The Beauty Inside

In this world, you’re better-off being good-looking. At all ages and in all walks of life, attractive people are judged more favorably, treated better. Many factors can play into personal attractiveness — the way you dress, the way you act, the way you carry yourself, even things that are hard or impossible to change, like social status and wealth, race, and body size and shape. But the first thing we notice when we meet someone is their face.

Beauty is unfair. Not everyone can be born with great genes. Not everyone can be born symmetrical.  But obviously there are many factors contributing to attractiveness that are potentially under our control.

With so much focus on looking beautiful, sometimes we forget how important it is to feel beautiful as well.  When we feel beautiful, we’re more confident, and that reflects outside. The following steps would help you to feel beautiful inside :-

See yourself without judging - When we look in the mirror, we immediately start to judge our appearance.  A blemish or wrinkle somehow makes us a bad person.  Learning to stop the cycle of judging ourselves can make us feel more beautiful and confident.  

Instead of seeing a scar as a flaw, simply see it as a memory.  Learn to think of wrinkles as signs of wisdom instead of signs of getting old.  We rarely judge other people based on small physical flaws, so we shouldn't judge ourselves like that either.

Find something to love about yourself - This is another mirror trick.  Studies show that when people look at themselves in a mirror, their eyes immediately go to whatever they dislike about their face.  Instead, pick a feature you like and train your eyes to go there.  This can work for your whole body as well.  

See something about yourself that you like, instead of looking at something you consider a flaw, boosts your mood and makes you feel more beautiful.

Smile - Everyone is more attracted to smiling faces than unhappy faces, whether we realize it or not.  Smiling also makes you look younger by lifting the muscles around the mouth and eyes.  Psychologists believe that the simple act of smiling can boost your mood, and smiling at someone else definitely has a positive impact on their day.  Remember the old saying about how it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile?  The numbers in the saying may vary, but the message stays the same: smiling is always better than frowning.

Learn to accept compliments - Whenever we receive compliments, our first instinct is to say something like, “Oh, that’s a good joke,” or, “Thanks, but it doesn’t fit me right.”  Putting yourself down whenever someone tries to compliment you is a huge confidence drainer.  

Teach yourself to just accept compliments instead, by simply saying thank you.  You’ll be happier accepting compliments, and the people complimenting you will feel better about themselves, too.

Don’t compare yourself - Looking at pictures of models and celebrities, and thinking how you’ll never look like that, doesn’t do anyone any good.  Almost all of those images are enhanced with airbrushing, lighting, and digital retouching.  Plus the models are always wearing heaps of makeup anyway.  So while it may be true that you won’t ever look like that, the people in those pictures will never look like that in real life either.  

If you must compare yourself to something, look up pictures of celebrities without makeup, or models before Photoshop.  You’ll soon see that they’re just regular women without digital enhancement, and not a goal that you need to meet.

The most important part of feeling beautiful is confidence, and following these steps will ensure that your confidence is higher than ever.  When you’re confident and feeling beautiful inside, you look beautiful outside too.

1.   Smile. The number one thing you can do to feel beautiful is to smile more often. This will automatically put you in a better mood, and you'll receive more positive energy from other people as well.

2.  Think of your body as an instrument. Stop looking at your body as an unmovable object and start thinking of it as something that can be tuned. Little tune-ups every morning (moisturizer, a wink and a smile) will improve your sense of beauty.

3.   Buy yourself a new shirt, pants or pair of shoes. Our self-esteem is closely linked with our consumerism. Your budget may be high or low; either way, a new article of clothing will give you a confidence boost.

4.  Pamper yourself every once in a while. Coerce your partner into a massage. Light some candles, and take a bubble bath. Curl up in bed with a good book. Engage in your favorite relaxation technique. Beautiful people find time for themselves.

5.  Work on your relationships with friends and family. Many studies have shown that positive, fulfilling relationships help people maintain a sense of inner and outer beauty.

6.   Kill them with kindness. Remember--the most beautiful people are usually the nicest and most appealing to be around for reasons other than their beauty

Everyone wants to have younger looking skin. Unfortunately, even the most effective face creams can't turn back the years, despite 'reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles'. But there are steps we can all take so our skin looks healthy for longer.

Understanding your skin

Before you can look after your skin properly, you need to understand it. Our body's largest organ is made up of three layers.

1.  The outer epidermis contains pigment cells, the stratum corneum surface layer made up of flat, dead skin cells, and the basal layer where new cells are generated and travel upwards.

2.  The middle dermis layer contains blood vessels, nerves, oil glands, collagen fibres and elastin.

3.  The inner subcutaneous layer contains blood vessels, hair follicles and fat cells.

There are a number of things that determine how quickly our skin ages, including genetic factors such as your natural skin type, environmental factors such as exposure to sunlight and external factors such as whether or not you smoke.

In general, pale skins wrinkle faster than darker skins that are protected by increased amounts of pigment and lipids. 

