Ashley Ann Lora

This weekend was filled with nephews, Dads & family 🥹 Feeling so blessed and filled with love! 🥰

Big shout out to my brother on his first Father’s Day 🥰 I LOVE the way you love Maxi and am so blessed to watch you grow alongside him. I’m learning so much from you! 🖤

Shout out to my brothers, sis-in-law and for making this trip a reality! Lots of T**i/family videos to come!!! 😊

Love me [JoJo], love you tender! 🖤

Colorful. Inside & out 🧡💙

I honestly don’t have the words to express the love I feel for Ghana, so in the meantime, I’ll express my joy & profound gratitude through these photos.

The biggest shout out goes to my best friend of 10+ years for inviting me & planning this entire trip. Alongside Kojo & Givens. My heart is still full and I cannot wait to be back 🖤

😩😩😩🤣 I felt this in my soul. Who can relate?!

✨ I’m prioritizing my peace in 2024 ✨ and one way to do that is by understanding and identifying my daily stressors. What’s stressing me out today? What can I do about it NOW? What baby step can I take to alleviate this stress? When you create moments of peace, you create healing for yourself 🖤Check out one of my latest reels for more insight!


Watch

Swipe to see putting Santa in check cause we were chatting 🙄🤣 he said, “now dont go being on my naughty list, Santa. No Ho-Ho-Hoing over here.” 🥴 Our first Black Santa experience and we loved every bit of it ❤️🎅🏿

PS. My lips were so tight from that it was so uncomfortable to smile 😓

^ THIS THIS THIS! Reposting this from because it requires to stand alone!

I can’t express to you how much living with eczema and going through TSW and a clinical trial has changed my life FOR THE BETTER. I AM who I am because of the journey I’ve been through. I AM caring, sympathetic, empathetic and understanding towards others because of my journey with eczema. I AM resilient, ambitious, and determined to live a purposeful life because I remember the days I couldn’t get up from bed. I AM committed to my health, eating well, and moving my body because I remember when I was bedridden and in immense discomfort and pain. I AM committed to wearing the clothes I want to wear because I remember waking up and choosing what I could wear based on my skin.

So DO NOT underestimate me or those who live with chronic conditions/disabilities/impairments. Our journey to simply be an active member of society… to simply be HUMAN and enjoy “normal people” things have been robbed from us. AND they have also given us an opportunity to view life from a different angle. A UNIQUE angle, that only I/we can see because of our journey. Happy healing mindset, fam 🖤🙏🏽 my community is the bomb diggity and I will always reach out to my community FIRST!

So much has happened in the past few weeks! Here are some lost files from Mexico City 💕

This weekend was full of love, food, and dance in celebrating my brother’s birthday!!! My heart is full 🖤🥰 ANDDDD I can finally share that I’m going to be a T**i (again) 😭🥹🤗👶🏼 Can’t wait to hold my whittle soon-to-be niece or nephew!

I am Ken and Ken is me 🤣

But forreal though, between my eczema products and hair products, my luggage is already halfway full 😓 Anybody else have this problem?!

Here are 3 tips to travel with your skincare products:
1.) See if the products you use come in travel size containers (3oz).
2.) Use small, re-usable containers (can find them at the dollar store) and fill those up with your products.
3.) Just check a big bag/luggage sis and take the whole darn product 😅🤣!

Happy healing mindset! Always better to be prepared and equipped with the products you need!

We’ve come along way!!! Many of you can probably relate to this 👇🏼

I grew up HATING my . She was my enemy. I never understood “her”. I never knew why she would flare up in the times that she did. I never knew why she made me feel ugly or different from everyone else. I never knew why God gave me her… until I realized that she was a PART of me. I am a part of her. We are ONE.

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I fully understood that my eczema doesn’t exist to make me miserable. It exists to tell me that something is wrong! Whether it be internally, mentally, environmentally, and so forth. She - my eczema - is my fire alarm. She makes all of the noise (flareups) to let me know something is on fire (triggers). She helps me pay attention to myself. She lets me know when I’m too stressed out or when I need a break or when I need to do some self-care. They way I treat her, is the way she treats me.

