I have seen beautiful people with no confidence. Once, a person whom I find rather attractive told me that she thinks she's ugly.
And I have seen someone who is beautifully confident. This lady may not be touted as the most beautiful but it's her beautiful personality that shone through, mainly, by being herself. Eventually, she went on to marry a gentleman who is so in love with her. In a way, she's a tangible prove that every one of us on the surface of this planet is unique and should be accepted as each of us are.
To a certain extend, beauty is subjective. Someone may find you normal looking, while someone else may find you attractive. But no matter what, if you don't feel confident and do not put in any effort to look good, it's very difficult to look beautiful. So, here are some tips to maintain your beauty as you already are! Enjoy!
1. Unless you fancy having 'orange peel' skin, do not wash your face vigorously with neat facial foam. This is massive destruction. Always wash your face with facial foam lathered with enough water into soft, cushiony foam - in gentle strokes.
In the morning, wash your face lightly using less facial soap (I use a tiny pea-size only), as you do not want to dry out your facial skin - which will trigger your skin to produce even more oil for replacement, causing oily facial skin! Some people simply splash their face with water, skipping the soap, in order not to wash away their natural skin oil.
At night, wash your face with recommended or normal amounts of facial soap (I use about 1 cm amount lathered into a soft, cushiony foam) to remove the dirt, oil, and other impurities accumulated throughout the day.
In the morning, wash your face lightly using less facial soap (I use a tiny pea-size only), as you do not want to dry out your facial skin - which will trigger your skin to produce even more oil for replacement, causing oily facial skin! Some people simply splash their face with water, skipping the soap, in order not to wash away their natural skin oil.
At night, wash your face with recommended or normal amounts of facial soap (I use about 1 cm amount lathered into a soft, cushiony foam) to remove the dirt, oil, and other impurities accumulated throughout the day.
2. If you notice wrinkles appearing at your neck area, your body wash might be too harsh and drying them out. Change your body wash to a soap-free type or use your facial wash to wash your neck as well - assuming that your facial wash is milder than your body wash. Treat your neck like how you would treat your face as they tend to show the very first signs of aging or damage. If you moisturise your face, don't forget about your neck. Be gentle here too, please - unless you can't wait to have neck wrinkles!
3. Do not attempt to remove your black/white heads in one day. You may end up with angry strawberry-like skin, not to mention 'moon-craters'. If they are too stubborn, try another day. I've learnt this the hard way, craters and all. And don't forget, the damage is permanent. Truly, patience here is a virtue.
4. While you shampoo your hair, do not scratch your scalp with your fingernails. Use the soft part of fingertips to massage and wash your scalp. This can improve blood circulation and promote hair growth.
Also, do not use too much shampoo (1 or 2 one dollar coin size) and always dilute it by lathering it with some water before applying directly to your scalp. Consistently washing your scalp with neat shampoo may end up with dry or damaged scalp which may exacerbate into other problems like hair loss (due to damaged/weak roots) or dandruff. Use more shampoo only if you have dryer, thicker, or longer hair - that is, it has more surface area.
This also depends on the type of shampoo you use: if it's a more watery and bubbly shampoo, you'll use less of it and vice versa. Remember, do not tug or pull at your hair while shampooing. It should be, literally, a smooth operation. And as with your facial skin, wash your hair lightly in the morning and more thoroughly at the end of the day to remove accumulated dirt and oil.
This also depends on the type of shampoo you use: if it's a more watery and bubbly shampoo, you'll use less of it and vice versa. Remember, do not tug or pull at your hair while shampooing. It should be, literally, a smooth operation. And as with your facial skin, wash your hair lightly in the morning and more thoroughly at the end of the day to remove accumulated dirt and oil.
Wash your hair just once or twice a day. Over washing washes away the natural oil on your scalp and may cause dry scalp and frizzy hair. This, in turn may send the natural secretion of hair sebum into overdrive (to compensate for the dryness) which leads to an oily scalp. Just bear in mind that you should keep your scalp clean but not over-cleaned. If you have frizzy, untamed hair, apply hair serum, especially to the roots. That will instantly give you glowing and healthy-looking hair.
5. Take extra care not to apply hair conditioner onto your scalp or hair roots. As conditioners are meant to stick onto your hair and is thus difficult to wash off, it may prevent your hair roots from 'breathing'. This may eventually close off your scalp pores causing permanently dead hair roots which then leads to balding. Imagine a shiny, hairless patch of scalp! Conditioners are solely for hair and hair ends (split-ends). Make sure you apply it about one inch away from your scalp.
6. Not so much of a beauty tip, but someone taught me to wipe smelly pits with disinfectant wipes. No deodorant needed! Make sure your skin under there is not damage though. Smelly isn't beautiful, right?
7. Have problems drinking enough water? Drink up every time right before/after you visit the loo. Replace what you expel instantly! A well-hydrated body will result in optimal health and healthy looking skin.
8. Shower temperature: In the morning, shower with lukewarm water to gently open your pores for washing before finishing with a cool splash of water all over your body (including your hair), to close your pores and 'wake up' your body. At night, shower with warm water to wash away dirt and oil accumulated throughout the day. Warm shower will also cool your body down, relax your muscles, and preps you for a good night's sleep - an essential factor for looking great and being healthy.
9. Stand straight. I think standing straight is the best confidence-booster of all time. When you slouch, you not only look shorter but you are also damaging your spine and leading yourself to various physical and even mental health. Remember, a beautiful person is one that is both mentally and physically healthy. Slouching immediately makes you feel unconfident. So people, stomach in, chest out, and hold up your head as if there's a string pulling you from the top of your head. Need more inspiration? Search on youtube and watch how Miss Universe 2015 walks. She's the epitome of "confidently beautiful".
PS: Pregnant ladies should maintain or adjust accordingly to a proper posture too. For me, I need to arch my back a little more (at around 4 months pregnant) to feel aligned and comfortable and prevent back pain - whether I'm standing, sitting, or bending. Check with your doctor for advice.