Words by Kiehl’s skincare experts
We all love the idea of bright and glowing skin, it’s a major signal that your skin is feeling balanced and healthy. Unfortunately, a host of causes from age to stress and even what you eat can steal away your skin’s radiance. Luckily, we’re here with our top tips on how to wave goodbye to dull, tired looking skin and embrace a glowy, bright and radiant look.
1. Adopt a healthy lifestyle
Our skin is a good monitor for what’s going on inside our body. When we’re stressed out, or not sleeping well, it usually shows on our skin, with a greyish dull tinge, dark circles and sometimes breakouts too.
Prioritise a healthy lifestyle and your skin will start to perk up. Avoid stress, cigarette smoke and processed food, instead find ways to de-stress like exercise, meditation or yoga and aim for 8-hours sleep a night. Fruit and vegetables are full of antioxidants which are great for skin health and for your organs too. Aim to eat a rainbow of different colours and at least 5 servings per day.
2. Cleanse twice a day
Skin that isn’t clean will never glow because a layer of grime, whether that’s sweat, pollution or dry skin cells acting as a barrier, hiding away your natural radiance. Make sure you’re cleansing every morning and evening, not only will your skin feel clean, but any products you apply afterwards will sink into skin and not sit atop a layer of impurities.
For more radiant-looking skin we recommend following your cleanse with a refreshing toner, to soothe, hydrate and help skin to appear brighter day after day.
3. Invest in your routine
Skincare can help boost skin clarity too, but there’s no point in applying the occasional serum if you’re not following a consistent daily routine.
Consistency is key when it comes to most skin issues, including clarity. Find a routine that suits both your skin and the time you have each day, whether it’s two mins or 20 mins, and never miss your morning and evening skincare steps, we promise your skin will thank you.
If you’re looking for your perfect routine, try Kiehl’s Instant Skin Reader. Developed with dermatologists, this unique skin analysis tool personalises your routine recommendation to your skin type and your skin’s needs.
4. Remove dead skin cells
As well as providing a deeper cleanse, exfoliating works to remove any surface dead skin cells (which contribute to dullness) and helps to smooth the skin too. Glowing skin has a smooth texture that can reflect light more easily than rough or bumpy skin, so focusing on skin feel is also important. You can exfoliate manually with a scrub that gently buffs skin for instant smoothness.
The alternative option, chemical exfoliation, utilises acids to dissolve dead skin cells sitting atop the surface of the skin. It might sound harsh, but it’s actually a very gentle step in the quest for a smoother, brighter appearance.
5. Add Vitamin C
Adding a Vitamin C serum to your skincare routine can help achieve a radiant look while penetrating the skin’s surface layers, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This boosts skin’s radiant appearance and reveals brighter, younger looking skin.
You can add Vitamin C at any point in your routine, but the serum stage is always a good place to use more active ingredients, as skin is already cleansed and prepped.
6. Hydration is key
When it comes to skin radiance, the first thing to rob you of that gorgeous glow is dehydration.
When we haven’t drunk enough water it’s visible on our skin, which looks dull, sunken and feels tight. It’s a quick win really, just drink a couple more glasses of water a day and see that glow reappear. If you do have dehydrated skin, choose products that are especially formulated to deliver lasting hydration.
Always follow your serum application with a moisturiser to seal in the goodness and nourish the skin.
7. Strengthen the skin barrier
The skin barrier is the watertight seal that holds all the upper skin layers together smoothly. A strong and healthy barrier means skin that feels smooth and looks healthy and radiant.
If the skin barrier is damaged, skin becomes rough, dry, dull-looking and increasingly sensitive. Prevention is always better than cure and a strong barrier will lead to brighter skin.
Choose a serum that works to fortify the crucial top layer of skin. A serum which protects skin against damaging aggressors, while helping skin to better retain moisture for a bouncier feel will result in stronger skin barrier function.
8. Never miss SPF
Damaged skin is dull skin, and the number one cause of skin damage is the sun. The sun’s rays cause premature ageing, textural issues including dryness and dullness and irregular pigmentation.
We always recommend finishing your skincare routine with a daily SPF to help protect your skin.
