Summer is usually a time that leaves our bodies much more exposed. Gone are the winter coats and heavy sweaters that double as security blankets, replaced by tank tops and crop tops and bikini tops that—if you’re anything like me—can leave you feeling on display.

Which is why it was such a delight to recently spend time with LeAnn Rimes, the cover star of our Healthy Skin issue. Having lived with psoriasis since the age of two, she’s no stranger to that inclination to hide, confessing that, when she was younger and getting ready to hit the red carpet, she’d sometimes layer on three pairs of pantyhose to disguise the rashes on her legs. 

But Rimes says those days are over. Now that she’s in her 40s, she’s embracing her body—perceived imperfections and all—because she’s finally at a place in her life where, “I’m safe to reveal myself,” she declares. “I’m able to just be me.” 

In Rimes’ case, she credits having “beautiful people around me,” for helping her feel more confident, noting that she has spent the last few years “weeding out” the people who weren’t part of this journey toward self-love. No wonder then that she’s whole-heartedly embracing being in midlife. “Knowing who you are, knowing what you want and knowing what you’re not willing to compromise on is one of the biggest things for me,” she says. “And having those kinds of boundaries for myself just makes life a lot clearer.”

Consider that your cue to draw your own lines around negative self-talk and external judgements. Because as Rimes has learned, there’s nothing more freeing than showing the world who you truly are, psoriasis rashes and all.

Inside the Issue