A natural, radiant glow is one of the biggest indicators that your skin is healthy. So many factors have an impact on the appearance of our skin, from our diet and sleep pattern to age and stressful life events. But if your skin is far from glowing, the good news is that it’s possible to see a transformation with just a few lifestyle changes.
WHY DOES MY SKIN LOOK DULL?
If your skin is dull, uneven or tired-looking and you’d like to get that much-desired glow, then you may need to give some areas of your life a little more TLC. Many of the lifestyle factors that cause dull skin are easy to adjust, so it won’t take long before you should start to see a difference in your skin. Curious about what causes dry skin? Here are several factors:
DEHYDRATION
Water aids blood circulation and helps transport essential nutrients around our body, including to our skin. It also helps eliminate toxins and impurities, which in turn helps keep our skin healthy, glowing and hydrated.
Since water plays such a vital role in both our body’s and our skin’s health, we should aim to be drinking a good amount every day. The recommended daily amount averages at between a half ounce and an ounce of water per day for each pound you weigh, meaning that at 150lbs, you would need a daily intake of around 75-150 ounces.
STRESS
From busy work schedules to difficult life events, stress is a big part of many people’s lives—but you may not be aware of the impact this has on your skin. Stress causes our body’s sympathetic nervous system to release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can ultimately lead to inflammation and skin problems.
As well as dullness of the skin, stress can cause more clogged pores and acne breakouts, and the oil produced by raised cortisol levels will give you the wrong kind of glow! It’s important to note that shiny and glowing skin are two different things. While glowing skin looks clear and healthy, shiny skin is caused by an overproduction of oils, which may then result in acne and blackheads.
POLLUTION
While the harmful effects of pollution on the environment are common knowledge, many people don’t know about the impact that pollution has on our skin. Although it’s impossible to determine precisely how much pollution affects the skin, what we do know is that toxic emissions and micronized pollutants have the power to break down collagen and oxidize the lipid layer of the skin. This happens when they embed themselves into pores, resulting in inflammation, blemishes, irritation and a breakdown in overall skin function.
While these smog particles are too large to penetrate the skin completely, they can result in free radical formation, which leads to breakdown of collagen and elastin and formation of uneven pigmentation: all causes of uneven tone and texture in skin.
HOW TO GET RADIANT SKIN
Now you’re aware of what causes dull skin, it’s time to put some steps into place to get your skin looking glowing and youthful once more. These six simple steps are easy to introduce into most lifestyles and as an added benefit, you’ll start to see improvements in other areas of your life as well.
1. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
Drinking more water is one of the easiest ways to see an improvement in your skin, since it’s not time-consuming or costly to increase your water intake. If you find that you struggle to drink enough water every day, then consider buying a bottle with clear measurements to keep track of your drinking.
2. EXERCISE REGULARLY
Whether you’re taking part in a relaxing yoga session or sweating it out at the gym, any kind of workout that gets your heart pumping will benefit your skin. When we sweat, we’re removing toxins from our skin, helping to keep our skin blemish-free. Regular exercise also improves blood circulation and oxygenation to the skin, resulting in a healthy glow.
3. USE SKINCARE PRODUCTS THAT PROMOTE SKIN HEALTH
Your skincare regimen can make all the difference to whether your skin is dull and tired looking, or glowing and healthy. Since impurities can cause free radical formation that breaks down your skin’s collagen, you should make sure you’re using a serum and moisturizer high in anti-oxidants like vitamin C, which can stop the free radicals that do form, as well as a product containing SPF to protect your skin.
4. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY SLEEP PATTERN
A good night’s sleep is essential for the quality of both our physical and mental health, so you won’t be surprised to hear that it also has an impact on our skin. As we sleep, our bodies boost blood flow to the skin—so the more sleep we get, the more glowing our skin will look. Aim for around eight hours of sleep at night and try to keep to the same pattern of sleep and wake times.
5. STICK TO A HEALTHY DIET
The better you take care of your body internally, the better you will look from the outside. For glowing skin, you should stick to a healthy, balanced diet wherever possible. Avoid foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat and salt, and instead opt for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats.
Certain nutrients are particularly beneficial for the skin, such as vitamins A-E, omega 3 fatty acids and zinc. You can find these in many of the foods listed above.
Our lifestyle choices have a significant impact on the overall health of our skin, so by making some changes, we can transform our skin from dull to glowing. Our skincare regime is particularly important in maintaining glowing skin. For more products proven to brighten the skin, take a look at our Brightening Vitamin C Skincare Trio.
For skincare tips and advice take a look at our blog, or read our next post to discover more about serum and what it does for your face.