Beauty Tip - Make Everyone Else Feel Beautiful

Peri Oral Dermatitis! The title alone conjures up rashy images. That's what my poor face suffered from this year for five ghastly months with bumpy, rashy spots on my chin and around my nose. Luckily, I was able to cover it pretty well with makeup, but some days it was all too visible. At the time, I didn't know what it was and I felt very insecure about it. I tried EVERY skin care treatment I could find to rid myself of this horror before finally calling my dermatologist. I was thrilled to discover this yuckiness had a title! Yay! A skin infection that could be chased away by an oral antibiotic. It was gone in days. Back when I was in the bumpy thick of it, though, and before I'd received help from my doctor, I went to the spa to get a facial. I was feeling embarassed about my face that day, as it was particularly rashy. As I waited in line to check in, the receptionist stared at me for a moment and said, "Wow, you have the most beautiful skin" (I don't know what she was thinking - the spread of pink bumps was gaining territory on my chin). My eyes widened and I stood there dumbstruck. I breathed a thank you to her. I promptly went to the restroom, entered a stall, closed its door, and burst into tears. I don't think the receptionist will ever know how much her kindness meant to me. I had so badly needed that compliment that day.

Now, I love writing beauty tips on my blog, and I try to keep them somewhat tongue-in-cheek and silly - almost poking fun at the beauty industry. My effort is more to encourage pampering and taking time for ourselves. The beauty industry has a certain ideal, which I don't think anyone can live up to, except for, maybe Barbie... and she's made of plastic. The scriptures tell us man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. How difficult it is, though, when insecurity rises and confidence falls.

My beauty tip for this week is to make everyone feel beautiful. Let's tell our spouses they are hot and sexy. We'll tell our little children how smart and pretty they are. Hey, let's compliment a baby's cuteness to his mother - and while we're at it, tell her how great she looks after delivery. We can call the grocery store clerk by name and tell her we love her hair. Maybe we could ask to speak to our restaurant waiter's manager to praise the great service. Don't be shy. It doesn't matter if we don't know them. Spread genuine and sincere compliments far and wide by looking for the beauty in others. We musn't keep a compliment to ourselves. We may never know how badly someone needs to hear it.