17 Secrets To Glowing Skin8 min read

November 20, 2019
, Anti-Aging, Face, Skin Care

Dr. Phillip Chang

Board Certified By The American Board of Plastic Surgeons.
Voted Top Plastic Surgeon in Loudoun, Virginia
Offices in Leesburg, Virginia.

The “no makeup” look is still so in (with no signs of going out of style) that having naturally radiant skin is more essential than ever. The fantastic news is absolutely anyone can have that gorgeous, radiant skin we all rave about. Just find the best skincare products for your skin type and stick with them.

These 17 glowing skin secrets or tips are all you need! So let’s talk about your ideal daily skincare routine…

1. Identify your skin type.

Before you can even determine the best skincare routine for you (much less begin treatment), it’s important to understand what kind of skin you have. We all have slightly different types of skin. Some women struggle with intense dryness, some with perpetual oil. Some with skin discoloration, some with pervasive acne.

Begin by taking a skin assessment test, such as this one from WebMD, to determine the type of skin which you have. From there, you can easily determine whether your perfect skincare products will focus on cutting down on oil, increasing moisture, reducing redness, or fighting to heal old acne scars.

2. Wash your face frequently, but not with your hands.

You’ve heard this a million times, but just once more for the people in the back: clean your face twice a day and stop using your fingers to do it! Blocked pores cause dullness, so scrub away all of the dirt, oil, and grease dimming your glow every morning and night.

Do you realize that even manual face washing (with your hands or a washcloth) can leave behind skin-dulling grime? Try using a facial cleaning brush that mimics the quality scrubbing you ‘d receive from a spa Esthetician. Skin care brushes are foolproof at getting your skin crisp and clean.

3. A quick massage goes a long way.

So many popular skincare tools (such as the jade rollers popularized on Instagram) work to get results not because they have magical properties inherent in the tools, but simply because they provide a gentle massage to your skin. When you massage the skin, it increases blood flow to the area, resulting in brighter, more radiant, less puffy skin.

Skip the fad tools and massage your face as you work in your morning cleanser and moisturizer to achieve the same results.

When you massage the skin, it increases blood flow to the area, resulting in brighter, more radiant, less puffy skin.

4. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.

While you’re hyper-focused on ironing out wrinkles with creams and injectables, there may be other skin issues distracting from your youthful radiance. Dullness—a result of dead skin cell build-up—is a common complexion woe. It’s also something you can fix with a gentle exfoliator once or twice a week. Getting rid of the top layer of dead skin cells will allow the skin underneath to shine.

Try using a chemical exfoliator (I understand that might sound intimidating, but they’re really quite mild on your skin because they don’t involve scrubbing), in place of physical exfoliation through scrubbing. Chemical exfoliations should only be used once or twice a week.

5. Beware: don’t over-utilize your loofah.

Don’t misunderstand our excitement for exfoliation: when it comes to sloughing off dead skin with a scrub, less is actually more. That dead skin layer keeps the wetness in, so over-exfoliating can actually trigger dryness. Use those facial scrubs no more than three times a week, and if you sense a sudden increase in dryness, continue to cut back to once or twice a week.

6. Use toner before your serum or moisturizer.

Oily skin? We recommend a drying toner with witch hazel or salicylic acid. For dry skin, try a clarifying toner with glycerin or ceramides.

7. Introduce a Vitamin C serum to your morning routine.

Vitamin C isn’t simply an important vitamin to have in your food, it also does marvels for your skin. Don’t let your face miss out on one of the best tricks for glorious skin. A key component to skin brightening, it prevents premature aging, fights inflammation, and protects the skin from dangerous UV rays through the neutralization of free radicals. Apply 2-5 drops to your face every morning for a lightening effect that will brighten your entire complexion.

8. Time for moisturizer.

Moisturizing daily is a skincare cult classic and complete necessity. Once you rub off the dry skin, help the vibrant skin underneath retain its luminous glow. Remember that less is more here. Just as your hair can only soak in so much conditioner, your skin can only soak in so much moisturizer. A dime sized amount is more than enough for your face and neck.

9. Say it with me: sunscreen!

It doesn’t matter if it isn’t bright outside, you must use sunscreen every. single. day. UV rays permanently harm your skin cells and make your skin’s surface and pigmentation uneven. Believe it or not, that means it won’t reflect the light effectively aka it won’t glow. Don’t risk the damage: slap on your sunscreen each and every morning.

