Selena Gomez Opens Up About Her True Meaning of Beauty

“I chose to take care of myself because I want to, not to prove anything to anyone,” the singer shared.

Selena Gomez is currently enjoying some fun in the sun with her friends in Sydney, Australia. But she also made headlines yesterday for revealing her kidney transplant scars in her first bikini pics snapped after her surgery last summer. It can always be nerve-wracking to put on a bathing suit – never mind after you’re recovering from such a huge medical procedure.

But Selena didn’t seem to stress over the headlines. After all, many people were overwhelmingly supportive of the star for radiating confidence. But she also was attacked by body-shamers across social media, which is never okay. So while on her trip, she referenced the news by sharing a beautiful vintage-filtered video taken with her buds – and an inspiring message about true beauty.

“The beauty myth- an obsession with physical perfection that traps modern woman in an endless cycle of hopelessness, self consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfill society’s impossible definition of flawless beauty,” she wrote on Instagram. “I chose to take care of myself because I want to, not to prove anything to anyone. Wind in her sails. ????.”

Her message is so important: she’s taking care of her body because she wants to, and because it helps her be healthier. Not because others expect her to look a certain way in her swim gear. That’s why she is so radiant in the first place!

You can watch Selena’s vacation video in her Instagram post below:

Written by Kristine Hope Kowalski