You ARE beautiful - dark skin, freckles, cellulite and all!

In a world and at a time when lighter skin is considered better, and skinny, run-way model bodies are regarded ideal, many women and girls around the world are resorting to drastic measures to acquire the so-called perfect body and skin tone.

I've watched with dismay, many pretty teenage girls, sabotaging their natural beauty through the use of illicit skin whitening creams. Having to be treated for rashes and skin sores that develop as a result of harsh, carcinogenic skin bleaching creams. Having to live with horrendously scarred faces simply because they wanted to look a few shades lighter.

I've seen gorgeous, curvy women addicted to strange pills that promise magical, instant weight-loss and a Barbie doll figure before you can say "Slim down." Beautiful women with voluptuous figures being driven to suicide because they just couldn't lose that last 10 pounds of weight. Wonderful human beings with so much to offer the world refusing to leave their homes for fear of being ridiculed, stared at,called names and publicly humiliated because of their body size.

But, let's stop for a minute and imagine a world without any variety or diversity, a world with only one color, one shape, one texture, one size... a world where everything and everyone looks the same. I'm pretty sure it would be well beyond atrocious.

Similarly, we can't all have the same skin tone, hair texture or body shape. You're beautiful exactly the way you are, one of a kind, authentic and magnificent.  It's only natural to want to look your best - after all, how we present ourselves has a huge bearing on the opportunities that are presented to us at work, school, in relationships and society in general.

There really is no magic formula for instant beauty - at least one that doesn't have a tonne of side-effects. The best way to look and feel great is to make healthy choices on a daily basis. Eat well, drink enough water, get a good amount of sleep every night to help with your metabolism. 

Before you pop any pills into your mouth or apply some 'miracle-cream' on your skin, do your research. Make sure you're not allergic to any of the ingredients and that no banned substances are contained in the product. If you're not sure, get some advice from your doctor. 

Here is a list of potentially harmful substances that you should be on the look out for. These have been banned in many European countries but are still in use in several other countries around the world.

1. Selenium sulfide might prevent ugly dandruff flakes, but it could potentially give you cancer.

2. Hydroquinone bleaches out dark spots, but it’s another potential carcinogen.

3. P-Phenylenediamine might help change your hair color, but can also make you swell up like crazy and in extreme cases, kill you.

4. Salicylic acid is known to treat pimples, but could potentially lead to salicylate poisoning.

5.  Formaldehyde is an effective preservative and can help nail polish stay, but it’s a carcinogen that can lead to breathing problems.

6. Quaternium-15 is another preservative that gives your makeup a longer shelf-life, but it releases formaldehyde, which can can cause cancer

7 Titanium dioxide might block out UV rays, but it could also be a carcinogen.

8. Triclosan kills bacteria and keeps gingivitis away, but it could disrupt your hormones and weaken your heart.

9.  Butylparaben is another preservative, and it’s accused of making men sterile.

10.  Lead acetate might banish gray hair, but it could put you at risk for lead poisoning.

 Love your skin and body and they will love you back. 

 In closing, remember:  Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic. (Rosalind Russell)