The Lounge Philosopher

Hello World!

Welcome to THE LOUNGE PHILOSOPHER.

For me, this space is where skincare and soul care overlap. It’s where I share stories with heart, and where the wisdom that came through pain and growth can be spoken about openly, like friends chatting in a lounge.

I didn’t set out to become a “blogger.”
Life simply gave me no other choice.

For the last 15 years, I have dedicated myself to my work as a qualified CIDESCO skin care therapist, trained at The International Academy of Health and Skin Care in Cape Town in 1994 (with Honours). For those who don’t know, CIDESCO is the world’s most prestigious qualification in beauty, skin and body therapy. It’s not “just a diploma”; it’s internationally recognised, and it opened doors for me to work anywhere in the world, even though I decided to stay in South Africa and not work abroad. Alongside it, I also earned my SAAHSP diploma, which is South Africa’s own professional gold standard in skin therapy.

I didn’t set out to study skincare because it was my “greatest passion”. My heart was always in writing, singing, and acting. Perhaps it runs in the family — my uncle, Paul Lückhoff (https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_L%C3%BCckhoff), was a well-known actor in South Africa until his passing last year, September, and my father was a pastor until his passing in October of 2006. I used to tease them that they weren’t as different as they thought they were. One performed on a stage, the other from a pulpit. The difference was only the size of the stage and the content of their “performance”. But in the home I grew up in, I was told you couldn’t make a living from those things. My father believed his daughters didn’t need a university degree. Only our brother could pursue that, as he would be the breadwinner of his house someday. We, on the other hand, would marry one day, and our husbands would take care of us, which is a completely different story for another day! So, skincare was the closest option available, and while I learned a great deal from it, that’s also a story for another day.

Then life shifted.

A progressive spinal condition forced me to close my salon a few months ago, and for a time, it felt like I had lost my identity and perhaps my purpose. But identity, for me, is never just a job title or a role. We are layered, multifaceted, soul-shaped beings.

Over the years, I’ve also become a certified TEFL educator (150 Hour Advanced TEFL/TESOL, Certificate No. 51432), graduated Cum Laude in Practical Ministry (2017), earned an A+ in Drama for Beginners at the Brümilda van Rensburg Acting Academy in Johannesburg (2009), and begun training as a HeartMath® practitioner – a journey that resonates deeply with my belief in the intelligence of the heart. And through it all, I’ve been writing. Always writing, even though I never let anyone read it.

Isaiah 64:8 says: ‘But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.’ I often think about that verse when I reflect on the seasons of life. Sometimes we don’t begin where our hearts truly long to be; we begin where circumstances, expectations, or limitations place us. And like clay in the hands of the potter, or the caterpillar hidden away in its cocoon, we are being reshaped, reformed, and prepared for something more. Transformation is rarely pretty in the middle. It is messy, uncomfortable, and often misunderstood. Yet, just as the cocoon gives way to wings, God’s shaping hand forms us into something greater than we could have imagined. In the end, we are not wasted or discarded; we are sculpted into a masterpiece of His making.

That’s why I’ve started The Lounge Philosopher. This is more than just a blog, and it’s a mix, I know. It is not a one-note blog. It’s OUR lounge. It’s a space to sit down, breathe, and reflect on the messy, honest, and beautiful parts of life with your tea, coffee or hot chocolate in hand. A space where transformation is not only allowed, but celebrated. I’ll write about healing, skincare, storytelling, voice, relationships, faith, and the little moments that make us human. And because I long for it too, it’s a space without ANY judgement, where all of me can live, and where all of you are welcome too. Because life isn’t one-dimensional, and neither are we.

So here I am. Writing at last. Not because I want to chase an algorithm, but because I believe stories matter, conversations heal, and beauty comes in many forms.

Thank you for being here.
Come as you are. Stay as long as you like.
Let’s make this space a safe one.

With heart,
Suz
The Lounge Philosopher