How do you get skin that looks luminous?

Before you reach for the brush-on illuminator to give your face the x-factor, here are some other ways to get that desirable illuminated-from-within look (aka ‘internal glow’). And they don’t wash away when you remove your makeup at the end of the day. 

Switch to natural skincare

If you’re using products with potentially harmful ingredients, such as parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate, you’re limiting your chances of gorgeous, glowing skin. Some skincare companies include antimicrobials, antifungals and preservatives in their formulations, so that products can sit in your bathroom cabinet for months, if not years. Start reading the ingredients label on everything you want to put on your skin; if it doesn’t sound good enough to eat, give it a miss. More about switching to a natural skincare regime.

Get some cardio exercise every day

When you get your heart beating fast, blood flows more quickly around your body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to your skin. Exercise also helps your body to produce collagen, which forms the fibrous network that supports your skin (like your mattress supports you while you’re sleeping).

Give yourself a facial massage every day

When you’re applying cleanser and moisturiser, take the opportunity to massage your face with your fingertips. Check out YouTube for some self-massage techniques. A daily massage helps to stimulate blood circulation and wake up your complexion.

Hang like a bat

If you do yoga, you’ll know that inverted (upside down) asanas send a lot of blood to your head. This is great for your skin. If you don’t do yoga, hanging head-down off your bed for a couple of minutes every day helps you to attain that lit-from-within skin you’re after.

Have a face mask every week

Treating your skin to a weekly face mask clears out your pores, which is a big step towards luminous skin. However it’s important to choose a mask that’s compatible with your skin type, preferably a nature-based mask. You can buy special French clay powder for making face masks, adding liquids like honey or aloe vera as necessary to make a paste.

Make your evening cleanse a double

Double cleansing is a strategy that’s been around for centuries in countries like Korea and Japan. It removes more of the things that block the natural luminosity of your skin, like stale makeup, air-borne pollutants, sebum and sweat. The trick is to do an oil-based cleanse first, using a product like our sorbet cleanser, then follow with a gentle foam cleanser to remove the residue. Finish off with toner and night cream. More about double cleansing.

Add vitamin C powder to your moisturiser

Adding a tiny amount of finely-ground 100% L-ascorbic acid powder to your day or night moisturiser can enhance your complexion over time. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to fight sun damage; it also helps your body to make collagen and can gradually reduce pore size. But vitamin C is famously unstable, which is why adding it to skincare as a powder is usually more effective. [1]

Exfoliate twice a week

Before you apply your weekly face mask, exfoliate your skin gently with a nature-based exfoliator, like bamboo beads. You don’t need to be super vigorous; use your fingertips and a circular motion to address every area of your face and neck, but carefully avoiding the fragile eye area. Twice a week is about right for exfoliation, so aim for another scrub about three days later. 

Avoid heavy foundations

A makeup trick to support your quest for luminous skin is to add a drop of liquid luminiser to your moisturiser or foundation. Alternatively, switch to a sheer foundation that lets your natural glow shine through, and only apply foundation down the centre of your face, blending out to the sides. A mask-like face that’s a totally uniform colour is unnatural and unflattering.

Get enough sleep

This is a basic step, but it’s surprisingly hard to achieve sometimes. Sleep is essential for recharging your batteries and staying healthy. It’s for your mind, as well as the luminosity of your skin. While humans might one day evolve to a point where sleep isn’t necessary, for now it’s compulsory. For optimum body performance and skin health, 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night is the goal.  Here are a few tips to improve your sleeping habits:

• Spruce up your sleeping space. Make sure your bedroom is equipped for a good night’s rest with block-out curtains and a decent bed. Most bed manufacturers recommend a new mattress every 5 to 10 years.
• Upgrade your pillow. Get a pillow that supports your neck properly.
• Avoid over-heating: Make sure your bedding isn’t too warm – your core body temperature needs to drop one or two degrees for a proper night’s sleep[2] .
• Silence the snoring. If your sleeping partner who snores, use ear plugs.
• Step away from the caffeine. Avoid coffee after midday. Caffeine needs time to wear off before you try to sleep.

Upgrade your nutrition

Kick sugar and excess salt to the kerb. They’re doing you no favours, especially for skin beauty. Choose low-GI carbs - like rolled oats, wholegrain bread and brown rice – over white carbs, such as white bread, white rice and pasta. Or get your carbs from vegetables - sweet potato is a great carb, because it comes with heaps of vitamins.  Also try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day, so that you’re getting a broad range of phytonutrients.

See our guide on 'How to get Glass Skin naturally' 

References:

[1] https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-C

[2] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-christopher-winter/best-temperature-for-sleep_b_3705049.html