Salty Beauty: Where Beauty Meets Purpose

The source for the faith-based beauty advice you never knew you really needed

If I had to describe my thirties in one word it would be liberating. After exhausting my energy in my teens and twenties obsessing over my outward appearance, I reached a breaking point. I could either let go of my perfectionism and self-criticism or let it continue to erode my mental health. My initial solution was to stop caring altogether but instances of people negatively commenting on my choice to be au naturale from my hair to the absence of makeup led to me hyper-obsessing and developing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I did not develop a desire to clean everything (the kind of OCD depicted in shows like Monk). However, I suddenly could not stand feeling "unclean", washed my hands religiously, and used tissue or gloves to touch almost everything. Cleaning was a nightmare because I could not be near anything my mind told me was "dirty" (for example used dishes, floors, toilets, and even my loved ones). When I cleaned I went through so many pairs of gloves because in my mind using gloves for more than one thing would contaminate those things and myself. It was awful. I even developed routines and if the routine was not executed perfectly I had to start all over again. Rather than creating humorous moments as seen in entertainment media, maintaining these OCD routines was anxiety-inducing, made me feel not in control of my mind and actions, and drove me to tears on several occasions.

Fortunately, this breaking point also drove me to God. Although God loves brokenness, I did not accept the breaking process immediately. I started out blaming God because I felt that this all started because he designed me to be "unattractive" and it was his fault that my life was falling apart. I was angry with God. I was afraid to say it out loud but I knew it in my heart. I did not want to be an example...I'll admit it...I wanted to be the "pretty girl". But I remember having this sudden moment of clarity in the midst of my life spiraling out of control; I was in the eye of the storm and God stepped in. Before the wind capsized the boat (Matthew 8:23-27), before I sank beneath the waves (Matthew 14: 26-33), God spoke to the winds and waves and lovingly grabbed my hand. I finally realized that I had it all wrong. I had God all wrong. He knew the storm would break all of the right parts of me–the parts that did not belong there–and my God, my architect, stepped in and began reconstructing every area of my life. Today, instead of sitting at either extreme (obsession with or disinterest in my appearance) I am on a daily journey with God to release myself from the weight of the opinions of others. God exchanged my desire to align with fluctuating beauty trends with a desire for his peace, the kind of peace that the world can never take away (John 14:27). 

To my surprise (because God knew this already), I have found a new identity that makes me feel more “me” than I have ever felt. Listen, God cares about the small things in our lives (Matthew 6:25-34), but God wants us to focus on him and let him take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31). And guess what, looking back on my experiences in the past decade taught me that God even cares about how I see myself. God made you beautiful (or handsome) and wants you to define yourself by his beauty standards, not the world’s. In 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT), we are reminded to prioritize our inward appearance: “...clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” Why does God want us to do this? Well, this kind of beauty never fades and benefits us and those around us. A beautiful person with a lack of compassion and a soul disconnected from God is little more than an ornament. God created us to be more than a mere decoration. However, this does not mean that God does not want us to present ourselves in a beautiful way or to feel beautiful. 

I believe that God wants us to work on our inner beauty and allow him to reveal how to carry ourselves outwardly in a Christian manner that allows our unique beauty to shine. God never intended for us to align with man-made beauty standards: “The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory” (1 Corinthians 15:41 NLT). Salty Beauty is a beauty blog dedicated to realigning readers with the Creator’s beauty standards while aiding them in navigating their unique expressions of beauty. You will learn how to abandon any “salty” feelings you have towards traditional beauty standards and your own appearance and focus on becoming and staying “salty” in a godly way (Matthew 5:13). We will offer advice on diet, exercise, hygiene, skincare, hair care, self-care and mental health as they relate to beauty. We will tackle issues that make you feel less appealing like odor, hair in unwanted places, and menstrual issues. The goal is to make you comfortable with who God designed you to be while helping you feel your most beautiful. Let’s help each other stay beautifully salty!