Why pause is a strategy — and how stillness can be its own kind of survival.
I know what you might be thinking. How the heck are we connecting skincare with The Queen's Gambit right now? But stick with me for a second. There's something incredible about using pause as a strategy, where stillness can be its own kind of survival.
Now, we see this in The Queen's Gambit. Beth Harmon, the chess prodigy protagonist, doesn't move quickly. She glides. She waits. She breathes. And in the thick of chaos, inner or outer, she returns to that chess board. Silent. Focused. Still.
In a world that rewards velocity, The Queen’s Gambit reminds us that power often lives in the pause. That control, clarity and resilience are not found in urgency, but in the choice to slow down.
For Beth, stillness isn’t weakness.
It’s the place where she reclaims her mind and herself.
And for us? It might be one of the most overlooked survival tools we have that we can implement into our daily skincare routines.
Throughout the series, Beth becomes synonymous with calm — not because she lacks intensity, but because she knows when to direct it inward. She wins not by overexerting, but by observing. She waits for the right moment. She breathes before she breaks.
And when her life begins to spiral — in loss, in addiction, in loneliness — it’s her rituals that slowly bring her back to herself.
The green pill, the bath, the mirror. Eventually: the tea, the dress, the game. Beth learns that stillness can be chosen — not just endured.
Now, what does slowing down do to the brain (and skin)?
Science backs this up. Stillness — whether in the form of breathwork, rest or ritual — re-regulates the nervous system. It lowers cortisol, reduces inflammation and allows your body to shift from fight-or-flight into repair and restore.
And because your skin is connected to your nervous system, this matters.
Calm isn’t just an emotion. It’s a biological state.
And it changes everything — from how your skin holds hydration, to how it heals from stress.
It had us thinking. We need to create rituals for when the world speeds up around us.
We design products for those in-between moments — the pause after the pressure, the deep breath before you re-enter the world. Stillness isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t always look productive. But it’s where resilience lives.
One of our favourite stillness rituals?
A slow, quiet moment with the Quantum Mud Mask.
- Apply after a high-stress day
- Leave on while journaling, stretching or sipping tea
- Let your face — and your mind — return to centre
Because you don’t have to push to prove you’re strong. Sometimes, you just need to stay and be still.
Beth’s story isn’t just about genius. It’s about reclamation. And the moments that shaped her most weren’t the victories — they were the pauses. The breath. The stillness before the next move. So if the world feels like it’s spinning, ask yourself:
What would it look like to wait? To listen? To sit with the board a little longer?
Stillness isn’t a delay. It’s a strategy. And it might just be your most powerful one yet.
* Ready to challenge yourself with stillness? Get your own Quantum Mud Mask and let's get to it!