Today I want to devote time to what kind of skin is considered glowing and how you can have it for as long as possible.
I’m 44, mom²👨👩👧👧. A former Los Angeles beautician🇺🇸, now living in🇪🇺. I had a terrible skin and these are my BEAUTY & SKINCARE secrets! Also, you can find my new beauty book here.
So what do I mean by glowing skin? It’s fresh, smooth, with no visible pores, barely sun kissed. Good skin texture, color, and make-up help achieve the effect, but first, you need to have good foundations.
So here are 5 ways to help your skin look radiant.
1. If you want glowing skin, pay attention to its texture.
What does that mean? Check for subcutaneous “granules” (I remember how I had such “bubbles,” which were not even visible when looking from the front. But when I turned my face to the side, I immediately saw those small “peas” under the skin. I felt very self-conscious about it).
You probably understand: if you feel all kinds of bumps and lumps under the skin, you can’t really call it smooth.
Healthy skin reflects light. This will not happen if there are many dead cells on it, the already mentioned bumps.
Large pores will also not result in glowing skin. The biggest mistake I used to make was washing with foamy cleansers, which left my skin feeling itchy and made it oilier. The more oil, the larger the pores. The larger the pores, the more dirt gets in, and comedones form in a polluted pore.
One of the best ways to improve texture is to use acids. I have discovered The Ordinary BHA+AHA pink acid for myself, as well as lactic acid 5%. I use the rose bottle once a week (or every 10 days). Women with dry skin can also use it, but less often. It cleans subcutaneous bubbles, eats away dead cells, and smooths the skin. Don’t expect miracles—the products need a couple of months to work.
What else is needed? Some of you will also need to use a “support,” which is a mild acid to keep the skin from clogging. Again, I like The Ordinary—5% Lactic Acid. Use it twice a week, and you will see its effects very quickly. Sensitive and dry skin will prefer The Ordinary’s Mandelic Acid.
You must find the “golden” middle ground and monitor how many acids your skin needs, so the acid doesn’t destroy the skin’s protective barrier. As soon as the barrier is destroyed, the skin starts to defend itself, producing more oil. This is a sign that you have overdone it.
What is my routine? Every 10 days, I do an acid treatment with a strong BHA+AHA. Every night when I wash with my cleanser, I feel the skin with my fingers and check for any subcutaneous bumps. If I feel any, I immediately use mild lactic acid. This routine usually helps me maintain an even skin texture.
What to do if you overdo it with acids? Avoid using any acids, retinols, or other strong ingredients for a while. Grab some argan or squalene oil to soften breakouts and help your skin recover. Oils don’t really lighten the skin, but they do help it deal with chapping.
Retinols also promote skin regeneration and treat acne, as can niacinamide.
2. Glowing skin equals moist skin.
What ingredients attract moisture?
Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and snail secretion are three.
I always imagine crumpled paper. When I dip it in water, it becomes smooth, straight, and beautiful. This also happens with the skin if you use products with moisture attractors. Serums with hyaluronic acid or snail secretion must be used daily.
If you ask me which moisturizer to use, I will tell you: use something that will have a lasting effect. Some serums with peptides (for example, Timeless Synthe’6) or antioxidants (for example, Timeless Coenzyme Q10) are enriched with hyaluronic acid and other active ingredients.
Serum with peptides will ignite the collagen production factory in the skin, and serum with antioxidants will extract free radicals.
In addition, both serums are excellent moisturizers. Snail secretion (for example, Cosrx snail mucin) is super hydrating, instantly plumping up your skin, but it will only last until the evening when you wash it all off.
Have long-term “workers,” like hyaluronic acid, and for a quick effect, use snails 😊.
3. Pay attention to color. Radiant skin is never gray.
Some women associate glowing skin with tanning, but in my opinion, fair skin, sometimes even porcelain skin, can glow even more.
How can one achieve good skin color? A best-case scenario would be to live only in fresh air, but that is unfortunately not the case, so we must find ways to improve the color.
Again, acids eat away at dead cells. After using acids, the skin will reflect light much better and appear less gray.
The second ingredient is Vitamin C. I currently have the Timeless Serum. Don’t buy it in large bottles because the vitamin oxidizes over time and loses its effectiveness. Another brand I like is Skinsuiticals Vitamin C.
Radiant skin is never blemished, so you need to learn how to deal with pigmentation. Retinol and acids fight spots, and for more sensitive skin—niacinamide (like from The Ordinary) or azelaic acid.
4. Enjoying the sun’s rays will make your skin worse, not better.
I use sunscreen with SPF all year round. Do you know why? Even in winter, sunlight ages the skin, destroys the collagen network, and promotes pigmentation. No matter what your skin care routine is, if you don’t use SPF, you won’t have glowing skin.
You have asked me about tanning beds, and I don’t want to be hypocritical—I also liked to sunbathe. I remember when I first started dating my husband Mindaugas. I wanted so badly to have a nice tan on my lovely legs, just like when I lived in Los Angeles. I used to tan in the sun or in a tanning bed. I understand the desire of women to be tanned.
If you still want to tan, don’t burn your face—cover it with a towel. And then, to make the skin of the whole body and face look uniform, use an artificial tanning cream.
The skin care industry is increasingly turning to sun protection, so find a way not to fry your face.
5. Cosmetics can help achieve the desired result.
Skin will never shine if we use a matte makeup product or a lot of powder. So how do you choose a product that will help your face reach the perfect balance, not too shiny or too dry?
I used to really like Estee Lauder powder, but then I realized that it aged me and looked quite dry. Now I use It Cosmetics Cream Powder and a brush. I apply it to my face in a circular motion, and it covers quite nicely.
I also like Charlotte Tilbury Cream Powder that isn’t shimmery or pearl. I also love cream blushes that help keep skin fresh.
BOTTOM LINE: You can have glowing skin. You already know the ways to achieve it. But if there are days when you don’t shine, don’t be discouraged. My skin doesn’t shine every day, either: sometimes I don’t sleep well, I don’t eat well, I don’t spend much time in the fresh air, I’m stressed, I cry . . .
I really hope that my advice will help you achieve the look you want.
Until next time,
Ruta
P.S. If you were interested in this article, you will definitely love my new beauty book “THE WHOLE TRUTH about beauty, youth, and skin care”👇
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