Whether you are a transitioning (transgender) man or woman, the treatments and surgeries that can help you reach your goals can also be the source of drastic skin changes. Scarring, dry skin, acne, hair loss, and hair growth are the most common side effects you’ll likely face on your way to the life you want.

Let’s discuss the changes one may experience when transitioning. 

Hormones Go Haywire.

The first medical step in the process for both male to female (MTF) women and female to male (FTM) men is usually hormone therapy. But hormones affect the skin in many ways.

Male to Female (MTF) Women commonly take estrogen to feminize their features. While estrogen can help the breasts develop, increase body fat and slow the growth of body and facial hair, it also reduces sebum production. Sebum plays an important role in keeping your skin healthy. Sebum is a substance that provides a protective coating for your skin to help it retain moisture. Most of your sebaceous glands connect to your hair follicles.

If you are already prone to dry skin, estrogen therapy may cause itching and dry skin. This is where you want to ensure you’re using your YELLE Awakening Serum for dry skin to lock in moisture. The Serum is suspended in a concentrated base of pure vegan hyaluronic acid to plump skin cells and protect and restore. It’s also sealed with Vitamin C to promote healthy skin cells to regrow as you transition. 

If you are transitioning from female to male, it’s common to take hormonal supplements formulated from testosterone. Unlike estrogen, testosterone increases sebum production. Severe acne is often the result, especially in the beginning. Hormonal acne causes deep, painful cysts and nodules. As it clears, scars often appear. Topical creams and oral antibiotic medications are the first line of treatment; but it’s also important to maintain healthy skin at home. Sweeping away dead skin cells with our Awakening Toner is a sure way to quench your face and let beauty reign. Feed thirsty skin and restore the skin's surfaces with this Awakening Toner. 

There is tremendous misunderstanding (and often misinformation) about what transition means. Assumptions and beliefs are often influenced by political rhetoric and legal concerns. It is important to be well-informed, because the type and degree of transition your child pursues can vary enormously. This is a long and gradual process that may transpire over years. Allow the person transitioning, and your family to have grace. Be understanding even when you don’t understand. They need your support to get through the long and unknowing journey ahead. 

If you don’t know –The Cookout is the OFFICIAL space where black people everywhere can dwell without judgment, scrutiny, or the backlash of societal pressure and expectations. The Cookout is our space haven, and not many non-black people get invited; but when they do … it’s because they deserve the invitation! 

Here’s a list of THE FEW that we are inviting to The Cookout: 

Gloria Johnson, the Tennessee state Congresswoman who stood with state Congressmen Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. The only white lawmaker in that chamber to disrupt the chamber alongside them. True allyship. 

Bobby Caldwell, Lord rest his soul. The brother(not with an “a”) passed away this year but my man was soulful! While he was a great soul singer (“What You Won’t Do For Love”) who many actually thought was a black man.

Jane Elliot. Sis been telling white people they’re racist and privileged for decades.

Teena Marie, the quintessential example of a white person who’s cookout-worthy. She was a real part of Black culture in the ’70s and ’80s. She was a soul singer on Motown whose first single was released without a photo and many Black and white people heard that soulful voice and assumed she was Black. I mean, sis was Soul Train’s FIRST White Guest. Access ACCEPTED. 

Tommy from Power. Cause clearly he’s down to ride-or-die. 

Adele, because sis has soul and she can rap every single Nicki verse there is. 

Now that we’ve established who made the cut … I want to remind yall, this cookout for Juneteenth is BIGGER than just getting together. It’s about coming together for our ancestors' dreams. It’s about them finally seeing us thriving in the world they paved the way for. It’s about not letting systematic oppression stress us out. It’s about prioritizing our wellbeing above all. 

Stress can lead to breakouts and exacerbate conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, experts say, and that's just one example of how what you're feeling on the inside can show up on the outside. 

Your mood can absolutely affect your skin and can have long-term effects on your life. 

