We all love the idea of bright and glowing skin, it’s a major signal that your skin is feeling balanced and healthy. Unfortunately, a host of causes from age to stress and even what you eat can steal away your skin’s radiance. Luckily, we’re here with our top tips on how to wave goodbye to dull, tired looking skin and embrace a glowy, bright and radiant look.
A healthy lifestyle
Our skin is a good monitor for what’s going on inside our body. When we’re stressed out, or not sleeping well, it usually shows on our skin, with a greyish dull tinge, dark circles and sometimes breakouts too. Prioritise a healthy lifestyle and your skin will start to perk up. Avoid stress, cigarette smoke and processed food, instead find ways to de-stress like exercise, meditation or yoga and aim for 8-hours sleep a night. Fruit and vegetables are full of antioxidants which are great for skin health and for your organs too. Aim to eat a rainbow of different colours and at least 5 servings per day. Expect your mood to improve as well as your skin!
Brightening skincare
Skincare can help boost skin clarity too, but there’s no point in applying the occasional serum if you’re not following a consistent daily routine. Consistency is key when it comes to most skin issues, including clarity. Find a routine that suits both your skin and the time you have each day, whether it’s 2 mins or 20 mins, and never miss your morning and evening skincare steps, we promise your skin will thank you. If you're looking for your perfect routine, try our Instant Skin Reader. Developed with dermatologists, this unique skin analysis tool personalises your routine recommendation to your skin type and your skin’s needs. To tackle hyperpigmentation, boost clarity and achieve a brighter complexion try our Clearly Corrective Collection.
Top Tip: It’s all about the cleanse
Skin that isn’t clean will never glow because a layer of grime, whether that’s sweat, pollution or dry skin cells acting as a barrier, hiding away your natural radiance. Make sure you’re cleansing every morning and evening, not only will your skin feel clean, but any products you apply afterwards will sink into skin and not sit atop a layer of impurities. To find the right cleanser for you, follow our guide. For more radiant-looking skin we recommend following your cleanse with a refreshing toner, particularly our Clearly Corrective Brightening & Smoothing Treatment Water which soothes and hydrates and helps skin to appear brighter day after day.
Top Tip: Exfoliate
As well as providing a deeper cleanse, exfoliating works to remove any surface dead skin cells (which contribute to dullness) and helps to smooth the skin too. Glowing skin has a smooth texture that can reflect light more easily than rough or bumpy skin, so focusing on skin feel is also important. You can exfoliate manually with a scrub that gently buffs skin, like our Epidermal Re-Texturizing Micro-Dermabrasion for instant smoothness. The alternative option, chemical exfoliation, utilises acids to dissolve dead skin cells sitting atop the surface of the skin. It might sound harsh, but it’s actually a very gentle step in the quest for a smoother, brighter appearance. Our Daily Refining Milk-Peel Toner is suitable for all skin types including sensitive and combines hydrating emollients with a gentle acid to refine skin.
Top Tip: Try a Vitamin C Serum
Adding a Vitamin C serum to your skincare routine can help achieve a radiant look. Formulated with 12.5% Vitamin C, Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate penetrates the skin’s surface layers, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This boosts skin’s radiant appearance and reveals brighter, younger looking skin. You can add Vitamin C at any point in your routine, but the serum stage is always a good place to use more active ingredients, as skin is already cleansed and prepped.
Top Tip: Strengthen the skin barrier
The skin barrier is the watertight seal that holds all the upper skin layers together smoothly. A strong and healthy barrier means skin that feels smooth and looks healthy and radiant. If the skin barrier is damaged, skin becomes rough, dry, dull-looking and increasingly sensitive. Prevention is always better than cure and a strong barrier will lead to brighter skin. Choose a serum that works to fortify the crucial top layer of skin. We like Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum which protects skin against damaging aggressors, while helping skin to better retain moisture for a bouncier feel. The result? A stronger skin barrier function.
Top Tip: Hydration is key
When it comes to skin radiance, the first thing to rob you of that gorgeous glow is dehydration. When we haven’t drunk enough water it’s visible on our skin, which looks dull, sunken and feels tight. It’s a quick win really, just drink a couple more glasses of water a day and see that glow reappear. If you do have dehydrated skin, choose products that are especially formulated to deliver lasting hydration. You may want to try Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate. It helps to helps plump and smooth the appearance of skin. Always follow your serum application with a moisturiser to seal in the goodness and nourish the skin. Ultra Facial Cream is our worldwide customer favourite and delivers 24-hour hydration and seal in moisture, for a healthier-looking appearance.
Top Tip: Never miss SPF
Damaged skin is dull skin, and the number one cause of skin damage is the sun. The sun’s rays cause premature ageing, textural issues including dryness and dullness and irregular pigmentation. We always recommend finishing your skincare routine with a daily SPF to help protect your skin. Try our Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50 PA++++, the light formula feels smooth on skin and never leaves a white mark.
Top Tip: Speak to a Skincare Expert