30 years later… she’s turned into my best friend! When she’s flaring up, I’m like “okay, girl. Talk to me? What’s up? What are you trying to tell me?” We work TOGETHER now to bring healing. I’m forever grateful for her! She’s taught me patience, compassion, and UNCONDITIONAL love. Transform your relationship with your eczema and you will transform your healing! Happy healing mindset, fam 🙏🏽🖤

😩🤣🥵 TRUE STORY: growing up, I would wear long sleeves and long pants and scarves during the summer to hide my skin. The breakthrough came years later when I realized that hiding my skin was causing me more mental and physical damage. Mental because hiding my skin was a way of me hiding who I authentically was from the world. I was my BIGGEST critic. Physically because I wasn’t allowing my skin to breathe and be exposed to natural vitamin D! Now when I flare up, I wear the short sleeves anyways. I don’t care anymore what people think of my skin and you shouldn’t either. As I always tell my community, “there are tons of people walking around with clear skin who aren’t happy.” Clear skin does NOT equate to happiness. Find what makes you happy and you will FEEL good before you LOOK good. Happy healing mindset fam 🖤🙏🏽

THIS WEEK I’m speaking at Eczema Expo 2023 in Orlando, FL 🤗 Come check out some of my sessions (please check the Eczema Expo App for the rest of my sessions!)👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Healing Beyond Eczema - WORKSHOP
Date and time:6/22/23 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET. Description: Learn how to build a healing mindset that includes finding acceptance in living with eczema learning the difference between healing and being cured and actionable steps you can take to start your healing journey.

The Power of Owning Your Eczema – SHORTY
Date and time:6/23/23 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM ET and 3:30 PM - 3:50 PM ET. Learn how the R3ST principle can help you feel more in control of your eczema.

Planning a Career Around –– Or In –– Eczema – SHORTY
Date and time:6/23/23 4:00 PM - 4:20 PM ET
Description:
Eczema can impact your career by limiting what sort of work you can perform and causing absenteeism. Eczema can also inspire or direct your career in new and life-changing your career.

And the community said…”AMEN!” 🤣

I’m considered a “long-timer” of eczema (been living with eczema for almost 30 years now). Although I’m not “cured” of eczema, I am healing from it every day through my choices. My choices to eat healthier, exercise, move my body, journal and do things that create peace within my life. My life got 100% better when I accepted my eczema (aka all of me) and when I chose to focus on ACTIONS that create healing versus wishing for a cure and wishing for my to be gone. Happy healing mindset, fam 🖤🙏🏽Have you accepted your eczema? Do you take daily actions that create healing in your life?

Let’s talk about CONFIDENCE & ECZEMA (full article linked in bio). Growing up, eczema made me feel so insecure that it was challenging to be comfortable in my own skin. Over time, the more I understood eczema and how to properly treat it, the more confident I became. That’s why I wrote an article on this topic in partnership with . When I re-created my identity and took my power back from my eczema, my confidence boosted! Read the full article linked in my bio and learn about the tips I’ve used to be comfortable in my own skin. Happy healing mindset, fam! Your confidence awaits you!

I remember when I first learned about TSW (Topical Steroids Withdrawal syndrome) in 2014 and I was SO DETERMINED to “heal on my own”, without anyone and without any medications (trauma of depending my livelihood on doctors for 22 years). I was SO DETERMINED to do my own research, eat healthy and get my life in order so that healing would magically happen (in the timeline that I wanted it to happen). When in reality, this “healing on my own” only created IMMENSE SUFFERING. I was bedridden for over a year. Excluded myself from the world. Took me 4 hours to get ready every day and 4 other hours to put myself to sleep. Suffering from extreme insomnia and so much more. It was truly a gruesome process. Until I sought support from an allergist who thought that I would find great results from a clinical trial study (Dupixent). Within a matter of a few weeks,
I FELT healing. Within a matter of a few months I was 100% CLEAR of any eczema or TSW signs. I was able to get my life in order — sleep, dress cute and feel confident, go out with friends, EXERCISE, find healing through therapy, and so much more. This medication gave me my life back AND SOME MORE. It gave me the foundation I needed to simply LIVE and enjoy the life I was worthy of having. It gave me the strength and courage to STOP the medication in 2018 and KNOW that I was going to heal beyond it. I am currently 5 years without Dupixent or any medication for eczema. These 5 years have been THEE best 5 years of my life so far. So much has happened in these years that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was still going through TSW. Now, this isn’t a caption to influence you to go on a medication. My intention is that by reading this you will get out of your own way. You will seek PROFESSIONAL help from TRUSTED individuals. You will seek COMMUNAL help from your very own community (family, friends, eczema/TSW community). You will put your faith in what’s possible for you when you let go of wanting to heal YOUR WAY. I hope this inspires someone. Save & share 🖤 Happy healing mindset, fam.

