By traveling the world as a former Miss USA contender and having beauty be such a formidable part of my life, I can honestly say I have come to learn three things: that beauty is subjective, individual, and more than skin deep. In my experience, there are only two things that are considered universally beautiful: fresh, glowing skin and a vibrant radiance from within.

Replenish the Moisture  

You’ve seen those women, the ones who carry an effortless beauty. What makes them so special? Without being conscious of it, we are probably noticing their skin more than anything. The color or shade of the skin isn’t as important as the quality. Keeping your entire body moisturized gives a healthy glow, plus it makes you feel healthy. I once knew a male model that had the most beautiful skin I had ever seen. His secret was moisturizing with olive oil after every shower. While the idea was strange, it made sense. Olive oil has been used for centuries for a wide variety of uses, including as a natural detoxifier, cleanser and moisturizer. Before drying with a towel, he would moisturize with olive oil, then air dry. It soaks quickly and isn’t greasy, believe it or not. Plus, it’s natural, leaving less chemicals and free radicals for your skin to fight.

Scrub for Smoother Skin

A good scrub is another easy tool for achieving healthy skin. Sugar, salt, and even coffee scrubs are a combination of an exfoliating granule and moisturizing oils.  The caffeine and ECGC in coffee improve circulation in the skin, decrease the appearance of cellulite, soothe irritations, revitalize skin cells, and give skin a more toned appearance. As an added bonus, it smells great, too. For the face, using a scrub 1-2 times a week keeps skin cells fresh and maintains a glowing complexion. Recommendations for facial scrubs are to stay away from larger, uneven granules and to lean more towards the microdermabrasion-type with smaller and more uniform sized granules. This provides a gentler, less abrasive scrub so you don’t damage too many skin cells, creating a faster turn-over and a need to use the product more often. Scrubs can decrease the appearance of fine lines and uneven skin tone.

Stay Made in the Shade

More than wrinkles or fine lines, uneven tone or sun spots create the appearance of aged skin. Using sunscreen on all parts of the body is a given, but especially on the face and décolleté to maintain an even complexion. Most sunscreens now protect from UVA and UVB rays, but only cover the top layer. The short UVA rays can reach deeper, causing the long-term damage that is difficult to reverse, DNA destruction, and skin cancer. These rays are present year round and can reach through windows, making indoor protection near windows necessary. The first FDA-approved ingredient for sunscreen in 18 years protects the deeper layers of your skin, furthering the long-term protection benefits of using sunscreen. This ingredient is ecamsule (its commercial name is Mexoryl) and is only found in a small number of products so far.

Feel Good, Look Great

The other universal beauty indicator mentioned—that radiance from within—is as unique as your fingerprint. We each carry our own mystery, or at least we should. For some women, it’s the feel of a new pair of shoes; for others, it’s knowing under the conservative suit is a set of racy lingerie. Maybe it’s seeing your favorite color of lipstick marking the glass of a “that-hits-the-spot” glass of wine or batting a fabulous pair of false eyelashes. It could be the kind act you performed or the donation you just made to your favorite charity. Whatever makes you love the body you’re in, whatever secret you create for yourself, let that "I know something you don't" attitude shine through an assertive carriage and a care-free smile. That, my dear, is timeless, elegant beauty that attracts all walks of life—and indulges your own journey.

Jenna Edwards is reigning Ms. Florida USA and elements™ resident expert on beauty and balanced living. From "selecting the most slimming clothing styles" to "using makeup to erase 10 years" Jenna is able to offer a wealth of resources and information to our members online. Discover her bio here .