Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor11.23.21
Jeairy Segarra didn’t even have a driver’s permit when a freak accident forever changed the Dermablend spokeswoman’s life.
It was October 1998, and the seizure-prone 15-year-old was attempting to remove glue from her scalp, which doctors had used to hold electrodes for an EEG scan to decipher the cause of her seizures. A power outage prompted the Puerto Rican native to fetch a candle which she used to continue removing the glue with store-bought oil as health professionals told her she could do. As she tilted her head toward her tabletop mirror, her heavily-oiled, flammable locks caught fire and instantly burst into flames, turning her briefly into what she recalled a “human fireball.” Her entire head, hands and part of her back were engulfed in flames. Her screaming woke her mother, who immediately showered her with cold water and dried her with wet towels.
Now in her late 30s, the burn survivor is a warrior in her own right, going by the moniker Latina Empower on Instagram. A big believer in the adage “everything happens for a reason,” the mother of two has used her tragedy for motivational speeches. She speaks to people young and old who have endured similar traumas, or anyone struggling with their self-image. Her aim is to give them hope to continue to live the life they always wanted and to use their trials and tribulations as catalysts.
‘My Skin Matters’
While therapy can be enough to lift a person’s spirits and change their perspective, Segarra’s new lease on life called for a makeover. Following a fruitless search for a good foundation to blur her facial scars, Segarra was introduced to Dermablend. The cosmetics brand would have a tremendous impact on her life.
Dermatologist-tested and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)-approved, Dermablend is part of the L’Oreal Active Cosmetics Division. It merges high-performance pigments and so-called skin security standards to produce instant coverage solutions in the form of foundations, concealers, translucent setting powders, primers and more trusted by makeup artists and medical professionals. These standards ensure that Dermablend products are safe to use on all skin types, tones and conditions and include non-comedogenic, allergy-, dermatologist- and sensitive-skin tested formulas.
Dermablend products are used to help erase and smooth out many skin imperfections with the strokes of a brush. These include acne and acne scars, rosacea, dark spots, dark circles, birthmarks and vitiligo, a skin condition marked by a loss of pigment cells that causes patches of discoloration in different parts of the body.
“Dermablend showed me that my skin matters,” said Segarra. “Because of all the different tones and textures in my skin, it was very difficult to use makeup like most women do on a regular basis. It was frustrating to find a solution until I chose Dermablend.”
To mark its 40th anniversary, the cosmetics brand is partnering with nonprofit organization Angel Faces to organize an upcoming retreat. The nonprofit was founded in 2003 by Lesia S. Cartelli, who survived a natural gas explosion in 1969 at nine years old. Angel Faces provides healing retreats, mentorship and community support to young women with disfiguring injuries from traumatic burn incidents.
“We shared an important mission of inspiration and empowerment,” Tara Pyle, vice president of Dermablend, said about Cartelli. “A motivational speaker, her goal is to bring together women who went through traumatic experiences.”
Products to Live By
“We serve a very important role in the lives of some people. The fact that we create these cover products that some people cannot live without has given it this amazing longevity,” said Pyle.
At the retreat, planned for next year at a date and location to be announced, makeup artists will show women how to flawlessly apply their makeup. Participants will also be provided with mentorship on how to grow as individuals and schooled on how to move on from tragedy and live their best life.
“If you’re not feeling super confident about yourself, what seems to be a minor step can give you a massive transformation,” said Pyle. “Once you have this transformation, you feel beautiful in your skin once shown how to enhance natural beauty. It’s a huge confidence boost.”
Indeed, watching such transformations and the satisfaction it gives customers is what Pyle says she loves most about her job. Pyle herself had once endured the burden of severe acne in her teens, but today her skin seems immaculate. She attributes her smooth, beaming complexion to Dermablend’s newest launch: the Continuous Correction CC Cream, which provides long wear with broad spectrum SPF 50+ and medium to full coverage.
Other best-sellers include the Cover Care Full Coverage Concealer, a daylong wear great for dry skin and leaves a satin finish, and Flawless Creator Foundation Drops, a weightless oil-free solution great for covering acne. Interested consumers can take a mini quiz to find their skin color’s perfect match on the Dermablend website.
More than just providing coverage, Dermablend products are clinically tested to improve skin’s natural radiance overtime. And Segarra can attest.
“For her, this was one of the only products to make her feel normal and ready to face the world again,” said Pyle.