Beauty is a universal concept. When most people think of beauty, they think of a beautifully airbrushed woman on the cover of People magazine, or celebrities all dressed up at awards shows. They think of the beautifully made-up people on commercials for Proactiv and Clean&Clear. I used to wish I looked exactly like those people.

For the past few years, I've struggled severely with skin issues; eczema, acne, allergies that make my skin itch, and most recently, a skin condition that no doctor can even yet define. The frustration and exhaustion that comes from trying to find a cure for my seemingly endless skin problems is overwhelming and unbearably draining.

When I think about beauty, I think about what I look like when my skin gets irritated from whatever is causing this ongoing condition I have. I think about what it would be like if I didn't have skin rashes, dry skin, if my skin was as smooth as they make it look on celebrities in TV commercials. The truth is that no one's natural skin looks that perfect. We all have freckles, we've all dealt with either acne or at the very least some pimples in our lives. Some people have acne in high school, some carry it with them through college.

Every person, regardless of what they look like, should have the right to feel beautiful. Now, that may sound cliche and probably similar to things you've heard before like "it's what on the inside that counts" and "everyone is beautiful in their own way." But we all should be able to love the skin we're in. If you're searching for a way to feel more beautiful, do something about it. I finally decided I was done guessing and using trial-and-error to figure out what was wrong with my skin. I went to the best dermatologist I could find at Mass General Hospital and she gave me a solution.

My definition of beauty is appreciating your skin and yourself for your individuality. We may not all have perfect skin, this is a fact, but every person deserves to feel happy and attractive in the skin they're in.