😩😩😩 FLAKES GONNA FLAKE! I know it’s hard to accept this, but sometimes you just gotta let those dry patches dry up!! If there’s anything I learned from TSW (topical steroids withdrawal) it’s that 1.) Not all skin areas require moisturization. In fact, many have found healing through moisture withdrawal where you allow your skin to relearn how to moisturize itself. (For us long timers- we’ve been slathering Vaseline or some type of petrolatum for YEARS not realizing its effect of leaving the skin almost addicted to these thick layers of moisturizers). 2.) The importance of adding a layer of WATER before moisturizing. That’s why research shows that moisturizing within 3 minutes of showering is beneficial so you can LOCK IN moisture (the sooner the better). That’s why “wet wrapping” is effective. So before you put on lotion on dry skin, add some water to your skin first! 3.) .skin.nutritionist taught me the importance of switching up my moisturizers when I’m flaring up. This has been a game changer for me! I can’t use my everyday regular moisturizer for when I’m flaring up. Hope this helps! Comment what has worked for you in dealing with your dry patches. Be sure to SAVE & SHARE 😊 Happy healing mindset, fam 🖤

It’s time to get DEEP fam! I know I talk about stress being a big trigger for us, but it’s time to figure out WHAT’s causing the stress and WHAT we’re going to do about it. Here’s a great article I wrote in partnership with on getting to the root cause of our stress. Check out the full article in the link in my bio and take the necessary actions to prevent this emotional-based trigger. Happy healing mindset, family! 🙏🏽🖤

I can’t end this week without sharing this skincare gift! 🤩 Let me introduce you to the new Tone + Texture Daily Renewing Lotion. This is not your average moisturizer folks! With 4% natural PHA and prebiotic oat, the Tone + Texture Daily Renewing Lotion leaves my skin feeling nourished and hydrated while also exfoliating to help soften and smooth. Yes, I said it -> it evens out my skin tone! 😱Just because it’s getting colder, doesn’t mean that your skin needs to be dryer (and uneven 😉). If you need a last-minute Christmas gift, this paired with the new Tone + Texture Renewing Night Cream, is a hit!

Happy Monday! From Us 🖤

Thank you for sharing my story ☺️🙏🏽

LOVED being a part of .us campaign on expressing “Eczema Joy”. Too many ads, photos, videos portray members of our community as “eczema sufferers” as if that is all we are and that’s just NOT TRUE. Part of my growth has been to ACCEPT my eczema and LOVE it unconditionally. (This does not mean that I don’t focus on getting to the root cause). And in doing so, I have accepted that my skin will not look like others. That I will need to live my life SLIGHTLY different than my peers. Which has led me to grow into being comfortable in my own skin NO MATTER WHAT MY SKIN LOOKS LIKE. And that’s been freeing in and of itself. So here’s the deal 👉🏽 You can have eczema AND BE JOYFUL. You can have eczema AND be in a loving, romantic relationship. You can have eczema AND be in your dream career. When you personally know that you’re so much more than your eczema and when you know it does not define you and when you STAND CONFIDENTLY ALONGSIDE YOUR ECZEMA, and no longer care what others will think of you, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE JOY. So go ahead now with your bada$$ joy self!!! 😎 Let’s show MORE OF ECZEMA JOY! Happy healing mindset, fam!

It was such an honor speaking at the .pharma Pharma & Patient 2022 conference today! 😅 It was my first time presenting at a non-eczema focused conference. I got to discuss the building blocks of patient/pharma relationships and what moving BEYOND patient engagement looks like. Not going to lie, I was nervous to speak in front of pharma reps and executives, as I’m used to speaking more in front of patients and members of my community, but let me tell y’all that I can’t wait to do it again! 🖤 Change is happening and it starts with our voices. Happy healing mindset, fam 🖤🙏🏽

I've just reached 900 followers! Thank you for continuing support. I could never have made it without each one of you. 🙏🤗🎉

Here's the reality 👉🏽 Many people in the community don't know or really understand how good and bad skin bacteria play a part in eczema. For example, the skin around my mouth is not only sensitive, but beyond vulnerable to bacterial overgrowth (just look at my past photos 😣😷). That's why I've been loving and using .us Eczema Cream! It helps me balance my skin's microbiome in that particular area, while also creating a healthy environment for good bacteria to thrive again. As a result of using Gladskin's Eczema Cream, I've experienced less itching, less dryness, and fewer flares 🙅🏽‍♀️! WOOT WOOT! Now that calls for a skin celebration! 🥳

Visit Gladskin.com/ASHLEYL and use “ASHLEYL15” for 15% off on your Gladskin purchase! You won’t regret it 🤜🏽🤛🏾

Eczema is more than just a rash. For many – including me – there can be an impact on mental health as well. That’s why I’ve partnered with (NEA) to encourage participation in their Mental Health Survey. This survey is designed to help NEA get a better understanding of eczema’s impact on mental health.

Take NEA’s survey to help illuminate the relationship between eczema and mental health. Even if mental health hasn’t been top of mind for you, NEA still wants to hear from you! Your feedback will help NEA advocate for better mental health care access for people with eczema.
https://nearesearch.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1XkM1sa70bs8yRU?distribution=partner4

After completing the 15 minute survey, you can enter for a chance to win one of 15 $100 Amazon e-gift cards — just for participating! Because mental health can be a sensitive topic, all survey responses will be anonymous and confidential.