You won’t get the secret to glowing face – which is to say clear, soft, moist, radiant and healthy – in the pan of a highlighter palette. I don’t want to say there are no skincare products that can melt into your skin perfectly, because some products also work nicely to naturally boost your youthful and shiny looking. But it’s much better to combine skincare and cosmetic products along with beauty practices for optimal results.
I know the answer varies since a number of factors can affect your glowing appearance. There is no single answer for everyone. But the following all-time best glowing face tips are always worth a try.
Beauty practices to get a glowing face naturally
A beautiful shinny skin in all-season long would be likely impossible if your skin is full of oily pores or drying out. So understanding your skin requirements is a must!
Just look at the mirror to find out whether your skin is dry, oil, or combination! Check out the skin pores, larger pores are likely to get oily more. In such case, you need a formula to help keep the balance of your skin oil production (retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, and astringents for examples).
If your face is dry and likely to peel or crack, look for ingredients that can boost moisturizing effects, the best one is hyaluronic acid. On the other hand, reduce or avoid any ingredients that provoke the problem such as benzoyl peroxide and retinoid.
And for combination skin, it’d be a bit tricky to deal with. Because there is usually no one-size-fits product! What you need is dependent on ‘how oily your oily skin areas are naturally and how dry your dry skin areas are’! But in general, the following tips would help:
- Start with a gentle cleanser but effective enough to clean the skin from debris, impurities, or any unnecessary things without leaving your skin feeling dry (tight) or greasy.
- Technically, toner is an unnecessary thing. But if you have to, choose a well-formulated toner that provides a hydrating effect and doesn’t irritate your skin! And when applied properly, toner will definitely improve your glowing face too.
- Choose a non-abrasive, gentle exfoliant – e.g. BHA exfoliant! Whatever your skin type, exfoliating is necessary. BHA exfoliant can help exfoliate the skin effectively without abrasion. To gain the benefits most; a water-like liquid, gel, or weightless fluid BHA exfoliants are recommended.
- And moisturizer, the next basic thing in skincare routines. A simply tip, choose an oil-free moisturizer so it moisturizes the skin without carrying additional slick on your oily areas especially T-zone area.
Also, it’s important to get glowing appearance from the inside, out. Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated, which is going to do a great thing for your skin health in long term!
Don’t forget your diet! What you eat is always important for your overall health, including your largest organ (skin). Besides keeping hydrated, try also the following things to boost a plumper and glowing complexion of your face:
- Healthy fats – e.g. walnuts, almond, flaxseeds, macadamia, sunflower seed, fish, and healthy oils (coconut oil, olive oil, or fish oil for examples). Your dietary healthy fats may help slow down your aging skin process — one study suggests [1]. Fatty acids like omega-3s and omega-6s are necessary to create the building blocks of your healthy skin cell membranes.
- Fruits! Skin-glowing nutrients in fruits are hard to beat. They have everything; let’s say vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and minerals (all these goodies are awesome to support your skin health). Some people say that certain fruits boost glowing skin more effectively, but this is debatable (no real logic, scientific evidence behind this opinion). Instead, eat a wide variety of foods to gain benefits most, because each fruit has unique properties!
- Vegetables, which are also nutrient-dense foods. Some popular ones that take the front seat for healthy and clear skin are; broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and dark green leafy vegetables. But like fruits, it’s much better to involve eating a wide variety of vegetables.
- Dark chocolate. One study suggests that dark chocolate may help make the skin become less sensitive to UV rays, less rough, and drive the skin to get hydrated more likely [2]. It may also help ease skin wrinkles, though this effectiveness is still doubtable. In essence, it is rich in antioxidants so it’s not bad idea to give it a shot. But avoid high-sugary, milk chocolate (bad for your weight control)! Instead, eat pure-dark chocolate (low in sugar and nutrient-rich food especially antioxidants).
- Soy, rich in a potent compound called isoflavones! Isoflavones may provide several benefits for your youthful-looking skin. It may help ease wrinkles, drive more collagen production, and improve skin elasticity [3]. So it’s good idea to eat soy in moderation in your diet!
On the other hand, reduce or avoid any foods that cause counterproductive effects for your glowing face.
The most common culprits include; pro-inflammatory diet (such as excess consumption of dairy products, potato chips, or white bread), high-sugar foods (e.g. candies, cupcakes, agave, and soda drinks), foods high in saturated fats (e.g. margarine, deep fried foods), fast foods & instant cereals low in nutrients.
Do also the following basic no-nonsense tips:
- Manage your stress! Uncontrolled stress can take a serious toll for your overall health, including the skin. For example, it makes acne breakouts more likely. Even it may drive premature wrinkles, according to one study [4].
- Get a good night’s rest! Your sleep does amazing things for your skin health. The skin repairs itself optimally while we snooze. That’s why any experts and beauty pros agree that the quality of your Z’s is a fountain of youth.
