When I was originally planning to write my article for this week, I was going to write it on how Victoria's Secret is stealing Tringl bikini designs… because well, they are. However, when I was sitting down to do so, I received a call from my little sister and that changed everything.

My little sister is a petite build in every way. She stands 4’8” from the ground and weighs about 83 pounds with a healthy BMI. However, compared to the rest of her 8th grade classmates, she is constantly bullied for being too short and too skinny.
Being as tiny as she is, she has an even bigger personality to go along with it, but after daily questions and comments from classmates telling her she’s too skinny and that she needs to eat more or calling her anorexic she broke down and called me.
There are two things wrong with this. First, it is NO ONES business to tell you that your body is too skinny, too fat, too anything. IT. IS. YOUR. BODY. Your body, your mind. Meaning if you feel healthy, if you wake up every day and can take on the day feeling energized, happy, relaxed, and confident then it is NO ONES business to tell you that your body doesn’t fit their perception of beauty or how they think you should look like.

Second, eating disorders are a very real thing. They affect 24 million people, all ages and gender, in the US alone! Therefore, it is NEVER okay to use a mental illness as a way to insult someone. Just like it is not ok to call people retarded, it is not ok to go around and call people anorexic or bulimic just because they don’t fit your ideal body type.
By calling someone who does not have an eating disorder anorexic and bulimic it can seriously affect their self-esteem and well-being as a person, lowering their body confidence creating insecurities that should never have been a problem.

On the other hand, you never know what somebody is going through, and often times we think we can assume so because someone is well-liked, pretty and smart that they might have everything in their life together. However, what you might not know is that person may have suffered from an eating disorder growing up because according to the National Organization of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 95% of those who have an eating disorder are between the ages of 12-26, and by telling them that they are too skinny or anorexic you might have just triggered an emotional time for them, one that they fought to get through. You may have just diminished the body that they are proud and brought them back to their mental illness.

​As women, we need to not use mental illness terms when referring to other women’s bodies. In fact, as women we should be supporting each other and standing up for everybody’s body types. There is something beautiful in all of us from curves to edges, and it is time we stand together to empower each other from moments of high to low.
Make a promise to yourself. Next time you see someone commenting on someone else’s weight or getting picked on for being either too skinny or too fat tell them confidently and simply that you think they look great! Words are extremely powerful, and it is important to know what you are saying at all times. It is NEVER okay to use a mental illness as an insult. Mental illnesses are a very real thing affecting the youth in America and instead of using them as terms to put someone down, be aware of the signs and be willing to help a friend in need if they really are suffering from anorexia or bulimia.
Eating Disorders Statistics

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Yes, you read the title right. HONEY. I have been using honey — and only honey — to wash my face every morning and night for six months straight. I am a very earthy, holistic person, and for the most part I will go for anything natural. Heck, I even have my family ship me coconuts from the coconut trees back home because I only drink coconut water from the coconut.

But I have to admit, even I was skeptical about this when my mom first suggested it. I remember thinking, “honey is so sugary. How could it work?” However, after doing some research on all the benefits of honey I figured, why not? Plus my grandfather, who lives in Estonia, has a bee farm, so my grandparents always send us fresh, organic honey by the liter that we don’t know what to do with! For those of you who don’t have a local farmers market close by, I suggest you check out Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and ask if they have fresh, raw, organic honey. It is SO important to make sure that it is raw honey, and there isn’t anything else put in it.

​I first considered using honey to fight acne. I have never had horrible acne, just a few noticeable breakouts every now and then, but even dealing with that was getting old (and who doesn't want perfect skin?), so I was willing to try anything.
The Process:

When I first began using honey, it drastically calmed down my face. After only a month, I became a real believer — honey was my savior. I felt my skin becoming more balanced, and it wouldn’t get so red anymore when I washed it in the mornings or at night. I even went makeup-less over Christmas break a few times.

However, during the second and third months it got BAD. REALLY BAD. Way worse than my skin had been in a long time. I debated quitting, because I had to wear strong cover-up every day and it was beginning to make me self-conscious. In hindsight, my mom and I believe it was the honey just pushing out all the junk I had lodged in my pores from years of face washes, foundation, and stress.

Now in month four, my skin is starting to clear up again and I have never been more ecstatic! The only makeup I wear to class now is mascara and brow pencil, with an occasion spot of cover-up when I eat too much chocolate or am about to get my period. The honey has even worked to rid my skin of acne scars I had from forever ago!

​I cannot stress enough what a believer I am in using raw, pure, organic honey as a face wash! My morning and night routine has literally been cut in half! Before, I would use a face wash that fought acne, then I would have to use a moisturizer to counteract how dry the face wash made my skin. Now, I just put some honey on my face, let it sit for 5-15 minutes, wash it off, and then get on with my day! If you have acne troubles, I suggest giving honey a try. In order to see the effects, commit to it for at least six months and don’t use any other face washes or moisturizers. I promise you the outcome is worth it, and summer is the perfect time to try! Good luck

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