Happy girls are the prettiest girls!
A shiny little pill container caught my eye. What are “#mood pills” and why are they in a beauty store? The slogan on the back actually hurt: “happy girls are the prettiest girls.”
I’m not “happy” all of the time. Perhaps, I’m pretty moody? All jokes aside, this kind of advertising is something that I found problematic right away. I have a mood disorder, specifically Bipolar Disorder Type 1. Sometimes, “happiness” feels so, so far away. Just feeling NOT depressed is the goal.
So many people wear a fake smile to keep up appearances. Maybe, they will even buy products such as the #mood pills in order to appear as if they have it all together. Well, guess what? It is fake. It is artificial. It won’t bring happiness. In fact, such products (this one has St. John’s Wort) can be dangerous to certain individuals, especially without talking first to a provider.
St. John’s wort does have the potential for serious interactions with a wide variety of prescription drugs, including birth control pills, antidepressants, HIV medications, and blood thinners. It can also interact with other herbs or supplements. Mainly, it may lower the effectiveness of certain medications, Fugh-Berman tells WebMD. St. John’s wort may also lead to an increase in side effects when taken with pharmaceutical antidepressants. –WebMD
Some other concerns with such “mood enhancers” include:
- Side effects such as skin reactions, dizziness, headache & gastrointestinal upset
- Potentially lethal effects (e.g., significant liver problems from kava kava)
- Efficacy- many simply do not have evidence to show that they work
I think real beauty comes from being real, not from trying to meet unrealistic expectations (e.g., always appearing happy). I think real beauty comes from not shying away from who we are… living life openly and bravely. I think it comes from showing vulnerability and a true range of emotions, not just the smiles.
Girls who are truly themselves are the prettiest girls.
The Calculating Mind 