10. Hunt for products containing glycolic acid and galactoarabinan.

One of the best drugstore skincare options, search for a peel that contains glycolic acid. It works by breaking down the grime that bonds dead skin cells just below the outside layer of skin.

Want to truly smooth out your skin and work toward erasing wrinkles? Look for creams including “galactoarabinan,” a natural ingredient that encourages cell turnover (comparable to common exfoliating ingredients such as lactic or glycolic acid). It’s anti-inflammatory and hardly ever causes skin irritation.

11. Incorporate the ideal ingredients for your skin type.

Sun-seekers, who are vulnerable to dark areas and staining, will benefit most from items containing lycopene to assist in lighten up and leveling out their skin tone. Everyone else should focus on products rich in natural antioxidants and lightening agents such as grape, papaya, licorice, and mushrooms.

Another reason why your skin may not be shining brilliantly is deep-set wrinkles. In order to speed up the natural turnover of skin cells (get rid of those worn-in wrinkles), doctors recommend retinol or another retinoid.

Note that retinoids can be very irritating to the skin. Be sure to start with one that has a low concentration of retinol and use it 3 or less nights a week up until your skin works up a tolerance. Don’t start a retinol cream at the same time as other products (especially exfoliants) to ensure that your skin isn’t overwhelmed.

12. Hack your glow with highlighter.

Yes, attaining a natural radiance is wonderful, but even on your worst days, there’s a way to encourage a gorgeous, natural look. It’s all about the highlighter! Get a color on the natural side so that the secret behind your perfect skin will stay safe with you.

13. Upgrade your typical face mask.

When you feel like your skin requires a radiance boost, hit the kitchen to whip up a homemade face mask. Professionals swear by a mask made with yogurt (2 tablespoons), almond powder (1 tablespoon), and honey (1 tablespoon) once a week. The lactic acid in the yogurt helps smooth and exfoliate skin. Meanwhile, honey has natural antibacterial residential or commercial properties and almond powder assists lift dead skin cells.

Slap one on every night as you catch up with the latest episodes of The Bachelor.

14. Treat yourself to a professional laser treatment a few times each year.

The best kept celebrity secret to perfect skin is quite simply: lasers. Targeting water molecules, the best medical grade skincare lasers trigger collagen reproduction which promotes substantial skin repair. By encouraging your face to heal itself you can see radical improvement in skin tone, wrinkle reduction, scar resolution, and sun damage.

Lasers have little to no downtime – most are lunchtime treatments – and provide enough diversity of options (addressing redness, fixing pigment issues, resurfacing acne scars, minimizing wrinkles, and more) that our office can recommend the ideal options for your skin type and specific concerns.

15. Hydrate all day every day.

You’ve heard it before, but everyone will tell you that the most important secret to healthy looking skin is remaining hydrated because, well, it quite simply is. Get yourself an adorable, environmentally friendly water bottle and ensure it’s always with you.

16. Eat your antioxidants.

As we age, skin cell turnover gets slower and slower. Fruits and veggies aren’t just helpful for your body’s health, they’re packed with enzymes that increases skin cell turnover (improving radiance) as well.

Focus on grapes, berries, fish, and nuts like pecans and walnuts. Toss half an avocado or some berries into your morning smoothie. Try adding some liquid chlorophyll into your diet: it tastes like mint, oxygenates the skin, and works from inside out to quickly oxygenate skin and boost luminosity.

17. Invest in a few extra hours of sleep.

Last but not least, needing a “full night’s sleep” isn’t simply an old-wives’ tale to put children to bed earlier. Sleep quality affects the glow and luminosity of skin, assisting with regular turnover and exfoliation. Women who get enough shut eye (7-8 hours a night) recover more effectively from stress factors to the skin, such as sunburn. When you aren’t getting sufficient sleep, your skin pays for it, so hit the hay extra early tonight.

Follow these 17 steps and you’ll not only have a great skincare routine, but radiant, glowing skin in no time!

Still need advice on where to begin?

Schedule a consultation and we’ll be happy to help create your customized skincare plan. From identifying your most significant facial concerns to pointing you to the most helpful laser peels, Aesthetica is here to help.

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Our office can provide you with helpful information, schedule a free consultation, and walk you through the many procedures and services we offer.