Motor&Motar

@moidienstudio first brick and motar store, right in the hip and cool area of Saigon. Congrats @tomtrandt !!!!

Hello. I have what people call eczema. It developed right after I got dengue 3 years ago. When I arrived in our kampung/ village last week, I didn’t realise how bad my eczema had become, it was so noticeable. Aunties and uncles and grandparents started naming leaves I should apply. It took me by surprise actually because up until now, in our area I’d never seen or heard of anyone still using traditional herbal medicine. I never asked for treatment, but friends & family took it on themselves to harvest remedies. Photo (1) - our friends and my teacher from the neighbouring Penan village taking the bark of the tongkat ali tree. My instruction was to pound the bark with a bit of water and salt and apply to the skin. Photo (2) - Uncle Elias with da’un tebekari (Kelabit name). Photo (3) My hand after a few hours of applying crushed leaves of da’un tebekari. The dark lines are open wounds. Photo (4) My Penan friend Lilian had heard from her mother of my skin problems, and texted me saying she’s harvesting for me kulit kayu arang (Penan name) which had healed her own skin. Photo (5) - The stripped tree bark boiled in water which I apply to my skin. For all of these plants, every night my aunty pounded the mixture in a stone pestle and motar and with her hands rubbed the liquid into my skin. I’ve had some strange ailments in my life and through the process have preferred natural and alternative healing remedies. Whether it’s the plants or the immense love and care that I’m so lucky to receive, my skin flaring has gone down. Really appreciated the time and knowledge that was shared with me 💙 I have a whole lot more to say about ezcema, like how I really believe that the healing has to come from the inside, from stress reduction and from healing the gut; and from adjusting external factors like being in warm weather, being in nature and avoiding contact with chemicals. Anyone else here coping with ezcema / psoriasis? . . . #eczema #skin #indigenous #indigenousknowledge #sarawak #Dayak #skinwarrior #thebeautyofeczema #eczemarelief #skincare #traditionalknowledge #herbalremedies #naturalista #kelabit #penan #daun #leaves #nature #bodypositive