How To Get Glowing Skin
The sun is shining, the windows are open and we’ve traded in our winter coats for shorts and tank tops. While we’re prepping for the warmer weather, it’s a great time to give our skin routine an overhaul. Nothing goes better with short shorts and shoulder baring tops than healthy, radiant and glowing skin.
During the winter months, skin tends to be dry and dull. Dry skin can cause build-up which leads to skin looking less healthy, dull and congested. Add in spring and summertime elements like sun, heat, chlorine, sand, allergens, and wind, and it can leave your skin in need of some major TLC. Spring is a great time to take some extra steps to nourish and hydrate your skin. Even just a little extra care and effort can pay off with gorgeous, glowy skin for the summer.
11 Tips for Healthy Glowing Skin
Glowing skin is healthy skin. For soft, hydrated and naturally glowing skin, check out the tips and recommendations below on how to get skin that glows from the inside out!
Fine-Tune Your Skincare Routine
With the change of seasons, you may want to consider switching up your skincare products and routine to accommodate for changes. With the change of temperature, humidity and environmental factors, skin can undergo changes in dryness and oil production and so adjust your skincare products as needed when it comes to summer skin care.
Regardless of changes in the products you use, the following are the tenets to a great skincare routine that leads to supple and glowing skin:
Step One: Cleanse Morning and Night
Use a gentle cleanser (non-foaming cleanser tends to be less drying) every morning and evening to wash away the day’s dirt and grime.
Step Two: Use a Toner
Toners are a wonderful addition to a skincare routine to balance your skin’s ph level while also removing any last traces of dirt, makeup, dead skin cells and impurities to let that inner glow shine through. Toners are great skin prep to help skin absorb moisturizers & serums too.
Step Three: Moisturize Daily
The key to glowing skin? Hydration! Heat, sun exposure, wind, salt water and chlorine can wreak havoc on your skin. Moisturizing with a high-quality moisturizer twice daily can help offset dryness from environmental causes. I love a light formula moisturizer for mornings and then use a thicker and more hydrating formula night cream in the evenings. For ultra-dry skin or too much sun exposure, adding in a weekly or bi-weekly hydration face mask can work wonders for intense moisturizing that will leave skin radiant.
Step Four: Exfoliate (But Not Too Much)
Exfoliators are an amazing addition to a skincare routine to help remove dead skin cells that can cause our skin to look dull and bleak. Aim to exfoliate the skin once weekly to slough off dry skin, but be sure to be gentle while doing so. Too much exfoliation can make the skin irritated and more sensitive to sunlight. Follow with a hydrating body cream to nourish skin and make sure to use SPF on freshly exfoliated skin.
Protect with Sunscreen Daily
One of the most important steps you can take for healthy, glowing skin is using sunscreen daily! Sun damaged skin is unhealthy skin. Applying sunscreen daily (even on cloudy days and winter months), is one of the easiest ways to prevent premature aging and dark spots. Make sure to reapply hourly if you’ll be outside for longer periods and avoid direct sun exposure during the hours of 11-3pm when the sun’s rays are the strongest.
Exercise: Sweat It Out
Exercise has more benefits than just getting strong, but can also help you have more glowing skin. Sweating and moving your body helps flush out your skin and toxins within your body while also increasing blood circulation to provide a natural glow. Add in stress-boosting benefits (bye-bye stress breakouts) and exercise is a no-brainer when it comes to a healthy natural glowing skin.
Eat To Nourish Your Skin
Get a glow from within with some major skin boosting foods! Eating healthy and fresh foods is a good start, but there are so many different foods that are loaded with skin boosting nutrients like vitamins and antioxidants to boost your skin from within. Some skin boosting foods for glowing skin are:
Pineapple: Pineapple is full of Vitamin C and potassium and is one of the best sources of antioxidants available.
Kiwi: Kiwi is the leading source of vitamin C in fruits! Kiwi also has high amounts of vitamin E which help keep skin moisturized for more youthful and supple skin.
Oranges: Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C which is a must for radiant skin.
Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is loaded with lots of great nutrients: riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and protein, that may help detoxify your skin.
Tomatoes: Rich in lycopene and powerful antioxidants that protect the skin from UV damage and premature aging.
Stay Hydrated
Warmer temperatures and increased summertime activity lead to higher levels of dehydration. Make sure to be drinking plenty of water to help rehydrate your body from the inside out. At least 8 glasses of water a day (64 ounces) is a must, and even more if you drink lots of caffeine. Water-rich foods, like watermelon, cucumbers, berries, are another great way to hydrate and add additional nutrients to your diet that will help your skin glow as well.
Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol
Alcohol and tobacco both accelerate the aging process. Alcohol is another culprit that hinders healthy, glowing skin by causing dehydration and also robbing your body of key nutrients (like vitamin A) that are integral in healthy skin. Cigarettes are loaded with over 4000 chemicals, some which are carcinogenic which can cause cancer and also leads to premature aging by destroying collagen and elastin. Smoking also deprives the skin of oxygen and nutrients which can cause some people to look pale, while others develop uneven coloring – definitely the opposite of glowing skin!
Sound Sleep
Sleep is the foundation to all things health, skin health included. Lack of sleep can lead to dark circles and puffy eyes which definitely won’t give you that glowing, radiant look you’re striving for. Sleep also helps aid in the production of collagen which helps skin look plumper and firmer. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night (check here for sleep tips that will help you sleep better).