Age is another vital factor: your skin is very different at 20 to how it is at 70. Because of this, we've put together an action plan for how to look after your skin decade-by-decade.

Looking after your skin in your 20s

Your 20s is a great time for your skin. You've left behind the spots of adolescence, but your skin retains a youthful glow and the epidermis is still plump and dewy.

That said, skin cell renewal plummets by up to 28 per cent. Dead skin cells are shed less well, leading to slightly duller-looking skin.

 Action plan

• It's a good idea to get into the habit of using a cleanser and toner - especially if you wear make-up every day.
• Use a moisturizer with a high SPF (around 15) daily. Penetrative UVA rays will already start to take the bounce out of collagen fibers and elastin coils in the dermis. Dermatologists say up to 80 per cent of all ageing may be due to sunlight.
• Now is also a good time to give up the cigarettes. Smoking stops oxygen getting to your skin cells and can cause premature ageing, not to mention puckering lines around the mouth in years to come.
• Avoid getting into a habit of yo-yo dieting. This is another contributing factor to premature wrinkling - over-stretched skin is baggier skin.
• Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated.

Looking after your skin in your 30s

Skin cell renewal slows further, while damage from pollution, smoke and sunlight begins to take its toll on the dermis. This causes collagen fibres to loosen so the skin starts to sag.

When you smile, subcutaneous fat forms ridges that refuse to bounce back as readily as they once did. Your first wrinkles may start to appear.

Action plan

• By now you should have established a daily skincare regime that involves cleansing, moisturizing and protecting your skin from the sun.
• Eat a balanced diet rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A, B, C and E that fight off free radicals in the environment (unstable molecules that attack cells in our bodies and speed up ageing). Together these vitamins will help the skin repair itself, stay moist and produce the enzymes that stabilize collagen production.
• For further protection, try using an antioxidant face-cream, such as one that contains vitamin E.
• Cut down on excessive alcohol consumption. Drinking robs the skin of vital nutrients and causes facial blood vessels to dilate. If you're not careful, these may dilate permanently, leading to red 'spider veins'.
• In general, keep drinking plenty of water to retain further moisture in your skin.
• Make sure you're getting enough sleep - we all know how much a few restorative nights' sleep improves our complexion.
• Use a vitamin-packed night cream. Research indicates that the temperature of skin rises at night, so nutrients are better absorbed.

Looking after your skin in your 40s

Sebum (oil) production plummets in your 40s, which is great if you have oily skin, but also means you'll need a good moisturizer to replenish moisture loss. Even so, avoid petroleum-based products that clog the pores.

Loss of fat in the subcutaneous layer leaves your skin more fragile, and the dermis continues to lose its elasticity.

The stratum corneum starts to become even thicker, because dead skin cells hang around for longer.

Action plan

• If you haven't already, get into the habit of exfoliating regularly with a facial scrub - but don't go overboard. Once a week or so is enough.
• You could also try using a cream containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that help strip the dead outer epidermal cells away by dissolving protein bonds, leaving your face looking fresher.
• Some experts warn that the overuse of AHAs can cause your skin to thin further and become more sensitive to sunlight. Remember too: the older your skin is, the thinner it gets.
• As deeper wrinkles start to form, you may wish to experiment with a retinoid cream that uses a pure form of vitamin A. These creams can help to reduce the signs of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots - although those with sensitive skins will find they sting their skins at first.
• Most effective is Tretinoin, which is available only on prescription.
• Creams containing another vitamin A derivative, retinol, are freely available over the counter in chemists.
• All products with vitamin A make skin more sensitive to sun – so use with an SPF or as a night cream.

Looking after your skin in your 50s and above

Pigment cells (melamolytes), though fewer in number, often clump together to form brown age spots.

Sebum (oil) production shrinks further, the stratum corneum continues to thicken and collagen gets more fibrous.

Decreased oestrogen levels after the menopause mean that skin loses its plumpness and tone, which can leave it dry, itchy and more sensitive to allergens.

Mature skin is not only more fragile, it's physically less sensitive too, and so more vulnerable to bruising and tearing. On top of this, it takes far longer to heal itself.

Blood vessels are easily broken, and warts and other skin growths become more prevalent in your 50s.

 Action plan

• Take extra care with your skin at this stage in life.
•  Stick to a gentle cleanser/toner to clean your skin, avoiding irritants and astringents such as alcohol.
•  Use a good moisturizer with a built-in SPF, and keep out of the sun.
• You may want to try a cream with an 'anti-ageing' formula with Vitamin A or antioxidants, use these products at night because they make skin more sensitive to sunlight.
•  Remember: as our skin ages, wrinkles are both natural and normal. A lived-in face has as much character and beauty as a youthful one.
•  Know that every time you see and feel beauty in the world, you are seeing and feeling a representation of the immense beauty that resides in your soul — a reflection of the beauty within you.

Also Read:-

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FEEL YOUNG - Keep yourself physically and mentally fit

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