping the spread of this virus. Hand sanitizer has also become a common fixture in most organisations and supplies in supermarkets have been depleting rapidly. From a skincare perspective, here are a few things to keep in mind around the cleanliness aspect:

• Wash your hands. Often, frequently, every time you think they’re dirty. Or not dirty. Just wash them. It’s a habit I’m really pushing in our household. I have a persistent nose-picker under my roof and I’m having to work very hard to keep that one clean and well sterilized. My daughter brought home a great hint from school which was to wash your hands for as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice.
• Choose your hand soap wisely. With all the frequent washing going on, choose a gentle, natural soap. It doesn’t have to create a crazy lather to do a good job. The lather comes from sulfates that aren’t great for our skin or the environment. Also, try to avoid palm oil. Again, keep your eye on the big picture – our planet’s welfare still matters. And keep waste down by using bar soap – it works just as well as liquid soap, and no, viruses cannot be transferred through shared soap. The scientists have already checked that out for us. (and yes, Beso does have natural, palm-oil soap available for purchase.) ​Read about soap here: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/yw4bvb/is-there-any-reason-to-use-liquid-soap-instead-of-bar-soap
• Change your hand towels regularly. Towels harbour and breed germs, and as hand towels are usually shared in a household it’s important that they are switched out and cleaned frequently.
• Now to hand sanitizer. According to my research, this isn’t as effective as washing, but it does make for a good in-between-washes solution to fighting the germs. In saying that, keep in mind that it is only the sanitizers that contain 60% or more alcohol that are actually effective. The nice smelly, moisturizing ones just don’t cut the mustard when it comes to fighting a pandemic. If you do manage to get your hands on some of the heavy duty stuff (and yes, Beso is working on it), remember that alcohol is very drying for the skin, so use it only when you have to and moisturize well through the day.

This is a rough time for our world. We’re all united by our fear and we have to support each other through this. This is not a time for complacency, but nor is it a time for panic. We must stay sensible and work together methodically to beat this pandemic. Stay informed by watching the news everyday and reading government and health department updates. We can beat this if we do what has to be done, act selflessly and behave responsibly. The sooner we can decrease the spread of Covid-19 the less at risk our vulnerable will be. So if you aren’t doing it for yourself, do it for others and remember that in situations where society is most put to the test, it’s first and foremost about being a good human.
Stay safe and look out for each other.
​
Besos, xx
Camella

​Another question I get asked is why did I go down this path at all. This is a very important aspect of Beso, as I created the products for myself and my family. We all suffer a bit from skin issues and I was tired of risking our health with synthetic and harmful commercial options. And I was also sick of seeing existing natural products sold with such an incredibly high mark up. I couldn’t help but see how ridiculous it was that a product with less ingredients in it could cost so much more. I was annoyed that the term “natural” had become synonymous with “elite” and “expensive”. So that meant in my mind that people already suffering from skin problems were being penalized by having to pay more to eliminate the nastiness from their beauty regime. So I started sharing my natural concoctions with friends and family so they could enjoy them too. And then they started offering to pay for them which was a bit of a turning point for Beso because it suddenly meant I had a business on my hands. I sat down and thought very carefully about my pricing because it was my goal to stay affordable so my products would be accessible to everyone. I’ve continued this philosophy and am proud to say that my highest priced non-customised item in my store is only $35.

​When it comes to the makeup side of things, I decided to train in this service so I could connect with some of the wonderful ladies out there who struggle with this side of life. I have been able to meet so many gorgeous souls with incredible stories and spend time with them, making them feel happier in themselves and getting them to accept their personal beauty. My attitude towards makeup is that we should be doing it for fun, not as a chore. I want to enhance the ladies who come to me and help them see what they really like about themselves, not to change how they look and alter their appearances beyond what they can realistically achieve at home. I think this makes me different from so many other professionals in my trade. The best part of a makeover for me is helping my customers feel relaxed and happy with what they see in the mirror, not just on the big reveal, but before I even start applying the makeup. Self-acceptance is what Beso is all about and it means a lot to me to be part of this drive to give people that inner happiness.

​It’s been five years now that I’ve been chipping away at Beso, wondering every week, every month, every year if it might be coming to an end. But old customers return, and new customers continue to join me and this crazy ride keeps going. I hope the Beso love will spread and someday I’ll be a household name, at least in Tauranga. Regardless of the future, I’ll keep working my hardest to develop the best natural products I can and send them out into the world knowing that they are amazing and truly made with love.
X
Camella