Seven Tips For Gorgeous, Glowing Skin!

We’ve all seen the ads. Companies promoting $300 face creams that will guarantee the best skin of your life. Ads with heavily airbrushed faces of 16yr old girls claiming that if you use this miracle product, you too, could look like them. Though I don’t agree with these kinds of ads, I do agree with one aspect of them. We all want glowing skin!

In order to achieve that lit from within glow, we must learn to take care of our bodies both inside and out. Think about it. You stay up until 3am after eating greasy pizza and drinking 5 glasses of wine. You stumble into the bathroom, barely have the energy to brush your teeth, use a face wipe to “cleanse” your face and then slather on that expensive face cream. After a few months of a similar routine, you can’t understand why you’re not seeing results!

Let’s take a moment to erase those bad habits from our brains. Think of this as your skin’s new beginning! Healthy, glowing skin doesn’t cost $500 and it certainly doesn’t take hours each day to achieve (but it does take a little bit of effort.) Think of your skincare routine as one of the most important parts of your day. It is self care at its best! Here are my seven (because I couldn’t choose just five) tips for gorgeous, glowing skin! And let’s be honest…1 glass of red wine never hurt anyone. Antioxidants! At least that’s what I tell myself.

1. Drink more water! I know I sound like a broken record with this one but I can’t leave it off the list. Water is more vital to your skin’s health than any face cream or serum ever will be.  It hydrates us from the inside out, keeps our organs healthy, plumps up our skin and helps reduce water weight. It may sound counterintuitive but the more water you drink, the more water you’ll shed. Imagine you’re stranded on a desert island (sometimes not such a bad thought, right?) ; ) You are eating the absolute minimal amount of food each day, therefore, your body is holding onto each and every ounce of that food because it is in survival mode. It is storing away anything it can to keep you going! It’s the same with water. Our bodies get concerned when we’re not drinking enough water so they store it away in case of emergency. It definitely shows in our skin if we’re not drinking enough water. My recommendation is to pick up a cute water bottle from Target or Homegoods! If you’ve got a festive water bottle in your handbag chances are you’ll be more likely to drink from it.
2. Get moving! I know. This is a tough one for me, too. Sweating it out is one of the best ways to get those endorphins flowing and that skin glowing! Try a moderate/high intensity workout where you can feel the sweat dripping down your back! I’ve made the mistake in the past of going to the gym, doing a light walk on the treadmill and calling it a day. I was breaking out and not losing weight. I couldn’t understand! I received some advice from my doctor after receiving results from my cholesterol test that were less than glowing. She said that in order to really reap the benefits of a workout, you’ve got to get that heart rate up. Just to clarify, I am by no means a doctor or a professional in this field so make sure to consult with your doctor before starting any type of workout regimen. Once you do, though, you may be surprised of the glow that follows! <Insert cheesy workout photos here>
3. Take your vitamins. We’re not talking Flinstones here. Maybe you’re a one hit wonder kind of gal when it comes to vitamins and just take your daily multivitamin. If that sounds like you then I commend you! You’re already doing better than probably half of the US population. Once again, consult with your doctor before incorporating any type of supplement into your routine. There are a few supplements that are particularly beneficial to the skin. Omega 3’s, biotin (Hair, Skin and Nails formula) and probiotics all have glowing skin benefits. Omega 3’s will be your quality fish oil supplement. It is very important when choosing a fish oil supplement to purchase a high quality supplement from a reputable company. This supplement is particularly beneficial if you don’t consume a lot of fish in your diet. I also like to get an omega boost from adding chia seeds to my smoothies. Biotin is another great option for glowing skin and healthy hair and nails. It helps strengthen the skin and is a great addition to a supplement routine, particularly if you are female. My digestive game has completely changed since I started incorporating probiotics into my routine. I purchase mine from Vitacost and I buy the 10-20 strains, 20 billion organisms pills. Healthy skin begins with a healthy gut and probiotics are fantastic for introducing healthy bacteria into your system which, in return, will keep your tummy happy and your skin glowing. Once again, I am not a doctor or a nutritional expert, so please consult with your doctor before incorporating any supplements into your daily diet.
4. Exfoliating acids Ah, this is one of my favorite ways to get glowing. If you are a millennial, like me, you probably grew up scrubbing your face with St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I used that stuff every.single.day. It smelled great, it was cheap and I thought it was fantastic for my skin! Boy, was I wrong. Abrasive scrubs with large granules can not only tear the outer layer of your skin but they will leave you extremely red and sensitive. Exfoliating is key if you’re looking to slough away dead skin cells and reveal the glowing, healthy skin that is sitting underneath. A few of my favorites are the Dr. Dennis Gross Daily Peel Pads, First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads and Sunday Riley’s Good Genes serum.
5. Embrace the cold! Think about the times that you’ve twisted your ankle, stubbed your toe or bumped your leg off of the corner of something. Ouch! What do we immediately do? Ice! We would never dream of immediately applying heat as it would draw blood flow to the area and increase inflammation. Roger Federer is a prime example. What does he do after smashing a tennis match? Take an ice bath. The same idea can be applied to skincare (minus the ice part.) I repeat, do NOT apply ice to your face! What I am talking about here is mildly, chilly water. The first thing I do in the morning is cleanse my face using cool water. This is especially beneficial if you have sensitive skin. Ever notice that your face is super red when you get out of the shower? Blame that on the overly hot water (and that apricot scrub if you’re still using it!) Cleansing with mildly cool water is a great way to encourage healthy, glowing skin and it also helps with puffiness in the morning (helpful if you’ve had a bit too much salt the previous day.)
6. Up your intake of greens I see a HUGE difference in my skin when I am getting in my daily greens. I know this can be a tough one (I don’t enjoy knawing on raw spinach, either.) My advice here is to drink your greens! I’m not a salad lover but I am definitely a lover of green juice and smoothies. Blend up some spinach, celery, pineapple, cucumber and chia seeds for a morning smoothie. Throw some kale in your protein smoothie after the gym. If you have a juicer at home, juice up some greens and use that as your mid day pick me up rather than reaching for that chocolate bar. Check out my My Glistening Green Smoothie post for an easy recipe that tastes better than it looks!
7. Sleep on Silk Ok, before you roll your eyes, just hear me out. Many of us sleep on cotton pillowcases. Even if you are sleeping on a 1000 thread count Egyptian Cotton pillowcase, the cotton will still draw the moisture out of your skin. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is not only super luxurious but the silk will keep your skin and hair looking fabulous. The Slip brand is gorgeous (sephora.com) but you can find much more affordable options at Marshall’s or even Bed Bath and Beyond (better whip out that coupon.) You skin will retain its moisture throughout the evening and all of those beautiful products you applied will stay on your skin, not on your pillowcase (you’ll also feel like Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s. So glam.)

Alright, my lovelies. Those are my seven tips to achieve healthy, glowing skin. Keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different and a skincare routine is such a personal process. What works for me may not work for you and you kind of just have to keep experimenting to see what gives you the glow. Let me know in the comments below what you do to keep your skin glowing!

You never know who needs you. Good energy is contagious!

Love, Carrie xo