- Avoid any ‘tobacco smoke’, including secondhand smoke! Tobacco smoke causes your skin look older and likely to get wrinkled over time. It also makes your skin paler because it narrows tiny blood vessels of your skin [5].
- And slather on sunscreen! UV rays do have harmful effects for your elastic and firmness skin. It provokes age spots, skin wrinkles, and other skin problems.
Also, keep your hands out from your face since they’re magnet for germs and dirt. So say “NO” for stroking your chin, rubbing your eyes, or cupping your cheek – all these things are bad if you’re expecting glowing face.
Cosmetic and skincare products to get a natural glowing face
Along with beauty practices mentioned earlier, there are also many solutions to help make glowing skin more likely – even some would also help a lot when you’re short on the latter.
Again, this may vary between individuals. But no matter the level of your skill, the following products and tips would carry a difference for more youthful and glowing face:
Skin hydration is a must to make the skin look plumper. Although this serum doesn’t provide awesome hydration, it carries a moisturizer feel than a conventional serum.
The key point, you can use this water-based serum under your makeup perfectly. Just massage the serum before applying makeup to wake up the whole complexion of your skin so the skin will look fresh and youthful.
Plus, its water-based formula doesn’t additional oiliness on T-zone. This could also be major bonus, especially if you have combination skin.
And of course, the price is affordable (about $19). Also, you’ll have a 30-day full refund policy for the product.
A tip, it’s recommended to apply toner before the serum. This can help the serum penetrate more effectively.
Add a sheer layer of sheen, that’s a luminizer to help provide a complexion finisher.
Luminizer is also a good idea for nearly perfect glowing with less-than-flawless skin. This shimmery product (typically in liquid or stick form) diffuses light so the skin is likely to look younger and softer.
The luminizing ingredients usually don’t clog the skin pores. But to keep it work, it’s much better to choose one that’s free of mineral oil.
There are lots of brands to choose from. But when it comes to glowing face, L’Oréal True Match Lumi Glow Amour is one of my best recommendations.
Just mix a few drops of the product with your lovely foundation or moisturizer. And then use a damp, soft sponge to apply it on your skin to get natural looking (much better than a highlighter).
Another idea, play with layer textures. For example, use Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Highlighter!
Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Highlighter is a powder highlighter (without glittery or chunky) to boost an extra layer of glow. Just apply it on top of a cream!
There are several choices to choose from, and Själ Kashmir Saphir perfecting mask is one the best ones. Probably, you’re pleasantly surprised to how this product works nicely to gain your best shinny face instantly. Yes, it doesn’t take so long to see the results.
It would make your skin pores look smaller, which is a hard thing to do with other products. Also, it can be a quick booster for brighter skin.
I don’t want to say that this product is a perfect thing for everyone, but most consumers love it since it carries the results immediately. Even it could be your jet lag antidote.
This unusual mask could give you spa-like results as if you have had a facial when you haven’t! Also it should be safe for sensitive skin, because it’s free of irritating things (parabens-free, cruelty free, NO synthetic colors, detergents-free, and also without mineral oil).
Key active ingredients: oxygenating herbs, royal jelly, biochemical tissue salts, silk proteins, and GABA amino acid complex. Drawback, the price is a bit expensive ($150 for 50 ml). But overall, it’s worth a try!
Another idea, try a binge mask — such as St. Ives Glowing Apricot Sheet Mask.
Use this sheet mask for several days straight when your face look blah a lot. The mask promotes brighter and glowy face by week’s end since it is formulated with a compounding effect of smoothing and hydrating.
Also, pay attention on your skin barrier. Strong skin barrier is necessary to protect the outermost layer of the skin, so is necessary for your firmness and youthful-looking of your face.
To do that, Thank You Farmer Back to Relax Soothing Gel Mask is good idea. Use this multitasking treatment overnight!
- Look for Vitamin C products. Vitamin C is necessary for your skin health, which is one of powerful antioxidants to help protect the skin cells from free radicals. It can give you double protection. For example, just apply creams or serums containing vitamin C underneath your SPF to get free radical damage, even skin tone, or lighten brown spots.
- Choose a high-powered moisturizer containing ceramids and skin-repairing humectants instead of a basic moisturizer. Ceramids can support your skin barrier and hydration, making plumper skin more likely without clogging skin pores.
- Topical retinol products are also very recommended, especially if your skin can tolerate retinoid. But if it’s too sensitive for your skin, there are some alternatives that may work as well as retinol (see more here)!
And keep any products with irritating things off your face (e.g. high fragrance, parabens, imidazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol, formaldehyde, and mercury compounds). This is particularly true for hypersensitive skin. For more guidance about this, check this FDA official site!
Get a glowing face naturally without the sun!
To get transformation into glowing bronzed gods and goddesses, tanning is probably the most popular choice (especially when spring has sprung and sunlight is coming quick on the horizon, time when you feel the pressure to look your best).
But again UV rays will age your skin prematurely. The same goes for tanning salons or sunbathing. So instead of tanning, do the following safe self-tanning ideas to gain a gorgeous glow without the sun: