We spoke to writer, storyteller, and Gladskin team member Sarah Harris about how working in skincare has brought her eczema journey full circle.
We love Sarah's commitment to the eczema community, and her resolve to revolutionize the way we view and treat inflammatory skin conditions—all while merging her personal and professional experiences. We’re grateful for her eczema insights, which she shares with generosity and care. It makes our work more thoughtful and nuanced.
You’ve lived with eczema for most of your life—and you’re Gladskin’s Director of Brand Communications. How do you decide to start integrating eczema into your work?
I spent my early career working as a public radio reporter in upstate New York. I loved the reporting and the storytelling work, but overextended myself—and a couple years in I had a major eczema flare that lasted for months and made it almost impossible to function. It was the first time in my adult life that my skin had gotten so out of control, and navigating it was really challenging. I was able to ultimately get my skin back on track, and after that I found that I wanted to talk more about living with eczema—to integrate that experience into my work as a writer and storyteller.
I started writing about eczema on the side for outlets like The Cut and Jezebel. I discovered the eczema community on Instagram, and it was such a balm. I didn’t realize how much I needed it: the support of my eczema friends really bolstered me, and their perspectives enriched the way I thought about my skin. I got involved with the National Eczema Association and went to my first Eczema Expo in 2019. And I learned about Gladskin.
I was struck by the company’s mission—its sole purpose was to serve people with inflammatory skin conditions, to make their lives better. I loved the science, the product, and the focus on the skin microbiome., and I wanted to be part of it. Working here has given me a powerful way to be of service to people with eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions.
How has your work impacted your sense of purpose?
Growing up, I never saw people with skin like mine reflected in the culture—and certainly not in skincare marketing. I wanted to change that. I wanted to give people with eczema a voice in the skincare conversation—to honor and dignify our condition, not just focus on our itchy spots.
The eczema landscape has changed a lot over my lifetime. For many years, there were so few treatment options available. But now there are multiple new therapies, and we’re learning about the role that skin microbiome plays in our condition. I firmly believe that people with eczema deserve safe, sustainable options that support our long-term skin health, and that restoring balance to the skin microbiome is an important part of caring for our skin. Working to deliver that, and to make life better for people with inflammatory skin conditions means so much to me. It’s given me so much power, meaning, and purpose.