By Every conversation I’ve had with Deborah Hanekamp, I left feeling calmer and more inspired. Hanekamp, who is most commonly known as Mama Medicine, is a spiritual advisor who encourages people to look inward and empowers them to be their own healer. Her personal practices infuse nature and plants into everyday rituals, and prioritizes introspection and the power of thought.
And it’s infectious: Simply speaking to her–with her soft, reassuring cadence–could spur almost anyone to re-evaluate their routines and opt for a more mindful approach to their day-to-day life.
While this isn’t the most important reason I enjoy listening to her wax poetic about her routines, it must be said: She has incredible skin. And there is a part of me that thinks, If I could just be more thoughtful in my approach to caring for myself, I too could have that effervescent glow.
For what it’s worth, I’m not the only one who thinks this: Scroll through her social media feed and you’ll see comments from followers asking for her skin care breakdown. And while Hanekamp says she used to avoid talking about her beauty practices, she’s now embraced it–somewhat.
“I would get a lot of questions about what I was doing to my skin, and at first I didn’t want that to be part of my identity. I thought, Oh this is just my skin,” she says. “But then I realized that the care of your skin can be a gateway into the care of your soul. It’s one of those areas where you can meet people at a place where they’ll understand, and then you can take them deeper.”
And, here, we explore what she’s up to lately.
