Looking at Beauty From the Inside Out

According to Boom! cosmetics, founded by the late Cindy Joseph, a science link is said to exist between feeling good inside and having beautiful skin on the outside.

Psychodermatology, for example, studies the relationship between the mind and the skin, and a correlation seems to exist between what’s going on inside of us and how we are perceived on the outside. 

Citing a meta study published by the British Journal of Dermatology, the company’s website notes that “changing negative thought patterns and cultivating a meditation practice helped heal skin diseases and inflammation in more than 900 patients across 22 studies.”

For many of us with Parkinson’s disease, we’ve known this in the recesses of our minds. We know that changing our negativity to positivity concerning our disease helps our well-being. And when we feel better mentally and emotionally, we look better, too. 

If you want to look beautiful on the outside, start by feeling beautiful and seeing your inner beauty; by seeing the beautiful you on the inside that some days only others can see.

Feeling beautiful sometimes seems impossible, especially if we are having a rotten day. It’s difficult to feel that way when we’re screaming at a spouse or the kids because we’re physically hurting on the inside. When our feet and toes are cramping up, leaving us unable to walk. When our back feels like someone twisted a knife into us. Or when dystonia pounces like a lion, ready to devour any sense of comfort. The pain can be relentless.

When we are anxious about what is happening in our broken bodies, the entire body will reflect that anxiety. Meditation, prayer, and mindfulness can help to reduce stress and anxiety, making for a more beautiful and healthier you.

Taking the time to breathe in and out, counting to 10, closing our eyes, and offering a short prayer can help us avoid becoming overanxious about whatever is seeking to claim our peace and joy. When we can stop and meditate or offer up little prayers, our bodies can learn to avoid overreacting, and instead spend precious time being the most beautiful we can be.

As I was going over my notes for this column, I bumped into the following Bible verse: “If you are filled with light, … then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” (Luke 11:36)

Beauty is not just skin deep. Be filled with light. Gleam, shine, and allow your inner beauty to radiate from within for the entire world to see.

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Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.