Most of us are looking for the fountain of youth. Who doesn’t want to achieve young, glowy, and healthy skin? After all, that youthful glow, clear, and supple skin is so attractive. But you may be wondering how to glow up naturally without having to use too many products.
First, the basis of clear and healthy skin is drinking lots of water, cleaning your face, and wearing sunscreen. Everything else follows.
That’s exactly what we will give you. Here are proven tips to get that natural glow.
How to glow up naturally: allow skin to absorb the products
If you’re low-maintenance, then you can choose fewer products or use some in the morning and some in the evening.
Because if you have a 4- or 5-step routine, the last thing you want to do is glop it all on your face in under 2 minutes.
You shouldn’t rush your skin routine. Products need time to work and sink in. Remember that the active ingredients in one might negate the active ingredients of another if they mix on the surface of your skin.
So if you can, schedule you’re routine so that you’re washing your face, putting your first layer of product on, and then taking time to do something like brushing your teeth.
Then, a few minutes later, move on to your next product.
Remove all makeup at night
You don’t need 12-step skin care options, but if you wear makeup, you should at least try a double-cleanse, especially if you see makeup remnants on your washcloth after you dry your face.
Clean skin is a must if you want to keep it healthy. So, start with a makeup-removing oil (yes, even if you have oily skin) or micellar water. Then, use a gentle cleanser to wash the skin and remove the first product.
Moisturize skin before it dries completely
If you’re a wash and moisturize person or if you’re caring for an area of skin that may not need a ton of specialized attention (like legs), be sure skin doesn’t get to the point of feeling dry and tight before you add your moisturizer.
Every day, stress, exhaustion, and pollution strip our skin of its natural moisture. If you’ve been asking how to make your skin soft, giving it the moisture it needs is a good way to start.
You want to seal in the moisture that’s already there. Putting it on dry skin isn’t going to have the same effect and if your product contains something like hyaluronic acid (which expands any water molecule it can find), your moisturizer might end up pulling moisture from deep within your skin. And you don’t want that.
Exfoliate with care
There are two types of exfoliation – physical and chemical.
And while we’re used to seeing facial scrubs, you’re probably better off with the latter since scrubs can damage skin and create tiny injuries on your face (where bacteria can enter).
Among the products to make skin glow are those with alpha-hydroxy and (especially) beta-hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs). You can press these into your skin right after you dry your face.
Don’t worry, they need not be expensive – products from The Ordinary or Paula’s Choice work just as well as Biologique Recherche’s “miracle in a bottle” P50 exfoliant for a fraction of the price.
Don’t dry out your skin
Let’s say you’ve got a bunch of new products and you’re trying to solve problems like uneven skin tone and breakouts. If you’re using a chemical exfoliant, and an anti-acne ingredient like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, chances are you’re going to dry out your skin or irritate it.
Use these on different days or at different times of the day rather than in the same routine.
Pay extra attention to how to keep skin healthy and glowing in winter. You can use different products when winter comes since your skin is more prone to drying.
Invest in Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the few ingredients that had plenty of scientific evidence behind it when it comes to brightening skin and fading certain types of spots.
More products today have Vitamin C listed as their primary ingredient.
But even if you head to Sephora or Ulta and find a $60 product that says it contains Vitamin C, you might not be getting any of the benefits.
Massage your face
When you’re washing your face or putting on your products, give your skin a nice massage, working upwards and outwards. That’s how to make your skin glow overnight.
It’s not a miracle facelift, but the more you move your skin around in the right direction, the more blood flow can nourish your face. You can use your (clean) fingers or a nice gua sha tool. Just remember not to tug on dry skin – massage while there’s something creamy or oily on your face.
Massage is also a great self-care routine just to remind you that you’re taking the time to care for yourself. After all the hours you’ve been working, you deserve a few minutes of pampering.
Use products with good ingredients
What does healthy skin look like? Do you have to invest $50 or $150 in a product for it to make your skin better?
Healthy skin is free from harmful chemicals, moisturized, and clean. That’s the basics of supple young-looking skin.
Beauty products are also your best friend, so choose the ones that really work. Products with things like ceramides, glycolic, lactic, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide are all great, but there’s more research to do.
Take niacinamide for example – you need the product to have around 2-10% for it to be effective. For vitamin C, you want it in the form of L-ascorbic acid so it does the most good.
Keep your products clean
If you use moisturizer in a tub, get a scoop so you’re not sticking your fingers in it. If you use makeup brushes, be sure you have a cleanser that you use on them at least once a week.
You can also grab a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol to cleanse any tools (like rollers or gua sha tools) before each use. Bacteria thrive in bathrooms and the last place you want them is on your face since bacteria is a major cause of acne.
You can have a wonderful skincare routine and it can all be ruined if your products end up gross and gunky.
Pay attention to the order of your products
After you wash your face, you might have some products you like to use afterward to treat breakouts, redness, fine lines, etc. But if you put these on your face in the wrong order, you could be counteracting their effectiveness.
The easiest rule to follow is to put products on in order of their viscosity – in order words, how thick and creamy they are.
So start with liquid products that you press into your skin (such as serums) and end with your thickest, creamiest products (such as your moisturizer).
If you put a serum on after a moisturizer, it has almost no chance of breaking that barrier and sinking into your skin.
And if you’re really gung-ho about keeping your products in their best condition, you can even consider a small skin care product fridge for your bathroom.
Takeaway
Learning how to glow up naturally may look confusing at first, especially when we search for the products to use. The secret here is by taking your time.
Watch reviews, read labels, and test which ones would work best for you. Then, make sure you have enough sleep, water, and happiness.
Source: Vogue, Everyday Health