By, Ashley Crimaldi
A few days ago I decided to deter my morning schedule and catch up on a little Oprah. Typically, I’m a non-believer in shows like Oprah. I tend to approach them with a highly cynical and skeptical attitude. These shows are just for bored housewives, right?
Somehow this episode caught my attention. It featured Dr. Oz speaking about inner/outer beauty, and tips on how to better care for your self. Being the beauty junky I am, I soon found myself scribbling notes on a scrap piece of paper- what to look for in a face moisturizer, why exfoliating is so important, what to eat to keep from aging. . . and the list goes on.
Then they got to the part about cellulite- pen in hand, I was ready to get some notes on THIS section!
Ready, Set . . .
NO CURE!? What? No cure? Seriously, Dr. Oz you have to be kidding right? If there is no cure, then why does every brand of lotion come in a firming variety these days, and why are there tons of anti-cellulite creams on the market? Dr. Oz goes on to tell us that even liposuction wouldn’t cure cellulite. So what do we do? He says, accept it and move on. Ok, duh Dr. Oz thanks for the life changing advice, that’s what I’ve been doing MY ENTIRE LIFE.
Like most women, I’ve had stretch marks for years, loads of cellulite on my ass and I have no doubt that I’ll develop under eye bags with age. While I thought Dr. Oz was a magical beauty wizard that was going to behold all the anti-aging secrets, he simply re- affirmed everything I already knew: Having the perfect thighs doesn’t define success, happiness or being a sexy woman at all.
There I was so consumed by the show, and devastated by all my anti-aging short comings (ok let’s be honest, I don’t work out enough or eat nearly enough blueberries) that I was ready to run to CVS and purchase some serious anti-aging skin care products. Then I realized how ridiculous I was acting- I’m 21 years old, why am I already obsessing over anti-aging secrets, watching this consumer driven garbage instead of being on time for work?
But yes ladies, we should take care of ourselves. We should eat as healthy as possible and work out when we have time – but above all else, we should focus on our own personal happiness. Would having less cellulite really make us feel more fulfilled? Or is that just what we’re told by our capitalist society? What if we lived in a society where cellulite was sign of good health? Sounds crazy right? But believe me- I’m not that far off. The truth is, 90% of the time, I feel really confident about my appearance and my size. Its only when I’m told these things are important that I start to doubt myself.
So surround yourself with some self-confident women! Give a female co-worker a compliment on her personality, and slather on some cheap non-firming body lotion on today, because anything else is just not worth it!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Honey, I’m glad you’re learning these lessons so early. And, BTW, can I just say that you ARE A BABY, there’s no need for you to be worried about anything yet! However, learning to have a better attitude towards beauty and self-confidence now means that you’ll be more confident and secure as you age. I live in LA surrounded by some of the most beautiful people in the world, and I’ve heard so many of them complain about countless perceived imperfections. Not only does it make for boring conversation, it just goes to show you that no matter what you look like, if you aren’t happy on the inside, you aren’t happy period. You’re right: take care of yourself. Eat well. Make time to relax. Maintain satisfying, balanced relationships. This will lead to happy life. An anti-aging cream won’t.
At the same time, now is the time for us 20-somethings to start caring for our bodies–inside and out–if we want to be healthy, strong, and good looking when we are older. Should we freak out about the things we can’t change? No. Should we develop habits that will ensure our health and our looks in the long run? I think so.