Glowing skin, it's the inside that counts!
Do you ever notice that in the summer seasons your skin seems to radiate a natural glow? Or, when you’re on vacation, holidaying somewhere magical without a care in the world, your skin somehow just seems like it’s lit from within? Achieving a glowing complexion—without Instagram or Snapchat filters—is not just about putting highlighter in all the right places or using a dewy foundation. Think beyond the products you use externally—glowing skin is the result of a combination of factors and both physical and emotional practices.
Today, we share our glow-getting tips, that if you make them a part of your daily routine, will have you glowing from the inside out—literally.
It’s no secret that drinking water is key to achieving hydrated, glowing skin. It’s recommended that women drink approximately 8 cups (2 litres) of water per day and men approximately 10 cups (2.6 litres). Drinking a good amount of water daily will help to rid the body of toxins, improve the skin's elasticity, and keep it looking plump and firm whilst reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. One way to ensure you’re drinking enough H2O is to keep a litre drink bottle with you throughout the day and once you’ve got through it twice, you know you’re on track to nourishing your skin from the inside out!
No matter how many cocktails you’ve had, or how tired you are after a big night (or day), never ever go to bed without giving your skin some love. We’ve likely all done it at some stage in our lives—but waking up with panda eyes and makeup from the night before is not a good look and is never a remedy for radiant skin! Skin can look dull and dehydrated very quickly, so even skipping the moisturiser for one day can have a negative effect.
Regardless if you’ve worn makeup or not, your skin will pick up toxins and dirt just from being out in the natural environment. It’s super important to cleanse the skin before bed to remove any excess oils, dirt or makeup that your skin may have picked up throughout the day, and to prevent the clogging of pores or potential breakouts from happening. Your skin provides a base for flawless makeup, so if it’s not well taken care of, your makeup will never look as natural and radiant as you want it to.
Stress can be harmful to our health in many ways, and for some, avoiding stress altogether can seem like an impossible task. It’s a word that’s thrown around a lot these days and when we get in our heads and overwhelmed about life’s demands, it can often magnify and make things worse than they actually are—for us internally and externally. We’ve all felt stress in one way or another—work deadlines, family issues, financial troubles, you name it—the reasons for stress in our lives are endless! But learning to manage stress and instead practice things like gratitude and mindfulness, can not only work wonders for both our physical and mental well-being, but it can improve the appearance of our skin too.
Stress can cause breakouts and increase the signs of aging, which include:-
- reduced elasticity
- wrinkles
- darkness or puffiness under the eyes
When we practice gratitude, such as daily gratitude journaling, it shifts our focus from feelings of stress and anxiety and instead promotes more happiness in our lives. This simple yet effective daily habit helps to keep the mind positive and our skin looking healthy and youthful.
Vitamin C is found in a lot of skincare products on the market and it’s no surprise being that it’s one of the best anti-aging ingredients out there. You’ll often find vitamin C in serums and moisturisers and by including these products in your skincare routine, you’re sure to reap the many benefits that this ingredient offers. These include:-
- hydration
- brightening
- reduced redness/pigmentation
- reduced fine lines/wrinkles
- boosting collagen in the skin
Incorporating vitamin C into your skincare routine is safe for most skin types and can be used daily to help give your skin a radiant glow!
We all love a night of ‘junk food’ takeaway or tv munchies, but the term ‘you are what you eat’ does in fact hold true to how we feel, our overall health and the appearance of our skin.
Ensuring we eat foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients is key to boosting our energy levels, protecting our immune system and giving us radiant, glowing skin.
We all know that vitamin C provides a tonne of benefits for our skin (see above), so leaning toward nourishing fruits and vegetables can help protect the skin against damaging free radicals, reduce pigmentation, increase collagen levels and give the skin an out of this world glow!
Some of the wholesome foods to add to your daily diet include:-
- berries
- oranges
- kale
- kiwi fruit
- broccoli
- lemons
For a quick fix to boost the skin’s glow, mix a small amount of liquid illuminator into your moisturiser, foundation or BB cream and apply evenly to the face for instant radiance. Now, we want to avoid looking like a disco ball and have a natural glow instead, so remember, less is best to begin with, and you can always add more if needed. Alternatively, just dab on the high points of your face such as the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, a little on the centre of the forehead and underneath the brow, for an effortlessly natural, no-makeup glow.
Another option is to use what’s known as hybrid beauty products—skincare-infused makeup—as a part of your beauty routine. Our Velo Skinwear BB Cream is exactly that! Formulated with hyaluronic acid, plant-based collagen and vitamin C, our Skinwear nourishes and protects the skin from the moment you put it on. Not only does the Velo Skinwear plump, firm and hydrate the skin, but it also gives a radiance like no other. It’s ‘skinimalism’ at its finest!
To learn more about our Skinwear BB Cream, read our blog here.
Let’s face it—we all need our beauty sleep. A good night's rest can do wonders for the skin as this is the time that our body does most of its repair work, internally and externally, repairing and recovering from our day. When we’ve had enough rest—recommended 7-9 hours per night—we wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, and it can show in our appearance.
Throughout sleep, the blood flow increases to our skin, collagen production is boosted and our skin heals from any environmental damage caused—reducing wrinkles and pigmentation. This is why it’s so important to not skip the nighttime skincare routine (as mentioned above) as we don’t wanna give the day's harmful factors a chance to settle into the skin and cause problems overnight. Rest is one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to get healthy, glowing skin, so switch off from social media, no checking emails, and give your body and skin the downtime it deserves!
Prioritising self-care can be tough with the demands of everyday life but taking some time out each week to devote to a skincare pamper sesh can leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and with skin that is glowing! Although you have a skincare routine that you go through daily, this self-care time is the perfect opportunity to add in other products/treatments that will help to boost the skin’s glow.
After cleansing, use an exfoliator (this should be done two-three times per week) which will help to brighten the skin by removing dead skin cells and leaving it with a smooth, clear surface. Next, treat yourself to a mask—either a sheet mask that’s soaked in skin-loving ingredients or a regular mask—as it will help to nourish and revive skin! Follow this with a serum packed with vitamin C, to help brighten and reduce pigmentation, and a rich hydrating moisturiser. If you’re on the normal to drier side, you may want to give the skin some TLC with a hydrating face oil instead.
Radiant, glowing skin is more than just investing in expensive skincare products or learning the latest pro makeup methods—it really all comes down to self-care and investing in yourself and your skin. So, if you can incorporate our glow-getting tips in your day-to-day, you’ll be well on your way to achieving better overall health and radiant skin that’s lit.
