Advice From Japanese Grandmothers on How to be Beautiful

• Protect your skin from the sun.
• Drink pure water, breathe good air, live in a clean house.
• As you grow older, don’t envy the fresh blossoms of spring.
• To have clear, smooth skin, care for it diligently by cleaning it completely, protecting it with loofah vine-water, and keeping a relaxed mind.
• Good skin comes from a clean body, so make sure to eat foods that purify the body.
• Eat the peels, rinds, and skins of fruits and vegetables.
• Too much makeup pollutes the skin.
• If your bad skin is inherited, you can change its condition by eating properly.
• Sleep at least eight hours a night, and go to bed before eleven.
• Be in love.
• Be active.  Get exercise.  Enjoy your life.
• Don’t sit around worrying.
• Control your desires.  Don’t always want what you can’t have.  This unsatisfied yearning habit makes a woman ugly.
• Accept your age and the changes in your beauty.
• A beautiful old woman is beautiful because her mind and spirit are wise and graceful.
• At the age of forty, the mind is visible on the face.
• Practice facial massage every day to prevent wrinkles, lines, and age spots, and to keep the skin fresh and supple.
• If you are tired or suffering from stress, you must exercise.
• Eat a wide variety of foods.
• Don’t complain; don’t be envious; don’t be irritated.  Your health will deteriorate and your skin will look terrible.
• If your shoulders are tense or stiff, you will have lines and wrinkles on your face.
• Practice massage.
• Enjoy lovemaking.  You will have glowing, shiny skin and a relaxed face.
• Enjoy nature.  Be tranquil and calm.  Eat simple foods.
• You can tighten your skin by massaging it: face, head, and neck.
• If you breathe deeply, you’ll become strong and healthy and more attractive.
• Everybody gets wrinkles, but try to prevent ugly wrinkles by controlling your mind and emotions.  Wrinkles are a reflection of your thoughts and feelings.
• Clean skin, not makeup, is the secret of beautiful skin.
• If you just cleanse, nourish, and massage your skin, it will function well and look good.

– Taken from the book “Inner Peace Outer Beauty” by Michelle Dominique Leigh