“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
I promise this one will not be very “preaching”, I will just share few points of view, how to feel good in your own skin. When I was creating Bonésse, one of the ideas behind the brand, was to be a “feel good skin care” – products which women will not only enjoy applying, but also feel good after that. The name of the brand comes from the Latin word Esse, meaning wellbeing. With time, taking care of your skin will not only make you look good, but also feel good. This is my philosophy about selfcare – feeling good who you are and what you do. After many years in corporate world, I left the comfort zone of a well-paid job, which I started to hate with time, and jumped in the huge challenge of a small business owner. The only idea that kept me sane and brave was that I would feel good about what I would l do – educating women about selfcare, safe ingredients and not to fear chemistry.
The road was not easy but 100% worthed. My life experience of meeting thousands of people in my job, traveling the world and embracing different cultures taught me that people are the same everywhere, have the same fears and the same victories, cry and joy the same way. Here are some points on how to feel good in our own skin:
- Embrace your uniqueness – every human being is unique in some way and has a unique talent/gift. This makes you who you are and helps you stand out as an individual;
- Take care of your mind and body – this is probably the most important one. Selfcare is a vast thing – I agree – and it doesn’t mean putting a makeup on and look like a model. It means giving your body and mind the care they deserve. This includes time and effort, but it is never in vain. Take a break, pamper yourself, take long baths, make sure you eat balanced and healthy goof. And your body will pay you back – you will feel happier and much better in your skin.
- Spend time with people who make you feel good – avoid toxic “friends, who bring you down, and surround yourself with people who inspire and lift you up.
And now the really difficult part – the psychological side of the story. For me this was the most challenging thing – to change my way of thinking and way of looking at the big picture.
- Think positively – as my grandma said: it can always be worse, so try to find in everything (even in the not pleasant ones) something positive, that will teach you a lesson or you can benefit somehow, without bringing you down.
- Compliment yourself – that’s an odd one I know – not so many people compliment and reward themselves. Why? Because many cultures teach that doing so is an act of selfishness. Compliments from others come and go, but your self-worth should not depend on them and will remain forever with you.
- Be grateful – every day write down at least one thing you are grateful for. When you feel down or low, read the journal through and this will remind you the good things in your life. This one works! My experience.
And last, but not least – FIND YOUR PASSION! Whatever it is. Find your passion by reflecting on your interests, identifying what makes you lose track of time, and thinking about the things you loved doing as a child. I think this is also a key to be happy – doing what you love.
And because the title is “Feeling good in your own SKIN”, I cannot not touch the topic skin care, as this is my passion together with good and healthy lifestyle. Taking care of your skin is a good starting point towards the big picture of feeling good. Healthy skin will make you look better and younger, why not! Women especially feel better when their skin looks better – pure psychology. That’s why I really cannot understand when I hear “Oh, I can’t be bothered washing my face and putting on a moisturizer”.
Skin care should not be a hustle and a fortune to spend – just pick up the right products and be consistent. The sooner the better – your skin will “serve” you longer, exactly like everything we take care of. My living in Italy taught to take care of myself, including my skin. Here we are almost 20 years later, my skin has never felt and looked better. The picture below is my suggestion for a better skin and feeling good in your own beautiful skin.
And remember: your best age is now!
