Sophia Bush Slays on the September Cover Of Health, Talks Body Confidence and Beauty Tricks

We love Sophia Bush for many reasons, but most of all, because she is just so dang down-to-earth.

No where is that more evident than in her recent sit-down with Health for its September issue, on newsstands Friday, Aug. 14, where the actress and activist opens up about her beauty routine, life in her 30s, and maintaining body confidence in a world that, as Bush puts it, often wants women to "hate on [themselves]" and adhere to unrealistic body image standards.

Though true to form, Bush refutes this notion. “This is me, whether I like it or not," she tells the mag. "I will never be as tall as Gisele. I will never have bone structure like Hilary Rhoda. I will never have Penélope Cruz’s hair. So who cares?”

Bush shows off her own enviable-figure on the cover in a dress by Alexander Wang, and wears even more enviable looks inside the issue by the likes of Topshop, Vivienne Westwood, and as seen above, a tank by Rag & Bone and knit pants by Missoni. In the Q&A, she talks openly about how she feels as though she's really coming into her own. “There’s something about 33," she says. "You know, it’s one of those sacred years. Thirty was amazing. And 33 is really only getting better. I feel much more rooted. I’ve learned how to listen to my intuition. My heart still feels open and I’m still madly in love with the world.”

Bush's do-good reputation and knack for spreading love via social media are proof of that love. To this day, the actress partners with various organizations, including Pencils of Promise to help children gain access to education, I Am That Girl, which builds support networks for girls. And, in the beauty department, she is working with I Smell Great, a line that creates fragrances aimed at inspiring female confidence.

As for her own beauty routine, Bush says her go-to natural beauty trick is to use Neem honey as a 20-minute hair mask. "Neem honey is really good for your hair, [but] if you try to rinse [the honey before shampooing], it’s a disaster,” she shares. “It’s disgusting, It’s so gooey!”

For more from Bush's interview, visit health.com now, and be sure to pickup the September issue of Health, on newsstands Aug. 14.