Anxiety and stress can not only have an impact on your skin condition, it can also have an impact on how you treat your skin. Bad habits like skin-picking, bump popping, and finicking due to stress always has a major effect on the skin. 

It’s time that we find joy for our people because for far too long we have allowed the stress of our circumstances to consume us.

That is why at YELLE we are building our the brand to be more inclusive of wellness and not just skincare. Implementing new products that help us cope with anxiety and stress while also fostering healthy self-care methods through routines, activities, and products that help ground us. 

Is this something you’re interested in? Do you suffer from anxiety and stress? How are you coping now? 

Let’s find our joy … it’s cookout season! Who would you add to the cookout list? 

Dear Men,

I want to release you from the notion that you must be strong, and masculine for the sake of your character. It’s time to move past outdated gender roles and encourage better self-care. 

Expectations surrounding Black masculinity, such as the requirement to be strong and lack emotion, have often prevented Black men from seeking mental health care. It has taken a toll on our community for far too long, and it’s time to stop. 

As mental health challenges continue to rise in this community, some Black Americans still aren’t receiving the mental health care and treatment they may need. This is especially true for Black men, who are not only affected by the general barriers to medical treatment that many in the Black community face, but who also have internalized certain behaviors that fit within the social constructs of Black masculinity — ultimately impacting their help-seeking behaviors. Despite known or suspected mental health issues, Black men are for numerous reasons often reluctant to seek treatment.

There are many factors to consider here, this being the most important:  Black men specifically are traditional masculinity roles and ideas across racial and ethnic backgrounds that have caused men to struggle with being vulnerable and sharing their emotions — making them even more reluctant to seek help. In addition, the lack of love and acceptance that many of them face can create a separate emotional crisis.

There is a study that shows Black masculinity both exacerbated psychological and emotional challenges such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD and prevented the men from seeking help to address those challenges. (study link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4979354/ )

Despite these norms and the frequent inner struggle over vulnerability, more and more Black men are sharing their challenges with mental health. Figures like Kid Cudi, JAY Z and Charlamagne The God, Big Sean, and many others take a stand daily to support black men and mental health. 

So the question stands: as society is doing the work to eradicate toxic masculinity in the black man, would you date a soft man? A man that prioritizes his feelings over his strength. A man that is emotionally mature and available for a relationship. One that consistently indulges in romance and chivalry. One that is in-tune with his softness.

This change doesn’t happen overnight. Let’s talk about how to downsize the Masculine vibes in exchange for BRAVE-SOFT LIFE: 

1. You have nothing to prove. Let go of the stigma and realize that you alone are enough and you have nothing to prove. Yes, there are obligations to loved ones that must be fulfilled, but prioritizing mental and physical wellness so that you can be more present for those who love and depend on you is essential.
2. There is no shame in seeking help. I know this is cliche, but the message is still in-fact true. Be proud that you are taking the steps to be a better version of yourself. Help doesn’t always mean counseling. It is also putting a system in place so that you can maximize your well-being. Whether it’s indulging in self-care each day with the BRAVE COLLECTION or Turning on Your Meditation Playlist from YELLE’s Self-care QR code. You control your narrative, you have that power. 
3. Establish Boundaries. This is a form of taking back control. YOU have the right to say who is and who isn’t allowed in your life. Establish the proper boundaries for those who are not able to support you through this journey, family included. Remember, if it costs you your peace, it’s too expensive. 

Get yall nasty minds out of the gutter … yea, we are talking BIG D Energy, but D meaning –DADDY!

All of June we will be celebrating the special father figures in our life. Whether you planted the seed, or raised them up. Even if you’re the uncle or god-daddy! We need you and we will celebrate you!

With Father’s Day and Juneteenth falling on the same weekend, it’s giving a double dose of joy. “Being a father is truly my greatest honor; my most prized title,” says YELLE Community Member, HD Smith; “I was blessed to have not only my father, but extraordinary father-figures in my life, supporting me through my endeavors, and now having two amazing children of my own, I hope to inspire them to serve their communities as the men in my life and father did for me.”

