Self-care is very expensive, and I changed that – Angel Gomes 

As Guyana continues to grapple with the adverse effect of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, self-care remains fundamental in keeping one’s mental and physical health in check. 

Angel Gomes

Hoping to support persons during this nerve-racking period through her small business is 20-year-old Angel Gomes. She has designed a self-care package filled with all necessities for an at home spa and relaxation to ease the anxieties of the pandemic.  

Looking back at her formative years, Angel said that she was born on the 11th April 2000, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to Anjani and Garfield Gomes. Angel is the oldest of two siblings and grew up in Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Her academic journey began at the Industry Nursery School, after which she hopped over to Graham’s Hall Primary School. After completing six years there, she embarked on her life-changing adventure at Queen’s College, where she was placed in the science stream. She graduated in 2017.

While life was not always perfect, she believes she was privileged because her parents always did their best to provide everything for her and her two sisters.

I did not have the advantage of having some perks as my friends did growing up, but it was enough. I grew up with two smaller sisters. We have pride in coming up from a middle-class family. My mom being sick for most of my childhood, made us aware of things a lot sooner around us. My dad worked as a school bus driver in the community to make ends meet for the entire family.

While her dad heads to work, Angel was tasked with taking care of her other sisters. This, she said, helped to fashion her into a more responsible individual. She also added that it helped her to stand up and have things done for herself. 

Angel Gomes

Despite not having the ‘life’ like her other friends, Angel relayed that she was humbled enough to know that being a nice person doesn’t cost a dime. 

Right after school, I got into the working world. I now play a role as a breadwinner for my family due to COVID-19 affecting my father’s job. I am currently employed as a supervisor at Teleperformance. There’s not a lot to say about my achievements, since I am currently working to save, and continue my interest in medicine.

But if you ever see a girl in her corner, smiling at you to break the silence, that will definitely be, Angel. When asked what she is passionate about, this jovial young girl responded with a smile on her face and said, “spreading kindness.” 

If it’s with a simple smile, compliment, or an action. It matters. Why? Growing up, I saw my mom being sick, my father struggling to make sure we got everything we wanted for school. That was a lot to take in and carry out a normal day at the same time. Nevertheless, I smiled and carried on, but I had that weight to carry. I always think, we never know what someone is going through or what they have to deal with, and our words or expressions can affect a person’s day in a second or a minute. My words to persons, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, shut up.’

Self-care package

Angel related that during the pandemic, she would have learned the importance of mental health, and since being a person that suffers from anxiety, she began exploring self-care options. However, these were expensive. 

It is not easy being surrounded by four walls and working eight hours a day. I then came to the realization that certain ways of self-care are very expensive, and someone like me may not have the privilege of not thinking before you buy. I wanted to change that. I am changing that. I want to showcase the different ways in self-care and let it be affordable too.

As such, she launched her business on the 7th of August 2020. She added that taking the business off the ground was a huge challenge due to her financial constraints. But she is hoping to invest in products on a large scale in the near future. 

Some of the products being offered are:

• Coffee Sugar Lip Scrub – used for dried lips, exfoliating dead skin, and plumping.
• Lavender Sugar Body Scrub – used for exfoliating and moisturizing.
• Lavender Essential oil  –  used for stress and anxiety. 
• Lemon Turmeric Sugar Body Scrub– used for exfoliating and moisturizing, clearing up dark spots, and glowing skin. 

However, Angel noted that customers could also customise their own self-care package as some of them may want to “mix and match.” This budding entrepreneur revealed why her self-care packages are different from the others that are being offered. 

My self- care packages are different because I am focusing on the importance of mental health, not only through skincare. Self-care comes in different forms: social, emotional, environmental, spiritual, etc. As much as we focus on skincare through self-care, we need to make sure that our minds are healthy too.

With her small business, she hopes to take care of her mom and pave the way for her two little sisters. Apart from that, she is hoping to contribute to the health department of Guyana. She envisions herself working in the pediatric sector, as there are many flaws within our health sector that she believes she can help solve. 

When Angel is not working or too busy, she is engaged in outdoor dining, reading strange investigation cases, binge-watching Friends and Grey’s anatomy, and, last but not least, surfing Pinterest. Persons desirous of purchasing one of her self-care packages can message Angel on Instagram @aself_careboxgy or her Facebook account at Angel Gomes.