11:39 AM
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.
Instructions
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 everyday.
- 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.
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