This is something we love to see! We want to shine a spotlight on not only fatherhood, but black fatherhood. While society claims that black father’s aren’t active in the lives of their children, we beg to differ. In fact, there are kings like James Bond of Dadish, INC who do the work every single day to take on the responsibility of guiding and supporting their biological children while showing up as community fathers to the children who lack strong and positive male influence.https://www.thedadish.com 

While fatherhood may look different for many, the most important part is the positive male influence in our household. Seeing our men be strong and supportive, maintain healthy relationships, prioritize their health and wellbeing, while also making a difference in the community. 

This is commonly displayed online with platforms like Krew Season podcast, where 4 black brothas have deep conversations about relationships and black love. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. 

Accounts like Devale puts the black family on front-street while showing how he balances fatherhood, a demanding career, and a beautiful marriage. We can’t resist the inspiration!

“Fatherhood is my greatest accomplishment, if I never did anything right, I did that right.” - Mendeecees Harris says about becoming a father. 

In fact, you can see Mendeecees all over the gram using his BRAVE Collection from YELLE Skin Care while making sure his kids stay in routine with their FRESH Start Collection https://www.instagram.com/p/CW4RNoXJr3r/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg== 

Now if that doesn’t inspire you, nothing will. We need our men to focus more and care about their wellbeing through self-care. Our fave, Influencer Dontrell always reminds us to put ourselves first before we can show up for our people. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co_E5O5uRA8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg== 

If you’re looking for ways to connect with the father-figure in your life, YELLE has an extensive list of ways for you to do so. 

Grab your smartphone, because with every purchase you will be will be given a QR code that grants you access to our Meditation Playlist. 

You can find zen while using the BRAVE Collection. Our men’s skincare system was designed to bring back the ‘smoothe’ to our brotha’s skin.

Go on and celebrate the father in your life. Take advantage of our Father’s Day sale by signing up for our newsletter to grab your discount code!

Sex isn’t without its benefits: It feels pretty damn nice, counts as exercise, brings you closer with a partner, and the list goes on. But have you ever noticed that after the act and during the inevitable bathroom session, your skin kind of glows? There’s a flush to your cheeks, a light misting of sweat, and from underneath, your skin looks healthy and alive. It can’t just be my mirror lying to me, so is good skin something we should add to the list of sex benefits?

Well, that’s because … well sex essentially makes your skin better! 

Like other forms of exercise, sex increases blood flow to the skin, which will give you a brighter complexion, making the general health of your tissues better. 

But why does it happen this way? Well, simply put, the more sex you have the more reduction in cortisol levels, aka the ‘stress hormone.’ This can improve collagen production,” Collagen—for all non-derms—is the most abundant protein in our bodies. This protein is what helps keep our skin elastic, supple, and smooth.

In fact, we believe in Collagen so much that we are actually developing a Collagen supplement that will fully support the need to level out stress hormones. Sign up for our newsletter so that you don’t miss out on notifications! 

So what does that mean? It means … get your freak on! In fact, grab your YELLE Brave collection, and start a little intimacy through self-care for him. 

Cleanse his skin with the Brave Milk & Honey Cleanser … 

Be sure to wash through his beard to eliminate oil and product build up.

Then give him a good shave followed by Brave After Shave.

The Brave After Shave is one of the most brilliant skin care products for the male complexion.  Our aftershave has both moisturizing and astringent properties. It is a toner that will

• Balances and controls oil
• Prevents blackheads
• Controls breakouts
• Hydrates the skin
• Lessens signs of aging by reducing pore size

Then show him you love him with an intense No Grit Scrub combing through the tight hair follicles in his beard, breaking up all of the dead skin cells that he acquired while working so hard for his family. 

Seal the love with a little of Brave Moisturizer to let him know that you want him and his skin healthy and nourished. 

We guarantee this extra love and affection will set the mood just right.